It was the first day when we came to the Algarve. As a nature lover, I was amazed by the beauty of everything that surrounded us: curved branches of old oaks, the smell of the thyme bushes in which bees were creating flawlessly composed music, and steep mountains that we decided to discover.
So here we were, standing in front of the steep hill, ready to get to the top. After five minutes of climbing, far behind everyone, including a small dog that bravely keeps her pace, I feel my spoiled city soul hitting all the pores of my skin in the shape of sweat, and wonder if this is what a heart attack feels like. My only view at the moment is dirty sneakers pressed rhythmically to the dusty soil in the colour of ochre. I wish to say, out loud to the air, to my sneakers, to the earth "Oh why?!". That would be a total waste of the limited oxygen that was floating through my lungs.
But then I look up, more to see how far behind I am than anything else. What I see is enough to get me going. A beautiful valley full of trees and shrubs spreading to another mountain whose peak is floating somewhere above the fluffy cloud that was just now passing by. That's the moment, in that cloud. Unique beauty that was given to me, only to me in just that specific moment of suffering when I decided to raise my head. And I know that my company, that has now stopped and are waving to me, see the same mountain and the same cloud in various angles, different colours, sharing this moment with me from a different perspective. Just like our souls are never the same, our way of seeing and feeling different, yet for sure we are all capable of seeing and experiencing beauty.
Getting to the top with such views becomes a bit easier, despite the trail being pretty rough.
On the top of the mountain, the trail crosses with the national road and two other paths. We choose to cross the main road. We arrive at an extraordinary place where, in the middle of nowhere, on the top of the hill, silent prayers float in the air. The structure that we see is called a stupa. According to the Buddhist tradition, its place is here - on the crossroads.
The idea of creating stupas has roots in the time of the emperor Ashoka. In the beginning, Ashoka was a ruthless ruler who, after seeing the atrocities of the Kalinga war, decided to focus on more peaceful ruling and creating land where welfare would concentrate on those who need help. Learning and implementing Buddhist philosophy, Ashoka decided to build 48 000 stupas around the world.
The main idea was to create a place where travellers can get rest, both physically and mentally. The stupa in the Algarvian mountains offers this as well. On the base of the stupa, we found fruit right next to bowls filled with crystal water. Nowadays, these items are somewhat symbolic. Offering water has its roots in Tibetan Buddhism and is a beautiful lesson for a consumerist society. The offer should be from the open heart, selfless, to improve the other being, not to gain anything. The most important part of the offering is distinguishing it from sacrificing. They are not offered to Buddha, but they also can't rely on taking away from other beings. If it is necessary to steal, kill or borrow, the offer loses its whole purpose. This is why water was the most popular to give: it's accessible, pure and clean and does not require hurting other beings.
The Algarvian stupa, according to the tradition of its construction, refers to 5 elements. The square base represents the earth, on which we are all travelling from one place to another. The hemispherical dome is a representation of water, the cleansing power of nature. The conical spire represents fire, which has a lot of meanings in Buddhist tradition. According to the Buddha, fire cannot last if it's unaffected by the world around it. The same happens with "the self". The moon spiking the sky is a representation of the air that surrounds us. The sun and the dissolving point represent space and wisdom which is in nature and within us.
Fresh air fills our lungs while we walk around. In front of our eyes, the light makes a soft line of the air visible. Floating softly on the particles of condensated water in front of the mountain of Algarve. Rocha da Pena spreads its arms, hugging the whole landscape with its raw branch, full of rocks and trees. The silent prayers written on the votive flags in the Sanskrit language float in the air. The wind repeats mantras in its own, unique language, changing intonations together with the intensity of gusts.
We sit on the ground, in the quietness, letting the wave of meditation arise.
After connecting with myself in this extraordinary surrounding, I barely recall the struggling to get here. Every moment of it was worth it. Not only because of one of the best views I have ever seen but also because of this mystical moment, that we could experience. I am grateful for every hill that I had to climb, for every person who motivated me to do it, and who encouraged me to get to the top.
It was a great stop to rest and regain strength, not only to climb down the mountain and get back to the car that we left but to regain strength for the most beautiful journey of them all: life. Isn't travelling about that? The road itself, but also about the moments when we stop, to recharge and admire beauty?
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