It might have been on a pilgrimage trail, or a chance encounter with a spiritual teacher. Perhaps you had a vision.
Walking a local trail in Nara, Japan a few years ago I found this guy. I asked for some guidance, gave him a tip and took a snap which now embodies my idea of spirituality on the road. It pops up in the strangest of places and often when you least expect it.
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| Nara, Japan |
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| Niigatsudo, Nara. |
I was grieving the recent death of a grandmother who had raised me and feeling the gap left after my friend returned home to recover, in fewer pieces than he had begun. I had given myself to his caring, and now the loss of this left a hole I needed to fill, beginning with the caring of myself, of my soul.
Thaipusam made me question the lengths I was prepared to go to myself, in order to test my faith...I still ask myself this and am yet to find the answer. Perhaps the answer is in the journey itself.
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| The devotees pinnacle; Batu Caves |
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| Trance states make for thirsty souls |
We came to know, we leave to remember...
In 2004 I spent a period of time travelling through various parts of Mexico. There was something very special about this country, I felt like I had been there before (who knows maybe I was Mayan in a past life).
ReplyDeleteI was travelling with a close group of friends that I met in North Carolina each of us from different corners of the world though all there for one of the same reasons, to visit the Blue House. The Blue House is on the outskirts of Mexico City a place called Coyoacán and it’s the former residence and studio turned museum of famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Wow, what a day.... it was such a surreal feeling being in the same space Frida once painted, made love, cried.... after studying her in art class and history books and being in ore of the raw emotion depicted in her paintings I could not believe I was finally there.....this paired with a day trip to the Aztec Pyramids was defiantly my first dose of travelling spirituality.....
After a few days in Mexico City we decided to jump on a bus and travel down to the coast of Puerto Escondido......sun, surf and beach parties. We stayed there for about 10 days, but I decided to head home a bit earlier than the others due to my funds running very, very low. I jumped on a bus and on my way back to Mexico city a hideous wave of sickness washed over me, my god I was SO sick, all I remember is passing out and coming too every now and then. I woke up with the young guy next to me stroking my forehead and muttering something to me in Spanish. I have no clue what was being said as my Spanish is well.....nonexistent, somehow we communicated, we were total strangers, spoke different languages but we somehow understood each other’s ramblings. After 12 hours of this we finally arrived at our destination, he offered me a ride but of course I refused, he collected my bags and took me to the nearest taxi, I jumped in and the taxi pulled away, I turned around to wave goodbye but he was running along with it, the taxi stopped and he reached in and put around my neck two pieces of twine, one yellow and one a kind of natural colour, on the end of the twine sat a small hand carved wooden mushroom. To this day I still look at this mushroom and remember this young stranger’s kindness.
Such a great story. The visual of the mushroom is so powerful. Must have been a message from Mexican art goddess FridaKahlo. That's what I get out of your story! It's interesting how so often as travellers we are so mistrustful and wary, yet there are times we let go (whether by choice or not) and learn invaluable life lessons of selflessness.
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