MR International: an oral history of a pilgrimage in teachings
By Lama Fede Andino
If at 50 I can’t make dad jokes, I clearly don’t know what the point of getting old is.
Mara is the Buddhist demon, and roast is the Argentine asado. A while ago we told you that this year we were going to change the format of the Mara Roast.
Today I’d like to take stock, as a kind of small oral history, of how it turned out.
We made the decision to change the format at the gathering in Thailand, with the people from Southeast Asia. There are now too many groups, and too many people, to ask everyone to travel to a single place in the world every year. So we decided to hold smaller gatherings, spread across the places where we already have a community. We ended up with four.
Bahía Blanca, Argentina (August)
We started in Bahía Blanca, with the help of Kalyanamitra Débora, who organized two days of teachings. The first was for the general topics: meditation, an introduction to Buddhism, everything to do with the sutra side. The second we dedicated to Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom, and we did a series of divinations.
While we were doing them, a rainbow appeared in the sky. It was a beautiful sign, and the Bahía Blanca group came out of it more consolidated.
Mexico City (September)
In September we met in Mexico, with two intense days of teachings and two more of lectures. The lectures were general: how Buddhism arrived, its history, and the basics of mindfulness. Then came the puja teachings, meditation, and once again the Manjushri initiation and the divinations.
Something curious happened there. They asked us for a prediction: whether there would be an earthquake in Mexico City before the end of the month. The answer was yes, a small one, between 2 and 3 in magnitude, and that it would happen before then. It was the afternoon of September 27, with three days left. That very night, in the city center, at the Alameda, right where we were standing, there was a 2.5 tremor. Imagine the surprise on everyone’s faces. We ended the gathering with two new Kalyanamitras and a more consolidated group.
Portland, United States (October)
In October we continued on to Portland. His Holiness the Dalai Lama had sent words of blessing, telling us to keep going down this path, and that made us very happy.
We spent three days there. It began with a welcome from Guru Prajwal, always so generous, who received us at his center, Nritya Mandala of Oregon. There were dances that transmitted the deities in an incredible way. For me, without those dances there is no Mara Roast.
Then came three days of teachings: from long-life deities and Shambhala to how to travel to pure lands and how to make amulets. We also joined the Pacific Northwest Buddhist Association and met with people from all the Buddhist groups in the area, to begin thinking about a Buddhist network like the one that exists in Argentina.
Europe
The last gathering was the one in Europe, which we organized although I did not take part directly. It was run by Lama Chris. Many deities were taught, and people came together to meditate and practice together. They were taught how to visualize and about the chain of interdependence and, above all, time was spent together.
What We Learned
During these days of so much travel, we learned a few things. First, it is important to hold these gatherings more often, because they do a lot to consolidate the groups.
Second, sectarianism and, as we say in Argentina, “ombliguismo” (navel-gazing, that is, focusing only on what happens to oneself) are two of the biggest challenges the Buddhist community faces. I lost count of the times that, after contacting centers and associations, the answer I got was “we only go to our own events.” Fortunately, a good number of groups are realizing that this limits the growth of the Dharma and are working to build communities that go beyond the individualism of our time.
What’s Next
So this year the Mara Roast passed through three continents: South America, North America and Europe. If we count Asia, where it all began, that makes four. That leaves Africa, Oceania and Antarctica for future editions.
The next one will be in Bodhgaya, in 2027. I hope you enjoyed this journey, and that we meet again soon.
Lama Fede Andino
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