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From Chapter on Himalaya Mountain Adventures
Arriving at the base of a Himalayan snowcapped mountain, I glimpse a panoramic view that envelopes Earth and sky in timeless embrace. Myriads of delicate clouds gather, fluttering like butterfly wings, then disperse in an impromptu time-lapse fashion. At my feet, there is simple, enchanting beauty - the melodious sounds of a flowing glacial stream, steeped in mysterious wonder. Now, almost imperceptibly, a faint breeze arises from the stillness, fanning against the dry rock-strewn alpine plain. Seeking direction, it stealthily moves through the hollows - with rapt attention, swirling around and around, until at last it can swirl no more.
Again and again, my heart is overcome by the power of silence. Once more, I listen to the incessant gurgle of the stream, and follow its meandering course along the rugged rock-strewn plain. This same route has been the trail of throngs of pilgrims and solitary travelers for centuries. Following an unhampered course, all form and presence gradually vanishes... almost unnoticed. Again, I looked to the glistening, towering monolith before me. Its extraordinary quietude sets my soul aglow like a million Tibetan butter lamps being simultaneously lit. Fully present to innermost wisdom, nothing stirs except the silent cadences of echoing wonder, that takes one's breath away. The wind kicks up with a mournful howl, like a lone coyote gone wild just past midnight.
Listening to the stillness itself, I'm teleported inward, beyond the confines of the temporal world, to a place of utter contentment, where there is no need to fathom destiny. It is here that one is enabled to come to grips with the joy of being. My pilgrimage continues...
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