Day Four: I was a little stiff in the legs and hips this morning. Good thing I took a combination of three trails that started out very flat and smooth. Little Horse Trail, Bail Trail and Llama Trail are all a part of a loop of trails north of Bell Rock. To make better time, I got up earlier this morning. Good thing, too. I started out on the trail well before the sun had reached full bake status. I am not kidding, either. Later when I was walking back to my car along the same path, I took my hat off and sweat poured off my head like there was a faucet.
Despite the stiffness in the beginning and heavy sweating in the end, I stayed cool and smiling. I relaxed my shoulders and breathed deeply, with a focus on my Dahn Jon. I began "Jang Saeng" walking. Discomfort passed and I greeted the beauty all around me. I was also privileged to be greeted by many rabbits near the entrance. One juvenile female ran in front of me, then kept looking back to see if I was following her. When I caught up to her, she just started nibbling on something green and looked at me with her right eye. It reminded me of times with my pet rabbit when I lived in Bangkok (another story entirely). After that I saw an adult male; he was as big as a tomcat, but he was not interested in me. He darted by me very quickly. Like the rabbit in Alice's story, he seemed to have things to do and places to be. Then I saw a tiny baby male nervously feeding on some flowers at the side of the trail. After that, they were rustling through the bushes around me until I reached an area with different foliage. What kind of meditation would have me "playing" with rabbits? I can only tell you that those rabbits were entertaining and joyful and I had walked a couple of miles without "noticing" my achy legs. By that time, circulation was moving and my legs felt fine.
I did a big loop with these trails and watched my mood change. The first trail I took ran close to the highway and I could hear complaints rising in my mind about the sound of the cars. When I climbed to a red rock clearing under the shadow of one of the noble gigantic rock formations, I even accepted the sound of someone's car alarm. It was too beautiful to spoil. The raised clearing faced Bell Rock. So I sat there and meditated, Brain Wave Vibration, and chanted the Chun Bu Kyung. I was singing by the time I got on the next path. I was treated to delightful views and wonderful flowers and trees. One tree in particular catches my eye whenever I see it. I have been calling it a "bee condominium" because those trees look like some futuristic building and they are often covered in bees. Here's a picture:
I learned later today that these are Agave trees. So amazing. I love agave nectar. No wonder the bees hang out there. I believe that most of the agave sold on the market comes from "blue agave," but the sight of those bees tells me that the "red agave" must be pretty sweet as well. My appreciation for the plant has grown, as has my gratitude for this sacred place.
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