SACRED REALMS

Standing on a hilltop, looking at the mesmerizing snow capped Himalayan mountains, bathed in the golden sunlight made the evening special. As the pristine, pure cold air blew, caressing my face, a divine feeling of unconditional and universal love emanated in my chest, a feeling long forgotten, which soon began spreading its warmth throughout my body. After embarking on a journey of self-discovery three years ago,climbing the serene and mystical Himalayas and traversing through the paths never taken, I had never come across a place more magnificent than this.I did't know why, but I felt deeply connected to the place. Thinking no more, I put down my bag and tools to settle for the night. As I began to explore the area for my safety I came across a small cave, with a flat rock in front of it, a spot just perfect to meditate. It seemed to me that it was used by saints and yogis for quite some time. In no time I sat on that rock in lotus position facing the cave, eyes closed, so keen for an awakening, an inner transformation, a soul shift ,not even caring to light fire for the night. As I sat there stories of numerous saints, monks and yogis who had surpassed their intellect and had become enlightened raced through my mind. Little did I know then that the Friday evening of 13 March 2020 was the day that would redirect the course of my life, forever!

Even as the icy cold wind blew , which usually pierced like daggers through the flesh and the light slowly faded, I did not feel the bitter coldness. I felt no pain nor fear. I was not numb for I felt waves of pure, love , joy and ecstasy coursing throughout my body.I felt like an infant in the arms of the timeless, boundless infinite divine mother, Mother Nature.As I sat there still, almost solidified, barely breathing I felt myself journeying deeper and deeper, into the unknown realms within me. I couldn't exactly remember where I lost my identity in that process but what I do remember remains etched in my soul to this day.Those few moments in that deep meditative state felt like eternity, bliss, every cell of my body bursting with heavenly joy, a feeling of being connected, a sense of being one with life itself. I didn't know where I was or who I was. Unable to perceive the physical boundaries I felt one with the cosmos. In those quasimystical moments that failed to match equations of time,space and reality I had a revelation. Time, space and reality could be an illusion, a matrix, a projection of our own minds, the mystics and sages could have been right,I thought. If everything was maya, so was the chaotic world I had longed to escape from. I saw a blinding light , as far as my mind could perceive, a deep sense of peace came over me, and I faded into oblivion...

I regained my normal consciousness when I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. I quicky opened my eyes to see a thin, young boy about 10 years of age in red robes with a shaven head. There were a dozen monks of all ages of the same disposition standing beside him.I was awe struck to see all of them wearing face masks. Had the world changed? Or did I change ? Was I on planet earth? While seemingly endless questions began to chatter in my head, the boy reached out to my ear and softly told me " Ku-chi phar gya." It was strange as I could comprehend what he told me though I didn't know what language he spoke. As instructed by the boy, I got up to leave the place and suddenly heard a voice " Kindly leave". Those words were sharp and clear but I don't know even today who said that because I turned back to see only a statue of Buddha in the cave. "Had the statue been there yesterday?" I thought to myself and bowed before it. After taking my baggage and making my way through the monks, a middle aged monk asked me in a french accent, " Do you speak English? "Surprised by the totally unexpected question I abruptly replied " hmm...yes, yes I do." "Well" he began ," you were sitting on the sacred spot where our master used to meditate during the last moments of his life. He had his mahasamadhi a year ago and since then we come here every month to seek his blessings and offer our prayers, I guess that you had a good time there..... well take care, the world needs you." I couldn't fully comprehend what he meant but ignoring it I asked him" Why do you wear a mask?" For a moment his eyebrows crossed , soon returning to their normal place. "Take care" he told me his face radiating with love, "Je vous remercie" I replied. Bowing his head he took leave and I continued to walk too my mind trying its best to comprehend what all of this meant.

 I soon reached a fork on the road , with one leading to the top where I could continue to transcend, and embody the beauty of the mystical Himalayas. The other one leading to the valley, the place where I had come from, the one place on earth I dreaded to go, the place of my profession as a medical practioner and home that I had abandoned three years ago. I took the one downhill, now having true found meaning and a deep connection to it which I had once considered useless. I felt in my gut the vision which I was supposed to bring to fruitition in this incarnation, my soul's purpose in this life. Though I was well trained to give prescription slips which only the trained could read, I was deeply convinced that integral healing was what the emotionally and spiritually starving millions across the globe needed. An ascension of the collective consciousness of the planet to love, light and laughter. For long I had thought that I was a human being craving a spiritual experience, but now it revealed to me that I was a spiritual being seeking a human experience, most importantly the experience of being human. As I strolled down the path, I glanced my watch as I occasionally did and it read, Saturday 7:13 pm 21 March 2020.