Well, here goes nothing. My first ever blog post. Its going to be all over the place because that's how my thoughts are at the moment.
Im in Kathmandu. Nepal. The land of the tallest mountain range in the world. The only ex-Hindu kingdom on this earth. The place where 104 different ethnic groups have resided in harmony and peace until very recently. The country many would call the only surviving Shangri La. I dreamt of being here since i was little, as I would gaze through images of vast expanses of snowy mountains and little maroon robed monks playing football in isolated monasteries balancing at the precipice of a cliff. And now that Im here, after nearly 2 weeks, it still has not sunk in.
Today I went for a walk with Saina, Sony's 11 year old cousin and we set out with adventure on our minds. As we walked, our feet led down a path both of us had never been down before, and we ended up at the edge of a hilly place, with a narrow pathway that had long stems of green corn growing on either sides. At the distance, against the horizon, were the majestic hills and behind them a setting sun. We both gasped in delight. How could anyone ever be unhappy if they were to look at that sight everyday of their lives? I fell in love with this beautiful planet all over again :)
After a moment of standing there in awe, both of us ran down the narrow, crumbly pathway and ended up at a ledge that seemed to look over the entire Kathmandu. Faraway, we even spotted a temple tucked into a cliff, and nestled in thick green trees. We took photos there, laughed and inhaled all the beauty surrounding us. Saina has lived in this area for ages but told me she had never been here before! She was so excited and her joy bubbled into me and it was all in all a very happy walk :)
I don't understand people who are always unhappy with life. There is so much to love, see, enjoy, take in, acknowledge, appreciate and live for! There is pain, suffering and misery, but we live on such a beautiful, colorful planet that it can take some of that pain away to gaze into the pure melting eyes of a puppy or sit beside a tree and wonder at how those roots became so strong from a tiny fragile sapling, or mountains in their glory and majesty, lit up by the rays of setting sun.
But don't get me wrong, its not all adventure and beauty here. There is so much of dirt, pain, raw human suffering here that I also need to write about.
I came to Kathmandu with the desire to learn how to serve. Not myself, not my cunning little ego, but serve our interconnected web of life. Serve all beings with a heart full of love, compassion and joy. The journey isn't as easy as I thought it might be. My ego hurts everyday. Every time a kind act is not acknowledged, the ego winces in pain. Every time I think of uncertainty, where will I live, what job will I get, will I even get one, being amidst strangers in a strange culture, my instinct is to worry, fear and react. Every time I choose the path of trust, trust in the force that kept me healthy for 9 months in mom's womb, that guided me my entire life, that ensured that I do my Masters when there wasn't a glimmer of possibility of it ever happening, every time I remember that truth and trust that force again, life is just a ball. :) Its simple and flowing.
May I remember. And trust.
Im in Kathmandu. Nepal. The land of the tallest mountain range in the world. The only ex-Hindu kingdom on this earth. The place where 104 different ethnic groups have resided in harmony and peace until very recently. The country many would call the only surviving Shangri La. I dreamt of being here since i was little, as I would gaze through images of vast expanses of snowy mountains and little maroon robed monks playing football in isolated monasteries balancing at the precipice of a cliff. And now that Im here, after nearly 2 weeks, it still has not sunk in.
Today I went for a walk with Saina, Sony's 11 year old cousin and we set out with adventure on our minds. As we walked, our feet led down a path both of us had never been down before, and we ended up at the edge of a hilly place, with a narrow pathway that had long stems of green corn growing on either sides. At the distance, against the horizon, were the majestic hills and behind them a setting sun. We both gasped in delight. How could anyone ever be unhappy if they were to look at that sight everyday of their lives? I fell in love with this beautiful planet all over again :)
After a moment of standing there in awe, both of us ran down the narrow, crumbly pathway and ended up at a ledge that seemed to look over the entire Kathmandu. Faraway, we even spotted a temple tucked into a cliff, and nestled in thick green trees. We took photos there, laughed and inhaled all the beauty surrounding us. Saina has lived in this area for ages but told me she had never been here before! She was so excited and her joy bubbled into me and it was all in all a very happy walk :)
I don't understand people who are always unhappy with life. There is so much to love, see, enjoy, take in, acknowledge, appreciate and live for! There is pain, suffering and misery, but we live on such a beautiful, colorful planet that it can take some of that pain away to gaze into the pure melting eyes of a puppy or sit beside a tree and wonder at how those roots became so strong from a tiny fragile sapling, or mountains in their glory and majesty, lit up by the rays of setting sun.
But don't get me wrong, its not all adventure and beauty here. There is so much of dirt, pain, raw human suffering here that I also need to write about.
I came to Kathmandu with the desire to learn how to serve. Not myself, not my cunning little ego, but serve our interconnected web of life. Serve all beings with a heart full of love, compassion and joy. The journey isn't as easy as I thought it might be. My ego hurts everyday. Every time a kind act is not acknowledged, the ego winces in pain. Every time I think of uncertainty, where will I live, what job will I get, will I even get one, being amidst strangers in a strange culture, my instinct is to worry, fear and react. Every time I choose the path of trust, trust in the force that kept me healthy for 9 months in mom's womb, that guided me my entire life, that ensured that I do my Masters when there wasn't a glimmer of possibility of it ever happening, every time I remember that truth and trust that force again, life is just a ball. :) Its simple and flowing.
May I remember. And trust.
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