The goal was to slow down and have a nice quiet day, and for nothing to happen. I suggested a 6:00 AM hike down to the village and then to the river over an old rusty metal bridge through the yellow rye fields, past the smiling children who are very good at saying good morning, on a footpath on the edge of the terrace and then down through the pine forest, weaving our way among elephantine boulders, "Clark, we are in India"' carefully making rock cairns on the way down so we could find our way back. Nothing much happening, found a small pool among the boulders to wade in the glacial water.
We found our cairns, back to the village, hey, should we stop at the Ashram? Dressed in long flowing robes, the French Canadian named Hasmoke, asked us to stay for tea, introduced us to the very tall Swamigee. I should grow my hair so long I could make a ponytail. Hasmkoke told us a long story about Ma Anandamayee, the Indian saint they worship or revere as an example. Then the Swami-ji invited us to the yoga shrine room, and started playing his organ piano instruments reminiscent of say, Iron Butterfly, with a song to go with it. It was hypnotic and intense. They said we are welcome to come back for the big feast and unveiling of the statue in a few days.
Notes on walking...Thich Nhat Hanh ...few people realize that joy needs to be cultivated and practiced in order to go...there's a belief that happiness is not possible here and now, so we have a tendency to run into the future in order to look for happiness...the act of walking will water the seeds of peace that are already inside us...if you empower your feet with the energy of mindfulness, your feet become Buddha's feet...when we walk with others the collective energy of mindfulness is very powerful. It helps heal everyone...we build the future by taking care of the present moment...
walking down to the village, through the pine trees.
rock cairn
The Swami-ji
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| photograph Priscilla Stewart |
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| photograph Clark Goldsberry |
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| photograph Clark Goldsberry |
walking down to the village, through the pine trees.
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