On this final full moon of the year, we give thanks for all celestial bodies and natural elements that have worked in tandem to sustain life.
May the Moon’s reflective powers direct us to see and hear ourselves with clarity, compassion & wisdom, for our own sake and for the sake of all sentient beings.
A Happy Final Full Moon of 2018 to all!😊
A pigeon pooped on me as I was deliberating whether to climb up the steps to a shop where this textured silver pendant in Patan was waiting.
The old city of Patan is known for its metal, stone and wood craftsmanship.
El counted 12 steps which looked fairly steep to me. Hence my hesitation.
As I was resisting the move upwards, I felt the cool wetness of pigeon poop on my hair from above like the way sometimes water from dripping laundry feel on us.
So there we were, 3 tourists stuck at the junction along Swotha House with Ron holding up a packet of wet tissue paper while El cleaned away before my shock at the pigeon’s insolence turned into full blown hysteria.
Strangely, as El deftly wiped at my jacket, the ache in my feet also became less severe. So with their help & a renewed shopping vigour, I was able to scale the height that would lead me to a roomful of prayerfully crafted silver & stone jewellery that was the trademark of Patan.
That was how this moon shaped silver pendant came to be with me.
After Patan, we spent a few days at Boudha before we headed back to Singapore.
At the Boudha Stupa I asked for blessings on the pendant, like I do for most purchases that will be in close contact with my body.
I asked that it be a pleasing element to all who see it and to open up ways to advance efforts to help animals.
This habit of blessing things was first inspired by Pablo Neruda’s poem, “Ode to Things,” when I was a young woman. In my adult life, readings on Zen, Shintoism, Judaism, Tibetan Buddhism & shamanism turn this habit into a kind of practice.
3 days after I returned to Singapore, I wore this silver piece to a Freedom Film showcase at The Projector theatre in the Beach Road area.
During the interval a well groomed lady in her early sixties complimented me on my silver pendant and asked where I got it from.
“Nepal? You went to Nepal by yourself?”
She asked incredulously after I had regaled her with tales of my travel.
Her question opened up space for me to share my animal agendas and how in this recent trip, the Universe had provided travel mates to carry over 40kg of medicines and milk to the rescuers of street dogs & cats.
“My daughter is a vet!” She exclaimed.
As I gave details on how we secured animal supplies that were difficult to come by for nepali rescuers of stray dogs and cats, she nodded approvingly.
I spoke of the kindness of ordinary nepali folks I know, and their ingenuity & selflessness in meeting hardship in order to help the voiceless.
“You know, I nearly went to Nepal once. But other things in life took over. After listening to you, I’ll like to try visiting Nepal again,” she shared.
To strengthen her aspiration I took out a new 50 rupee Nepali note bearing the picture of the Snow Leopard on one side and the Himalayas on the other side.
As I handed her the souvenir from Nepal which she received with both hands, I wished her the grace of the Snow Leopard and the steadfastness of the Himalayas in her plan to visit Nepal.
After we parted, I touched the silver pendant that had initiated this exchange of goodwill, and thanked it for travelling all this way from Nepal to Singapore.
And most of all I thanked the Boudha Stupa for not thinking that my trinket was not precious or expensive enough to deserve such a powerful blessing.
Touching Thor
12 Dec 2018
Thor sat on his haunches and watched from afar, while the other dogs in the treatment centre crowded excitedly around us for cuddles.
Against the winter morning glare & dressed in a fawn coloured dog sweater for warmth, Thor’s crusty skin blended in with the sandy slope where he sat.
He was a recent arrival at the centre, skeletal and full of sores from untreated mange.
Besides medicating and feeding him, his rescuers/ caregivers also named him Thor, after the Norse God of Thunder. They wanted to imbue in him the much needed power to overcome his poor health.
Mange is a skin condition where parasitic mites burrow into the dog’s skin to feed on it. The disease is curable. However if left untreated, mange causes incessant itching, scratching, fur loss and open sores, while secondary infections set in to weaken the dog’s immune system further. Their deteriorating conditions make them look repulsive and smell terrible too. Death by starvation & organ failure is a fate that awaits mangy street dogs as they are less likely to evoke sympathy & get fed or helped.
As a newbie, Thor was the lowest ranking member of the dog pack at the centre. He couldn’t come to me even if he wanted to or even if I had called for him.
Panda, the alpha dog makes sure Thor knows his place & remains there. They will work out their dynamics in good time but just not at my visit yet.
So before we left the centre, I asked the carers if they could take me to Thor instead. I just wanted to touch him and let him know that I saw him and that he mattered.
“Hello, Thor!” I called out his name excitedly while moving in his direction with his carers.
