the nepali art of being
nepali art being present philosophy spirituality
Inhale… Himalayas, lakes, caves. Exhale… Horns, buses, carts. Inhale… Bells, prayer flags, mantras. Exhale… Oranges, saris, mandalas. Inhale… Samosas, turmeric, chai. Exhale… Sadhus, beggars, guides.
Nepal is life. Life is what you make it. Feel the depths of both as you feel into the breath. Come home to yourself, find stillness in the chaos. This is the raw land of beauty and nature. This is the raw land of development and poverty. This is the land where love resides in the promise of emptiness, yet brings fulfillment. Here there is no shame, there is no judgment, there is no expectation, there is only what is and all that is really is open.
Nepal is the land where all is one family, the language calls not for him or hers, names or egos, but this is brother, this is sister, Aunty or uncle. Blood means nothing, yet everything is given from those who have nothing.
In the middle of the chaos one learns how to be. Where are you running to? What are you running from? Nowhere and nothing, for you are here in this moment and that is the truest expression of you. That is all that is to matter. Open and share, no one will stare.
The Nepali people live by a Tibetan saying: eat half, walk double and laugh triple. They live this, not just say it. In the west we have many sayings, yet they are just sayings passed from mouth to ear, ear to mouth and nothing more. Yet in Nepal, this is their essence and you can feel it in their presence. Here one eats but twice a day, Dahl bhaat with vegetables and rice to keep hunger at bay. Walk across the mountain range, through goats trails over rivers, valleys and lakes, so what if it takes you more than a day? You have the time, and it may help to unravel your western mind. Talk, scream, laugh and cry.
Life isn’t always about asking why. Feel the emotions as they come, it maybe a few days until you feel the warmth of the sun, yet you will hold each other in emotional bliss. Join them and you will experience the beauty of life, the gift that is to just be. It’s not about the fastest way to the next town, it’s ok to sit and watch the Himalayas, and do only that. I truly mean only that, no more no less, just to sit and be.
One does not need to read, write, eat, sip coffee or tea, be on the move, planning the next step, thinking of last and how it could have, should have, maybe would have been, reminiscing on what you have seen. In this moment one can just be. This is the truth the Nepali taught me.
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