THE BUDDHA’S EYES (July 20, 2012)
My two Tibetan T-shirts with the Buddha’s eyes embroidered on their chests give me quite a boost whenever I wear them. One is maroon, the other pale blue. Both are faded after about twenty years of wear and tear, but the eyes remain as bright as ever. The thread used is as good as new. Each time I decide to wear one of them, I feel a bit like coming out. It does not matter to me which branch of Buddhism is represented by the T-shirts, but Buddhism it undoubtedly is. Say, Bon Buddhism, which delights me with its double meaning. To my surprise, people spot the message rather quickly. Now that Motovun is crowded with tourists from far and wide, quite a few of them salute me with a humble nod when they see the half-closed eyes. Which only boosts my feeling of coming out. The same happened a short while ago, but I was amazed by a sudden flash of panic that went along with it: where will I find a steady supply of Tibetan T-shirts to my liking?! Made in Nepal by Tibetan refugees, they are hard to find in Europe, let alone in Croatia. Will I have to stoop to embroidery myself?