My First Lunar New Year
I asked for a ticket to "Fa Gu Shan," or at least that's what I tried to do. The woman at the counter gave me a confused look and replied with a prominent Taiwanese accent "Jin San?" I paused for a second, my teacher telling me that I say my tones in Chinese better than my classmates doesn't mean much when I can't even buy a bus ticket, but I'll press on. Add oil.＊
"Not Jin Shan" I reply "Fa Gu Shan, close to Jin Shan."
"Ooooooooh, Fa Gu San"
I triumphed.
A middle aged Taiwanese woman soon told me to board the wrong bus, "seems like the bus is early" I thought to myself, "but she is from here, she must know better than me." After a bus change and a two and a half hour drive, which got progressively rainier, we arrived at the mountain temple. I was out of the city for the Lunar New Year joining a group of mostly middle-aged or older Taiwanese on the north coast, which was colder than elsewhere on the island this time of year. The ways I choose to spend my free time are sometimes questionable.
I was soon befriended by Yugi, who either recognized my confusion at where to go or had a great desire to practice English. Yugi was a yogi and part-time English tutor, who had decided he didn't want to spend his New Years Eve with his wife and two children. He helped me book a bed for the night and figure out when everything was happening. He also told me all about himself, but I was surprised by his complete lack of interest in anything about me. He didn't ask why I came to Taiwan or to the temple, what I was doing with myself, how long I had been here, or if I had tried stinky tofu. I have grown so used to answering these questions when I meet someone.
After an hour of trying to give me a tour, but getting lost repeatedly, Yugi asked me what my name was. Once I answered this question his interest in information about my life quickly faded and the conversation shifted.
"People ask me if I want to move here," he told me.
"But I have too many responsibilities, my kids are still young, I have to take care of them, I have to work. I don't really want to, but I have to, you know?"
"How old are your kids?"
"15 and 17. Maybe when they are older I will stay here longer."
He was eager to eat. We looked at the meal schedule for the day.
"That's weird, why don't they call the meal dinner?" I was asked, although I don't think he was expecting an answer.
"That's because there is a rule saying that they aren't supposed to eat meals after noon, so it's called medicine meal instead." My month spent at a temple in July paid off with at least one piece of information.
"So it's a way to get around the rules then" Yugi concluded.
He didn't seem at all surprised that I knew things about his religion that he was unaware of.
In the evening the rain picked up and the new years ceremony began. Yugi was excited for the large bell to be rung. He told me how many times it would sound, but the number escapes me now. 108 times? Does that have some significance? I didn't ask.
He led me to the area under a tent facing the stairs to the large bell, it was set up for attendees that didn't have the black robe, which is given to those who have taken the Buddhist precept. The ceremony began with chanting while ringing the bell, followed by more chanting and ringing of the bell. This went on for over an hour and I slowly caught onto what the chant was or at least something I believed to be close to it. Eventually we walked in line up the steps and circumambulated the bell. I'm sure to have gained some merit or good karma for that. If nothing else, I will be rewarded in my future life for the night's events.
My merit continued to increase as we returned to the tent for more chanting and bowing in the direction of the bell. "Alright, I could use a stretch" I thought to myself, but this all seemed to take forever and I lost interest before it was over. I was hoping to at least experience a trance state from this repeated action, but I guess I was too focused on having to use the toilet. No luck for life changing spiritual experiences this time.
The New Year rang in with a final bang of the bell and an announcement by a young woman on the TV screens around the bell. Then came a speech by the founder of the temple and a chance for me to run to the washroom. I had built up so much merit in the past few hours I figured that I didn't have to stay for the speech.
Goodnight Buddha.
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* 加油 (jia you) is a common phrase in Chinese that literally translates to "add oil." It is used as a way to encourage people, telling them "you can do it," "press on," or "go! go! go!"