November 14th - 10:20

Title: November 14th - 10:20 Medium: Super-8 film Aspect Ratio: 4:3 Resolution: 2880 x 2160 File Type: H.264 Codec / MP4. Comments: Rinzin, Kaito, and I hiked up the steps to the golden Buddha of Dordenma. It is a massive sculpture sitting amongst the trees with a heavenly glow you can see from miles away. A god-like man in the lotus position sitting atop the mountain gently hovering over the trees. It is truly surreal up close and afar. Kaito was telling us stories from his time as the kings trusted bodyguard. It was like being in the presence of royalty himself. A man with a gentle heart and loves to make you laugh. Buddha was not a god, he was a man named Siddhartha. Born as a prince and left his royalty behind to experience the suffering and enlightenment that life has on both ends of the spectrum. His journey his one of self reflection and realization. Nirvana is not sitting under a tree in the lotus position till your legs go numb with a blood clot, it is a state of mind. Heaven on Earth. Disciplined focus where nothing around you. Not a serpent in the grass slithering up your legs, tantric women dancing around you with temptation, the drums and sirens of war, nothing can stop the focus. Not even death's blade. It is all an illusion of the mind. Nirvana is the realization that you have the power to activate this peace and silence at any moment. To remember that you have the will to change your life in an instant. It is not the after life, it is living for the first time for the rest of your life! Without fear, without suffering. Breathing brings us back to the moment. When meditating you focus on the breath. It is the prana, the energy of life. When you focus on your breathing you become the most present you can be. You let go of all your thoughts just to fill your lungs. That is love, that is living in harmony. Remember to breathe, you can do it right now as you sit here reading this passage. Four seconds breathing in, four seconds breathing out. Do that four times. Welcome to your Nirvana. Welcome to your peace in the inner sanctum. Sometimes we forget as we go about this thing called life. Just remember to breathe to come right back to yourself. This is the way of the Buddha, and no one can teach you, except the lessons you learn on the path you walk by yourself.