Spirit woke me up to go on a walk this afternoon. After getting my work online done sooner than expected, there was little to do except meditate – and fall asleep for an after-lunch nap. (Yes, I’m one of those people)
When I came out of the sleepy dream daze, the sun was just beginning to set behind the palm trees of Arjana compound.
When Spirit talks, it’s like a whisper. Whereas we wish, sometimes, that messages would come bounding out at us and slap us in the face, that’s not how the mysterious Creator works.
It was an offer: “Amanda, go on a walk with me.”
And I happily obliged.
Earlier this morning I received the message to take my camera with me, even though I didn’t use it in the traditional Balinese market. I realized now it was set up for the perfect occasion to explore the scenery surrounding my humble abode.
Pulling a black and white sari with an elephant print off the shelf and dressing myself, I tucked my camera underneath one arm and set out toward the concrete path which winds through the rice fields in Northern Ubud.
200 meters from where I am staying, I paid 10,000 rupiah (.75 cents) for a coconut from a new friend, Wayan. It was sweet, hydrating, and full of electrolytes. We chatted for a few minutes about future adventures before I set out to mosey the maze of paths in the fields.
Earlier this week beautiful and hard-working laborers – most, whom I noticed, are women – harvested the rice. As it is low season for tourism in Bali, the income will most certainly help families in the area.
Their efforts changed the landscape of the field: gorgeous, as always.
As the sun beat down on the rice fields and my shoulders, a beautiful breeze and the twittering of birds strengthened the scene. Now and again a motorbike would pass along the narrow and somewhat dangerous road, but for the most part, all I could hear were ducks in a near field, cicadas stringing along a tune, and the whisper of heaven weaving through the scratchy grass.
It’s in these moments you feel more alive than you ever have before. I may not have been bungee jumping off a bridge or diving into a waterfall, but in this moment I felt me.
A writer, a child of God, a spirited individual just doing her best in this life. And those are the moments – in gratitude – when Ego can’t touch us and all is right.
It didn’t bother me when a rat the size of my forearm ran by, but it did remind me of the many layers and levels of life that exist on this planet. It’s humbling and intriguing to contemplate.
On the topic of contrast, I did walk by a temple where the Balinese place prayers and gifts to the ‘Spirits’. I snapped a few photos, and even walked inside the compound, but quickly felt that doing such was not right. You know when you get a feeling in the pit of your stomach, as if you are trespassing and making unseen things mad? Yeah, I deleted them and promised to tell you guys to be wary of doing such, as those in the afterlife frown upon invasion of privacy, or “lack of respect” as I’m being told. Just something to be aware of.
Another half an hour had passed before I began slowly walking back to my home where I will stay for 2-3 months.
I’ve been in Bali 3 weeks now, but that time has flown by. There’s a sacred magic here, something warm, inviting, and humble – like I’ve never known before.
I am definitely enjoying this experience and hope you’ve enjoyed the musings about a walk with Spirit in the rice paddies.
Namaste,
