James Taylor, Arlo Guthrie and Buddhas in the Berkshires

I love Buddhas. I mean I am obsessed with Buddhas. I have approximately 158 Buddhas in all shapes and sizes as I have mentioned before (go read my "Buddha Hoarder" post). I studied Buddhism in graduate school and really think in my last life, I was probably a professor of Asian religions and culture.

Three people in the past five years had told me about this Asian super store/museum/art gallery in the Berkshires. Finally, I woke up yesterday (after someone in my numerology class on Friday mentioned this place to me yet again) and decided to drive the 2.5 hours and JUST GO. I thought to myself that next weekend would be better. But then I thought again to myself...next weekend is not guaranteed to arrive. Today is here and today is guaranteed and I am going TODAY.

OK, universe, I finally got the message. The Berkshires (located in Western Massachusetts) are filled with beautiful little towns and the drive out there is very peaceful. As I passed through Stockbridge, I saw the Alice’s Restaurant that inspired the Arlo Guthrie song (the song wasn’t really about a restaurant and the restaurant has since changed its name. It’s a long story!) and the lyrics to my favorite James Taylor song were playing in my head:

Now the first of December was covered with snow
And so was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston
Lord, the Berkshires seemed dream-like on account of that frosting
With ten miles behind me and ten thousand more to go

As I rolled into Great Barrington, I saw a bunch of little stores and then there it was…my mecca. Asia-Barong. I pulled up to the place and was immediately greeted outside the entrance by giant Buddha heads, Ganesh statues, enormous Kuan Yins, Shivas and Kalis.

My own personal Nirvana.

The mala beads (Buddhist prayer beads) hanging right as you open the door had me at hello. There were $20 Buddhas and there were $2800 Buddhas. This place has three floors. Three. Fantastic. Buddha-filled. Floors. There were antique Japanese beds and other furniture (I am a Japanophile as well as a Buddha Hoarder, as mentioned in an earlier post).

The owner is a very funny, personable, attractive guy who is open to haggling (my mother is a haggler). He closes the shop during the winter (I think that's what he said) and goes to Asia for goods to bring back to his shop. I think that owning this store and traveling to and from Asia would be my dream job or at least my dream weekend job.

Three hours later, I left with a big smile on my face, two strings of Buddhist prayer beads, a Ganesh necklace, a Buddha necklace, a tiny Buddha, a Buddha keychain and a big mirrored Disco Buddha.

The happiest 3 hours I’ve spent in a long while. I sang the whole way home.