Living in a hotel for a long time can bring its own challenges. At times, some strange insights as it gives you a kind of solitude. May not be the perfect one, but it definitely is living in solitude. Last evening, spent most of my day in my room with my laptop, watching a movie and trying to do some work. In the evening I stepped out for a small walk around the hotel and realized that it is a full moon night.
An Evening with Moon
As I walked by the swimming pool, the moon looked most beautiful from there. I picked up my camera to click some pictures of the moon, as it kept playing hide and seek with clouds around it. Though could not click many pictures, but sat down with a few books by the poolside and kept looking at the moon for hours.
When I came down, I was agitated because I was feeling claustrophobic in my room. I was probably feeling lonely and lost. But as I sat watching the moon, it had this amazing calming effect on me, that after a while I was almost talking to the moon. I was talking to it like my best friend, sharing my thoughts, discussing my views, my joys, and my pains. And it almost made me feel as if it was listening with all ears and could feel what I was feeling,
Then I just sat there turning the pages of my books. Tao Te Ching and Joseph Campbell were my companions in this moonlit night. Ching’s Zen-like poems seemed just perfect for the moon, moonlight and me. Lao Tsu’s profound short poems with a world of meaning in them. And Ching’s commentary on them, followed by nuggets of wisdom by Campbell, it is what perfect times are made of. It is for these few moments like an evening with Moon that we do whatever else we do in the rest of our lives.
Conditioning
As the air started getting chilly, I wanted to get my blanket and sleep in the moonlight. Which felt like is going to take away any disturbances that reside within me. But my conditioning of so many years told me not to take that risk. And I was back to the same place for the rest of the night. At times I really wish I could let go of my conditioning. And be as free as I would want to be. But am not sure when I would be able to do that completely.
Recommend you read following travel blog on my USA trips.
Memories of a lone visit to New York, USA
Have you read ‘a million pieces’by James Frey ? Although its authenticity is debated, the context in which the Tao is introduced is very trippy.
oh, as far the tryst with the moon, seems like ‘the doors’ would have made some great company.
It was the moon of million prayers 🙂 It was karwa-chauth night lady..
Oz, I have not read that book, but have added that to my list of ‘to be read’ books.
Anonymous, like I mentioned it was a full moon night, Karwachauth is four days after Poornima.
-Anu
Nice blog. Came here via Ryze.
A Full Moon comes every fortnight…
And a FULL moon is also responsble for a HIGH tide… not only in the sea, but for behaviours, and emotions too… more specifically Homo Sapiens…
And it is but natural for you to have connected with the FULL MOON.
But You spoke of CONDITIONING… A Dangerous aspect of LIFE…
Few queues to know more about it… Running a mile, less than 4 min, strived for 2 centuries, Roger Bannister broke it in 1954, few more broke it in few weeks time….
Conditioning is a conquering the 6 inches space beween your EARS…
Try attempting… and be at it, untill you CONQUER it!!
I can, therefore, you can!! We all can!!
🙂
somehow stumbled here! nice post.
I love your experience to hear about. Thank you.
Sujata 🙂