Sunday: Punakha and Wangdue
We visit the 3rd oldest dzong in the country. It is ancient, not as well kept as the last two we visited, but every bit as holy.
Overcoming a certain shyness, I approach Atum with a question that has followed me around the past 3 days. How do I reconcile this place with my life? I live in a political world, driven by ego and arrogance. I don't want to be a person driven by ego. But I love my work. Where is the balance?
Atum tells me the ego is important to maintain. It is in fact a necessary tool in my line of work. But I must ensure that it is in service of the greater good, as opposed to the "self." We talk about the great political figures in history who have managed to "hold the center": Jesus, Mohammed, Gandhi, Jimmy Carter, even W. He tells me I am in training as a spiritual warrior. I smile. I like that.
I ask Atum about detachment in Buddhism. Do I have to shirk my love of people and relationships in order to follow this path? He clarifies: we do not detach from the relationship or the person, only the craving and dependence associated with it. I breathe deeply. I like that too.
***
We take an incredible walk through the rice fields of Punakha. I feel liberated and peaceful in this landscape. All is calm and right. There is no sadness for me in this place.
After taking our time up a subtle hill, we arrive at the fertility temple. It overlooks the rice fields and village in the valley. The wind blows through hundreds of vertical prayer flags grayed by the sun. The flags honor the memory of the dead.
Atum tells us the story of Tigi and the swans as we all sit on the ground outside the Temple. The story delineates the path of the beloved. To desire something so much that you give up everything in its attainment. And in the end, you cannot have it. You become it.
The temple is much smaller, more intimate. We do the prostration and then I take my place of meditation in front of Tara, the goddess of compassion and enlightened work. I feel whole and wrapped in love here, as if she is telling me that I am on the right path.
It was a deep day for me. I feel filled with a rhythm of balance, less anxiety than I've felt in weeks. And it's only been four days.
We visit the 3rd oldest dzong in the country. It is ancient, not as well kept as the last two we visited, but every bit as holy.
Overcoming a certain shyness, I approach Atum with a question that has followed me around the past 3 days. How do I reconcile this place with my life? I live in a political world, driven by ego and arrogance. I don't want to be a person driven by ego. But I love my work. Where is the balance?
Atum tells me the ego is important to maintain. It is in fact a necessary tool in my line of work. But I must ensure that it is in service of the greater good, as opposed to the "self." We talk about the great political figures in history who have managed to "hold the center": Jesus, Mohammed, Gandhi, Jimmy Carter, even W. He tells me I am in training as a spiritual warrior. I smile. I like that.
I ask Atum about detachment in Buddhism. Do I have to shirk my love of people and relationships in order to follow this path? He clarifies: we do not detach from the relationship or the person, only the craving and dependence associated with it. I breathe deeply. I like that too.
***
We take an incredible walk through the rice fields of Punakha. I feel liberated and peaceful in this landscape. All is calm and right. There is no sadness for me in this place.
After taking our time up a subtle hill, we arrive at the fertility temple. It overlooks the rice fields and village in the valley. The wind blows through hundreds of vertical prayer flags grayed by the sun. The flags honor the memory of the dead.
Atum tells us the story of Tigi and the swans as we all sit on the ground outside the Temple. The story delineates the path of the beloved. To desire something so much that you give up everything in its attainment. And in the end, you cannot have it. You become it.
The temple is much smaller, more intimate. We do the prostration and then I take my place of meditation in front of Tara, the goddess of compassion and enlightened work. I feel whole and wrapped in love here, as if she is telling me that I am on the right path.
It was a deep day for me. I feel filled with a rhythm of balance, less anxiety than I've felt in weeks. And it's only been four days.
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