Big and bright

Onderstaande tekst heb ik geschreven tijdens mijn schrijfretraite in de Spaanse bergen bij mijn zeer geliefde meditatieleraressen Jaya en Gemma van Open Dharma.

Bright and Big

It is hard to write about a place where you still are. For example, this mountain in front of my nose. Although I am here on Dharmaloca for almost two weeks now, I still can’t see the Montsant. Not really see it. It is too big. I have been writing, resting, cooking and weeding in its shadow. But the Montsant still feels far away. I can see the red roses and the almond trees. I can watch them and appreciate them. But the mountain is so big, it is more like the sky. As something surrounding me, something which I can see, but is at the same time a background not noticed. Sometimes in flashes I feel its bigness - when I look up from my little laptop or when doing my sunsalutions in the morning. But most of the time, it is just there. Behind me. Just like Jaya and Gemma, living on the terrace above the terrace where my cute green caravan is standing. I see them hanging their laundry and hear the laughing of Gyan.
Yesterday evening I made a walk to the top of the mountain to watch the sunset. But the Spanish sun is so bright that I could actually not look in it. But when I took a picture, I could see on my digital camera that the sun was round and red and the mountain sea was endless.
It is interesting. These big and bright things that we can not see when we are too close. Dharmaloca is like that. Like being close to the source. Without knowing it. It is small. Homey. Familiar. We cut the grass, we eat lunch and we sing. I think it is only when I am at home that I can see, what I can see on my camera now. The bigness of the mountain of support behind me. The brightness of the love put in this place. A kitchen, a shower, a toilet, a caravan, food, water - it is all there. Open Dharma has created a place for people having the wish to stay close to the source. A truly bright and big gift.