Purumitra: The New Hauptbahnhof

He ran first one way, then the other, his suitcase on wheels rumbling along behind him. A look of bewilderment was plastered over his tanned face as he squeezed through the crowds. Every few seconds he absentmindedly rubbed the top of his bald head, which shone like a mirror from the sunshine pouring through the immense glass roof above. His long and flowing orange robes floated over his toenails poking out from modest brown sandals. A lost Buddhist monk, no doubt en route to the Buddhist House in the north west of the city. Why he was in a hurry, I don’t know, perhaps he was due to give a talk on the way of Samma Sati (Mindfulness).

It was the first full day of business for the newly opened Hauptbahnhof, the biggest train station in the whole of Europe. Crowds of intrigued Berliners, tourists and commuters flocked onto the walkways and platforms, most staring wide eyed in frozen amazement at the shimmering glass and giant metal structures. For eight years the inhabitants of the city had waited for the 700 million euro project to be completed and now they came to inspect their new pride and joy. Rushing around was not on the itinerary for the majority of visitors and so a Buddhist monk, for once, had the speediest set of legs in the near vicinity. Cameras clicked, laughter flowed, pensioners looked proudly skywards, fathers explained, children complained. It was a theatre of Berlin lives, all gathered together, encased in an ever renewing glass box.

I was watching the monk from a walkway one level above as he fumbled for some coins with which to buy a U-bahn ticket. Technically monks are not meant to carry money but of course there must be allowances for travelling. He bent double as he studied the instructions on how to buy a ticket located on the front of the automatic ticket machine. As he was doing so, a group of children passed by behind and pointed in his direction, fascinated by the clothing. With awareness, the monk turned and lit up in a smile at the inquisitive youngsters, giving also a slight bow of the head, then returned to his reading.

A few minutes later, he had gained a ticket. He quickly trundled off, out of sight, beneath where I was standing. I must say, I was a little disappointed to see him go, his presence in a strange way was almost soothing, for despite his obvious tensions over travelling, there was a deeper and more serene peace about him.

As I had watched him, the image of a lake had come to mind. During stormy weather, as ripples streak across the surface of the water in a multitude of directions, deep below, it is calm and still like a sleeping baby.

Suddenly I saw him again, this time he was running in the opposite direction towards the escalators. His shiny scalp reflecting the window frames of the ceiling. I was sure that was how the roof of a train must look when pulling into the station. As quickly as he had reappeared, he disappeared. Perhaps he would come my way again before I left.

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Purumitra was born in 1965 in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. At an early age his poverty stricken Buddhist father sent him to neighbouring Sri Lanka to become a monk. Over the years, Purumitra developed into a leading teacher of meditation and dharma. Nowadays he spends most of his time in Europe, travelling from Buddhist retreat, to temple, to Sangha, in various nations. Proficient in six languages, he has grown a reputation for the fluency of his discourses and his dedication to the well being of others.
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