Buddha - Thailand 1995

Walking through ruins in the midst of this lovely land in 1995, I am shocked to find this beautiful statue of Buddha. My friend and I have just spent 3 weeks hiking the Himalayas and find ourselves in tears over running water and sit down toilets.

Lessons learned along that walk:

• You need very little to really survive (headlamp, toilet paper and a general direction of where the bathroom is)
• We have so much more than any other population in the world
• Walking is a good way to get empty
• Once empty, all that arises is just the mind
• Mind can become very loud
• Silence can be very loud
• I could survive without my daily dose of media (even NPR!)
• Don't be afraid of mystery
• Stay on the mountain side of the trail when you hear the tinkle of bells (it means there are water buffalo/goats/horses coming down the trail and you REALLY want to be upside from them, elsewhile you will fall, fall, fall off the mountain)
• Life really is good

I spent more time up on Mt. Rainer after coming back to the US that year. It took a long time to come back and I'm sure that many parts of me are still left behind there.