Trekking Day 1 - Mind Successfully Blown

Welcome to God's country, no, Buddha's country. It never ceases to amaze me how little aw man made creations bring about in comparison to those of Nature. In places like this I understand why people believe in Gods, Spirits, Angels and more. How could you not believe in a higher power with this much beauty and power surrounding you?

In Kathmandu the poverty is so blatant and obvious, it is everywhere... along with the smog, pollution, and blaring sounds of car horns. People spoke of literacy rates, income levels, population growth and more, all that paint a very bleak picture of a "third world country". It was depressing, first world guilt kicked in with a righteous sense of "I should do something to help"; but then I come to the mountains, into the valleys and see that there is so much more to this thing called life. How arrogant it is to assume that in bringing first world technologies would mean improving the lives of these people. Yes, most people these days dream of iPhones and fancy cars. America is still widely considered the land of opportunity. Education and opportunity should never be slighted. Progress is progress, and I am in no way saying that poverty should be looked upon as something special, but in this country it came obvious that there was something much more that we, as westerners, often miss. 

It had me thinking: does it matter the capacity of your life when you die, or even the way that you die? Or is it the quality of Soul that you maintain throughout the life/death process? I guess this is what we would consider integrity and dignity in their truest, most soulful sense. 

I've seen this in many countries throughout the world, typically those we consider third world. The people often possess something that we as a whole don't, it's like the more we gain in privilege, money, technology the greater we lose in community, spirituality and compassion. 

Despite the poverty and the general "lack" it was incredibly apparent that the average Nepali had so much more. This is where I am reminded of what abundance truly means. Abundance isn't gauged by money in the bank and assets, it is gauged by an ability to find joy and love and in general thrive in your current life situation. Based upon this definition, there was certainly no lack of abundance here.

When your life is no longer defined by what you have, and what you want to have it becomes much easier to return to the present moment and in that present moment you find peace. The result of this peace was a magnitude of gentility and joy. I don't actually recall once seeing anger, sarcasm, cursing or in general meanness. Not only was I surrounded by some of the most magnificent natural surroundings in the world, but I was also surrounded by some of the most magnificent people.

In sitting at a table, surrounded by golden Marigolds, prayer wheels and flags, mountains with tops that disappeared into the clouds and a thundering river flowing below me my thoughts became still:
Don't question, just be. Life becomes more vibrant in the stillness and silence. There is power in peace.