Tuesday 3 March 2015

Monday, February 23rd, 2015

Mayapur, India

Best Trail


The best walking trail in the area runs close and parallel to the Jalangi River.  "Best" for me means the quietest, most scenic, most interesting.  To my knowledge it has no name.  Locals may have a term.  Let's call it marg which means path.

It's on the marg that automobiles can't wheel their way through.  It's here that trees get tapped and overnight generously fill clay pots suspended from them.  The contents - the sap, invite birds, bees, and arouse human nostrils.  It's here that the elevation is about 12 feet above the fields on both sides.  You have a view despite the vegetation that is found, apart from the trees, that could in some way obscure the pleasure of the eyes.

I could detect mint.  I pulled off one leaf, pinched it and held it to my nose - what a surprising explosion of green power!

On this day I also met a sadhu.  Within this morning's mist the saffron fused through.  The colour was worn by Janananda Swami, a monk from the UK.  We met at a juncture.  Amiably we spoke and out of it he expressed curiosity about the marg.  He hadn't yet explored this perpendicular trail.

I said, "Maharaj, it's worth every footstep.  Do yourself a favour and chant here!"  He said he would give it a go.  I think being there and meeting the monk midway became a highlight for my morning in addition to hearing a class delivered by friend Anuttama regarding the pride of a progenitor and how we are all victims of their interesting element.  It is to be curbed.

May the Source be with you!

6 KM

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