Crossplanet

I remember one day in Dharamsala, after lunch, I went for a long walk up the mountain, following the small road leading to Dharamkot, where the Vipassana meditation center is. It was a misty day, village and mountain wrapped in mist, creating such an atmosphere of "enchanted forest".

The road was climbing up quite hard, 500 m higher in only 3 km, I was walking peacefully, quietly. I was alone, but far away from being lonely...

Silence all over, allowing the nature to talk... Birds singing, branches cracking, trees whispering with the light wind, animals animating the forest, the rain chanting... I felt very impressed to walk among those fierce deodars, the Himalayan cedar trees, so tall, standing so right.

Every now and then the rain was falling, and despite my umbrella soon I was completely wet, but I wasn't cold. It was raining and I wasn't sad. I don't remember crossing other people on the road.

It took me more than one hour to go all the way up, to Dharamkot. On the way back, the rain started to fall harder. Walking with sandals became slippery. I took off my shoes, and continued to walk barefoot, all wet under my umbrella.

At some point I stopped. There I was, in the middle of the enchanted forest, feeling  the silence deep inside, every inch of my body feeling the atmosphere, every part of my being fully living this beautiful moment. At that moment, I had a glimpse of what awareness is and the happiness that came with it is forever mine.