the space within that connects
I had watched Eckhart Tolle's video on the Power of Now, which teaches us to be present and mindful. It is not a new concept, but his elaboration reminded me of my stories.
There is a time in my life where I was a very light traveler of Earth. I had little possessions. Many of the things I came to accumulate, I would throw away. One of the things was my expired passport. I did not carry much memories nor memorabilia.
Many of my earlier solo travels were done with little or no photo-taking. I will never be missing out on not taking pictures. Because while I am busy snapping shots, and viewing the beauty behind my camera, I am not truly enjoying the vastness of the new place. The camera is the barrier between me and the place I'm visiting. Why record my memory on a camera when I can record it on my mind and psyche? Why bother to go all the way to a new place, to take pictures of it, when I could have gotten much better quality pictures of it from the internet, at the comfort and convenience of my own home?
On my 2012 round-the-world trip, I had a lot of inspirations and awakenings while I was in Europe. I had no camera, no phone, no internet, no friend, etc. At that time, I lived with the belief that "every step I take is my home", which is part of a poem from Dogen, a zen master. Would you take pictures of every part of your home? At that time, I did not realize what was going through me, but intuitively, I knew this was the right way to live. Now, after watching Eckhart Tolle's videos, I came to the conscious understanding that space and quietude are the doorways for entering into our inner stillness, which connects to the source, our origin.
I began to realize that it was such a marvelous thing to have a relatively functional body that could carry me wherever I wish to go, and to have a pair of functional eyes that could allow me to appreciate the beauty of the world. Gratitude and awakening came. A new way of thinking formed. After returning from that trip, I was no longer unhappy with my life situations.
On my 2013 trip, I lost my iPhone in Champs Elysees one day after arriving in Paris. The phone was my camera and clock. I was not surprised, because I had extremely strong hunches of it happening, for couple weeks prior. So fine, I accepted the situation that life threw at me. I reverted to my original style of travel, which was without any electronic gadget.
I replaced my phone last week, because my old device had multiple problems, one of which was cutting me off from civilization (internet connection). After activating my new phone, which has better connection, I decided not to install the social media and chatting apps, yet. It was ironic, because the purpose of the replacement was to connect to the rest of the world, yet now I refuse to connect. Not having immediate connection reminds me of my travels. I felt extremely liberated during my travels. It is not that I do not wish to connect. On the contrary, I have a strong desire to connect, to the core and to the deepest level of your psyche. I don't wish to connect at the superficial level. Most of my relationships exist at the superficial level.
It is fine to take pictures, to reminisce the past, to connect on the internet. It's just for fun, right? The true value and wisdom of our everyday lives lies in the space between us and the rest of the world. It is in that space of silence and solitude that we understand, introspect, and appreciate, instead of complain, reject, and resist.
There is a time in my life where I was a very light traveler of Earth. I had little possessions. Many of the things I came to accumulate, I would throw away. One of the things was my expired passport. I did not carry much memories nor memorabilia.
Many of my earlier solo travels were done with little or no photo-taking. I will never be missing out on not taking pictures. Because while I am busy snapping shots, and viewing the beauty behind my camera, I am not truly enjoying the vastness of the new place. The camera is the barrier between me and the place I'm visiting. Why record my memory on a camera when I can record it on my mind and psyche? Why bother to go all the way to a new place, to take pictures of it, when I could have gotten much better quality pictures of it from the internet, at the comfort and convenience of my own home?
On my 2012 round-the-world trip, I had a lot of inspirations and awakenings while I was in Europe. I had no camera, no phone, no internet, no friend, etc. At that time, I lived with the belief that "every step I take is my home", which is part of a poem from Dogen, a zen master. Would you take pictures of every part of your home? At that time, I did not realize what was going through me, but intuitively, I knew this was the right way to live. Now, after watching Eckhart Tolle's videos, I came to the conscious understanding that space and quietude are the doorways for entering into our inner stillness, which connects to the source, our origin.
I began to realize that it was such a marvelous thing to have a relatively functional body that could carry me wherever I wish to go, and to have a pair of functional eyes that could allow me to appreciate the beauty of the world. Gratitude and awakening came. A new way of thinking formed. After returning from that trip, I was no longer unhappy with my life situations.
On my 2013 trip, I lost my iPhone in Champs Elysees one day after arriving in Paris. The phone was my camera and clock. I was not surprised, because I had extremely strong hunches of it happening, for couple weeks prior. So fine, I accepted the situation that life threw at me. I reverted to my original style of travel, which was without any electronic gadget.
I replaced my phone last week, because my old device had multiple problems, one of which was cutting me off from civilization (internet connection). After activating my new phone, which has better connection, I decided not to install the social media and chatting apps, yet. It was ironic, because the purpose of the replacement was to connect to the rest of the world, yet now I refuse to connect. Not having immediate connection reminds me of my travels. I felt extremely liberated during my travels. It is not that I do not wish to connect. On the contrary, I have a strong desire to connect, to the core and to the deepest level of your psyche. I don't wish to connect at the superficial level. Most of my relationships exist at the superficial level.
It is fine to take pictures, to reminisce the past, to connect on the internet. It's just for fun, right? The true value and wisdom of our everyday lives lies in the space between us and the rest of the world. It is in that space of silence and solitude that we understand, introspect, and appreciate, instead of complain, reject, and resist.
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