An Enchanted Union

by Abir Retiwala (India)

A leap into the unknown India

As I walked into the airport, carrying my yellow bag pack a sense of wonder filed my being. It was only a few days ago that the decision to visit the Great Kashmir Lakes dawned upon me (orchestrated and fed of course by an external source). It was like someone whispered into my ear while in deep slumber, “dear Abir, you are about to experience a heaven on earth.” Any words I use to describe the experience would not do justice to what my eyes have witnessed. Although not sharing it would be depriving one of the most memorizing and breathtaking views, so let me attempt at painting a worded picture for you. As a fellow traveler and someone who finds true existence in the outdoors, the trek to The Great Kashmir Lakes enriched every part of my city crippled soul. The challenge it posed, excited a disciplined adventure within me. Being a sort of complacent and extremely lazy person, I often suffer from bouts of self-doubt and personal disappointment. All this stems out of the awareness that an infinite capacity lives within. Somewhere there exists an ignorance of not knowing how to harness this superhuman energy. You must know that, this superhuman energy I talk about is not only present within me but within the likes of all of us. For the past few months, there has been an internal struggle brewing within, which has left my mental facilities working overtime. One thing I learnt about Mr. Mind is that, it best exists still, calm and un-rippled. Have you ever, watched the sunlight glisten as it bounces of the surface of an undisturbed saint, that lies bare amongst the mighty glaciers which fill its body drop by drop, with life. Which when touches your skin sends a chill through every cell of your warm blooded flesh. As my legs dragged themselves through the, rock studded terrain, far down I saw the saint emerge. At first my eyes batted in disbelief, for the sight that lay before me seemed nothing but a fantasy. On the path down, I came across a large, oblong shaped rock, the massive mass stood right there in front of me, as though calling out to me. I hurried towards it, threw down the weight that pierced my back and within seconds was on the top. This elevation allowed me to get a unhindered view of the giant and saint. The energy that sprung around the frame cast on my eyes was unexplainable. I took a deep breath in, allowing this natural wonder to fill within me. I thought to myself as I witnessed a marvel unfolding before me, how raw and unhindered this beauty was. A sense of gratitude manifested within me. In this moment everything seemed still, my mind lay dead just like the saintly water whose reflection shone in my eyes. A moment of existential questioning unfolded, I began pondering over the depths of life, and were this mass of flesh stood in the grander scheme of the cosmos. These thoughts running through my mind, comforted me while also leaving me in an uncomfortable dilemma. There is a high level of attachment I carry to my sense of self. It is this, that acts as an obstacle, pulling me further away from the gravitational force of the cosmos. Standing on that rock looking down at this life energy, I realised how long I had been holding myself back, in fear of hurting and losing this sense of self, I had been living a half life. Curbing my sensual experiences, clouding them with pre meditated thoughts. The saint called out to me, in soft piercing wishpers. Its exuberance cast a spell upon me, that pulled my stardust body towards it. As I imagined this union, my feet lifted off the ground and within what felt like a few moments, I found myself standing on the edge of the saint. This was the moment, breaking my physical boundaries, I dove straight into this natural marvel. The Glacier fed life that filed within the saint was in union with me. My warm blooded flesh united with the natural energies. The saint engulfed me within its mighty being. The mind dived into a deep slumber, as I basked in this enchanted union.