Journal 43

On the journey today - 12 miles or so - I saw a fine lake, a very lovely area, and discovered an arañña I had not hears of and shall not hear of again - it was, I suspect, someone's idea of a joke - and finally reached a place which is a school like the one that was north of Akuressa, but larger and, therefore, if possible - it is possible, but only barely - actually worse than the other, especially in monk's conduct: not only are they laymen, but they’re even poor laymen. Gawdl Head monk, principal, very worldly, wants me to study under him for a year- he'll teach me Pali and Buddhist culture (whatever that is), all for free, of course, and I can teach him English and Science in his school and get a good salary and jam every other day (see Alice in Wonderland on that), etc. Maybe if he throws in an elephant I'll take it. I refused, of course; but he is not stupid and he knows what I'm after - that is, he knows what the Dhamma is for - but he's not interested. The other monks, who live under him, are all quite impossible nincompoops with radios and no brains.

Now it's afternoon; I'll stay the night here and leave in the morning. It would involve too much polemic to describe the place, physically, culturally, or on any other level - shall spare all of us the effort.

Night: this place has bed-bugs. First time I've encountered them since India. (In India bedbugs are a way of life.) Talked this evening with the head monk; revised my opinion, he is not not stupid (note the double negative): he is educated. He is the opposite of the Opate people. They asked very simple questions that were related to their lives; he gives only complex and high-toned answers that have nothing to do with life; he knows all about the Buddha's Teaching except how to use it. He has spent 25 years learning it much the same way certain people might spend 25 years solving crossword puzzles. He is, in short, a dope. And his school has bedbugs…