Smell of Shiva - Isha Foundation

Here we are at Kermi, the camp overlooking avalley which befits the attention of more thantwo eyes. Not much spiritual activity as yet; justconditioning legs and lungs. From tomorrow,we will set the pitch for making the group morereceptive to what the region is in general, and towhat Manasarovar and Kailash in particular haveto offer. This hard trek is a good tool to makeone more perceptive, unless one is too stuckin macho stuff and a sense of achievement thatpeople are generally messed up about. Hope thesemountains and I together will break open theirdoors for Mahadeva.The sun has just gone hiding behind the mountain peaks. Oh, of course he has otherappointments, to light and heat other parts of the earth, where multifarious forms of lifeare awaiting his warm charm. This twilight is magical at the least. The greens turning intodarker green; the rocky sheer beginning to brood about an ancient something, smells, soundsof animals returning home, and cooking fires from a tiny village close by. And above all,a steady roar of the river down below. All willchange by the moment except the roar of thisprecious element hurtling down to the plains tonourish millions of people of various kinds. Butthe aching muscles are awaiting nightfall andwill take one into slumber world, turning theroar into a lullaby.A NAMELESS VALLEY – TUMKOT –MANASAROVAR – KAILASH –XIGAZÊ – LHASAAfter a nearly 10 km trek, we decided to settledown in a nameless valley steeped in occult ways.These people are as earthy as earthworms andfound ways to bend nature to their will, seeking the mundane through magic.For me it is like the smell of Shiva, and no wonder the valley is a forest of Marijuana. If I was notalready so stoned with Shiva, this would be the place for one who is seeking intoxication.Tented at the very edge of a roaring river-rapid, overlooked by a brooding mountain full of eyes.A pack of bats take off for their nightly sojourn – no vampires these.But their silent flight and sightless eyesmake them seem like creatures from anotherrealm. How strange the ways of ignoranceare – these creatures are mammals, our veryclose relatives. Blind as a Bat, aren’t we.The Trek to Tumkot was 14.5 km throughsome wonderful terrain, pristine andbeautiful. There was an hour and a half ofknee-breaking and lung-busting stretches.In spite of painful stretches, we did thisgrueling stretch in record time. Everyonewas in a buoyant and charged state after theday-long Sathsang and Bhuta Shuddhi processISHA FOREST FLOWEROctober 201317