Masters of the Forest

Hmmmmm…

ponderings from the daily life of a wandering nomad...

have you ever wondered where it is that you are actually going?
i mean you seem to be on a great path, beautiful, along the side of the mountain overlooking the clouds... you look down and see the birds flying below you.  the path ahead of you is just a single track gouge in the earth beaten down from many others who have followed a similar journey...

as you're walking blissfully, enjoying the ever-changing moment, you notice the clouds doing some sort of wispy dance for your imagination.  more like a subconscious queue to veer off the path onto a random deer trial.  of course you follow it.  never knowing what you might find.  those are always the best trails in my experience, they take you right to the heart of the forest, you meet the most amazing wildlife and see the most amazing creatures. 

as you follow the deer path it ziggs and zaggs all throughout the forest. knowing you will never get lost, you follow it for hours and then it suddenly disappears.  seemingly a wildlife dead end... where did this path take you?   so you step off the path and start blazing your own trail through the brush and trees.  sometimes when it's really thick brush it's best to crawl underneath the foliage rather than muscle your way through,  sneaking under and around the many different forms of plant life.

by this time it's late afternoon and the sun has gone over the mountainside, and shadows are falling, awakening the hungry creatures of the night.  these are the places where you see the most magnificent forest animals.  natures prized possessions.  they only come out when they know they are safe. and you got to share a moment with them.  a huge giant buck jumps over the thicket twenty yards away, and then sees you and stops dead in his tracks... this is the biggest thing i have ever seen, his rack was enormous.  the biggest mule deer i have ever laid eyes on.  i knew he was a smart one, who never took any chances... we shared a moment though him and i.  stuck on each others gaze.  blending almost melding together.  feeling his strength and command come over me.  he is definitely a wise sage... after a few minutes of this he then bowed and bounced away down the mountain and off into the deeper denser wood down into the valley below. 

so of course that is the direction i was to go.  running now, down the hill, sort of hopping, or bounding, or leaping down the mountain.  one jump takes me fifteen feet or so down the steep incline or more.  building up speed i get more distance in between strides.  i begin to slow down and stop and when i do i see the master again. this time he is not alone...  he has a friend.  a trusty sidekick.  just as big as he, and just as enormous of a rack.  complete silence between us... complete silence in the forest.  just an incredibly intent gaze between them and me.  then a rustle of wind in the trees.  slowly they take a few steps toward me... and i do the same...  the energy shared in this moment is incomprehensible.  the most peaceful calm moment.  not a care or worry in the world.  just complete peace and tranquility.  

they shared with me a moment in time.  they shared with me what it takes to stand out from the crowd.  to be the survivor.  to be a warrior.  these two magnificent animals have outlasted 99.9% of their population. the rest fell to starvation, hunters, predators, etc.  but these two, they stood the test of time.  and with me they shared a moment.  it was a gift to me although they said i was their gift to them. 

it was because i chose to venture off the beaten path, to venture off all paths. into the unknown vastness of the wilderness.  i found them or rather they found me…

sometimes when we step off the path into the unknown we have no idea what lies ahead of us.  there may be deep canyons or ravines, or steep scree fields, or sandstone slicks,  or thorns and prickers like you wont believe,  but what we find beyond those things and even in the midst of those things are the true essence of nature, the true essence of what it means to be completely free of the world.  beauty like you would not believe, peace and quiet, balance in the natural world. that you can never find around another human being.  a world of self and selflessness all in one blissful moment.  the most pristine skylines, the most beautiful smelling air.  the most beautiful sounds of nature.  these are the gifts of the wandering nomad.  gifts of the earth to the earth shared in a timeless moment.  these are the things that make you stop and say "thank you for this beautiful earth, and this beautiful air, and this beautiful sky.  thank you for my eyes and my ears for seeing this and hearing this.  thank you for my body, for allowing me to find this place, and thank you for my courage to step off the beaten path and wander upon this most amazing place.  and thank you for the two wise ones for greeting me when i arrived here... welcoming me to their home...

now that i've moved to the city. i have been finding myself in similar situations… wandering into the thicket of the city, taking the less beaten path, finding tranquility in the midst of the chaos around me.  finding the tranquility in the midst of the chaos around me.  it's just that i'm not used to the prickers and the challenges of city life.  yet i know that in the midst of those challenging moments bursts forth moments of immense clarity, of blissful peace, and also those who catch your glance for a timeless moment in eternity. 

i'm seeing a shift in my awareness to allow myself to blend into the city as i do in nature.  challenging at times? of course… do i want to run away at times?  of course… although i know that what i'm experiencing is the same only different from when my two wise masters met me in the forest. they just come in different shapes and forms in the city.  it is the knowing that i get when we exchange those glances that we know that yes this is it.  this is why i ventured this vast distance through the thicket.  wandering nomadically through the thickets of the city,  when we catch each others glance.  almost magnetic you are.  communicating much, saying nothing.  yes this is the right path, even though i have long since stepped off the trail.