October 26, 2010

I thought my adventures in Nepal were over, but Shiva saved the best for last. The desire to see the Pashupati temple gave me the courage to venture out of my low rent hotel. It took a few wrong turns, but I “felt” my way to the gate.

A man approached me but I didn’t understand what he was saying. I thought he was saying Tika. Finally, a female guard stopped me to explain he was saying, “Ticket.” It was 500 rupees and that was all I had left for a simple meal and a taxi. I turned away disappointed and walked back to a small shrine down the street.

Just as I finished my prayer and turned to head back to the hotel, a young man came up and asked me if I wanted to see the temple. He said he knew another way and it was free. He urged me to follow him. I checked my heart quickly as he was already moving through the crowd.

His name is Nirmal and it means purity. He is also 26yrs old. He said first we needed to go to his work place so he could inform them he wouldn’t be coming today. Turns out, he volunteers in a nursing home/hospital started by Mother Theresa. He did not understand why I suddenly became “so alive”.

Lit up like the 4th of July, I explained my love and devotion to her. With appreciation for my good luck in fulfilling my prayers, I proceeded to step into the video I have watched a gazillion times. The visuals now my reality. Beds, tables, chairs and forgotten elders sprung into life.

When we got to the hospital, I explained that I was a reflexologist. There was a woman suffering from Parkinson’s. The nurse asked her if she would allow me to work on her feet. At first she hesitated, but my new friend, Nirmal, explained it to her and she relaxed. She had such a big smile. She fell asleep during the treatment and her tremors ceased. When I finished she said she felt so good. She held my hands and I kissed hers. Then she kissed mine, all the while our eyes embracing each other with such joy. I wanted to stay all day and help all of them, but the nurse would not allow me to. The language barrier and Nirmal’s eagerness to show me around hastened me on. 

He asked if I wanted to meet his favorite who he called mother. She was a delight. Her radiant smile illuminated the dingy room she shared with five others. Her bed and a shelf on the wall behind it housing all her earthly possessions. She loved having the company and offered each of us an apple and some graham crackers. She gave Nirmal another package and insisted he take them. She wanted me to take a picture, but my batteries were dead.

As we left, there were five beautiful temples called Penchadpal, one for each of the elements. I explained how I had just been calling the elements and directions for my prayer at the closing work in my reflexology. The symmetry of the moment felt so powerful.

Then, we scrambled up a hill and literally crawled through a hole in a fence to look down on the temple. I felt like a kid again. The temple was truly spectacular with a huge golden bull to protect Shiva. We were in a park and he pointed to a spot denoted as the home of Shiva. Being an historian, he was downloading a ton of information and my head spun.
Nirmal is the oldest of six children born in a small village. His father worked someone else’s land for very little money. He had gone to school with the hope of becoming a teacher so he could send money to his parents, but has been unable to find employment. He returned to Kathmandu 6 months ago. Now, he fends for himself, standing near the temple and offering his services as a guide.

After, we walked a short distance to the cremation piers. The Bagmati River flows into the Ganges and is most Sacred. They have an infirmary where astrologers know exactly the hour a person will die. Just as he was explaining things, a family was taking an elderly man to the platform. I told him about my recent experience assisting a woman in making her transition. That knowledge brought an understanding to what I was witnessing.

He explained that their souls went straight to Heaven if they died there. I could imagine the comfort and ease a person would find in the cooling waters of redemption. We came within a few feet as they pulled his body from the water thirty minutes later, covering him with silk and flowers. We walked in a procession behind the grieving family.

Then we crossed over a bridge and watched from the other side as they burned his body. To my surprise, the smoke did not smell foul. We watched from an area with murals of the Pantheon and he told me details about each one. I felt I had met my match as he rambled through information. The rest is a blur of temples and teachings.

He showed me eleven Hindu monuments. They were beautiful, like a mirror reflecting the reverence of life expressed through Shiva.

He bought me a bottle of water along the way, tossed crackers to the stray dogs and monkeys as he smiled broadly to greet all the people who recognized him with enthusiasm. I could feel his good heart and charisma. His eyes were the color of caramel and piercing like a hawk.

We walked 35 minutes to the Great Buddhist temple, Buddha, arriving in time for evening prayers. Looking down from a marble balcony, the movement of hundreds of people below was mesmerizing. The chanting filling the air and surrounding us.

We witnessed the most beautiful statue of Buddha that I have ever seen. It evoked a sense of peace that felt unshakable.

He treated me to a Tibetan meal called Momo that was like dumplings. We shoved so much into one day. He politely walked me home in the dark protectively guiding my way. I was glad to catch a photo of him in the morning when he went with me to the airport to carry my bags. Now all three of my new young friends are at my fingertips.

I am in utter amazement at my good fortune. This day feeling so far beyond my expectations. Divine Providence in every way. As I replay the memory of my experience overlaid on the video that has inspired my life, I am left once again in awe.