Instead of sprinting happily towards me as I imagined, he got up to run away.
Luckily his carers were fast & caught hold of him before he bolted further. They assured him.
As he was brought to me, it dawned on me that it wasn’t me that he was scared of. He was afraid of what I had in my hand. My walking stick!
Living on the streets & scavenging for food in his conditions, Thor must have had his share of beatings from shopkeepers, hawkers, householders and even from those who felt justified to have a go at him just because of the way he looked and smelled.
And with my stick in hand charging towards him like that, I had all the visual cues of his abusers. From Thor’s point of view, what else could I be doing there except to hit him too?
I didn’t want to stress him further and decided not to get any closer. But his carers wouldn’t give up. They coaxed Thor and brought him nearer to me so that I could touch him.
I then had the honour of praying over this battle worn, terrified being by placing my hand over his gritty skin. I implored the elements to come to Thor’s aid and to remove all unpleasantness in his life.
At first he stood rigidly and I could feel him tensing. But as I lowered my face to his, and stroked his head while repeating my wishes for him, he began to understand. Peace.
How presumptuous I was in my initial interaction with Thor to think that he would know I meant to help him!
And how grateful I am to his carers that they wouldn’t allow Thor to stay frightened. They brought him to me so that he could see that not every human being who holds a stick will hurt him.
So may we cherish our hands because they can cause great misery to others.
And for all sentient beings that have been harshly treated, may they receive kindness even from those who resemble their enemies.
And may tormentors turn into friends.
Namaste.
🙏♥️🐾
Under the Pomelo Tree
17 Dec 2018
“To be sensitive is to feel for people, for birds, for flowers, for trees – not because they are yours, but just because you are awake to the extraordinary beauty of things.”
J Krisnamurthi
The first thing that struck me when I entered the Yala Courtyard in Patan was the gorgeous Pomelo Tree.
Decked in her golden orbs, the tree stood tall & proud, a vision of a goddess in her resplendence.
In response to my admiration, the host in his generosity offered to pluck one fruit for me to eat.
I thanked him but said no, because seeing a tree this beautiful is already very sweet.
And being able to take a picture with tender-hearted beings under “my” first Pomelo Tree is so satisfying.
I had no wish to spoil that magical moment by plucking, cutting, tearing & devouring parts of her.
So the Pomelo Tree got to keep all her fruits while we enjoyed the privilege of just sitting with her.
“May the road rise up to meet you.”
10 Dec 2018
On the first day when we were settling into our lodging at Boudha Stupa, the first line of an Irish blessing kept playing in my head like a song that wouldn’t stop.
I was puzzled that the Gaelic benediction, “May the road rise up to meet you,” should find its way to me while I was in an obviously very buddhist setting.
The Buddha Stupa is also known as the Mandala of World Peace. El took this picture when I was on the terrace of Hotel Padma, giving thanks.
The next day we met our friend who would guide us to the dog treatment centre for which we had brought some meds and animal supplies to support local people helping street dogs.
I always approach such journeys with a mixture of joy and worry. Joy, because we are meeting the animals and their carers. But because I have hardly any control over my left ankle, any obstacle the size of an acorn on the road can cause me to lose my balance. I constantly worry about falls.
To add a touch of absurdity to my undertaking, there are the chaotic traffic and roadless terrains in the city where we stayed, even without the challenge of reaching remote locations of animal relief setups in this Himalayan country.
Chaotic traffic & poor road conditions are hurdles even for local folks.
As our taxi neared the hill where the treatment centre was located, our friend declared merrily that we had come at a very good time. The recent monsoon storm had opened up a new path and created a short cut to our destination!
“A week ago this road we’re now on didn’t even exist. We would have to cross that bridge over there to reach the centre. It’s a long walk,” she said with relief as she pointed us to a bridge in the distance. It had been the only access to their centre before the storm.
“Now we can practically drive up to the village!” she declared brightly, as if a special prayer had been granted.
I felt a bit emotional as my eyes took in the heaps of sand & chunks of road building materials surrounding us while the river gushed below.
So this is a new path.
I told her about the Irish blessing that had been playing in my head since I entered the Boudha Stupa.
“Good! Then you must come here more often. Now we have a new road because of you!” she smiled kindly.
And who could have known that the fearsome monsoon storms that cause such havocs would also create a new road that eases the life of handicapped people like me and grant travelling ease to villagers and animal rescuers in that vicinity?
So with a grateful heart, I wish for all my friends & every sentient being a calm & hopeful spirit in times of uncertainties.
And if there are storms in your lives, may they open up new roads to meet you as they did for me & my friends in Nepal.
Namaste. 🙏♥️🇳🇵
Thanks for joining me!
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
Lisa Ong 