We met a young man, Ben, on the camino, the only other person so far from the states that we’ve encountered.  He told us that he was getting ready to start med school in the fall.  I loved his report of the 6 weeks on the camino so far.  He said, Ät first I was bored – I do not speak Spanish so there was no one to talk with – but then I deided there was a lot of things I needed to think about, so I spent the first three weeks thinking everything through.  Then there was nothing else for me to think about so I just started looking at the trees … all day long I would walk and look at trees – no thoughts.  I called my friend at home and told her that I walk for hours without thinking about anything but the trees I’m seeing.  She said, ómigod, buddhist monks spend their lives trying to achieve that state!¨

I, too am feeling the healing effect of feet on the path, misty breezes on the face and joy in the heart.  Time does not exist, there is only me and the universe in dialogue.  A revelatory thought comes and an immediate response verifies or questions …. for example, it occurs that all addiction is simply attachment to a painful story … suddenly a dancing white moth flies right up to me as if to say, ¨That´s right!¨ Of course, this is story too … what is not? 

I am walking up a steep hill, suddenly I am hungry.  There have been only hills and forest for hours but suddenly at the top of this hill, there is a cafe – the sign out front says, ¨boccadillos¨. – ¨Sandwiches for you?¨invites the Universe!  And the dialogue continues.  I ask and the Reality responds with eagerness to give me what I want.

The camino is a metaphor for life.  I watch what comes up in the mind and then get to see it played out in beauty before me.  I told Daniel it´s like walking the labyrinth at home.  I’ve often told people that the experience in the labyrinth will be exactly the way we do life.  The camino is the same.  Our internal beliefs become quite visible on the trail. 

If we believe life is painful and hard – then that will be our camino experience.  If we think we must suffer, the camino is a great opportunity to prove we are right.  Personally I believe that life is a  continual unfolding of abundance and I am watching it do just that in more ways than I can count here on the camino!

My health is good — as a matter of fact, I cannot remember when I’ve felt better!  I feel strong and healthy – there are no thoughts of sickness or fragility.  I am seeing absolutely that the mind rules.  This is something I have taught and experienced but never seen  so dramatically displayed before now.  The world is a laboratory for those of us with the consciousness to use it thusly.  

Today I walked along in the misty rain with my camera on ready, watching for the lessons being offered in visual form.  There´s a heavily burdened down couple in front of me on the uphill path.  She is so ¨prepared¨ for any eventuality on the camino that she can barely walk.  Ah yes, I can relate.  I, too at times have walked through life so burdened down with “knowing” that I can hardly move.  So “prepared” that I cannot move freely. 

There is a small swimming hole full of frolicking frogs.  Look there at those two swimming merrily together!  “Purify, cleanse yourself!” they seem to sing.  “Join us for a cleansing swim.”   Yesterdays message seemed to be all about polarity of light and dark energies.  Today there is water everywhere – in all sorts of forms.  We started out this morning in a beautiful misty rain and then walked past fountains, creeks and running streams but it’s not until this happy pair of amphibians call to me that I recognize the invitation to “shed the mental and emotional baggage (old stories) and swim in the ocean of life!”

I walk, earplugs in, with my ipod on random play … trusting the universe to select the song, poem, music or inspired thought downloaded there that is perfect for this moment.  There are no mistakes – no truly “random” play.  Listening to the sounds of nature blending perfectly with the song or thought chosen just for me in this moment.

Thinking, for instance, about forgiveness when suddenly, the song by “Eastwest” comes on that goes “If he loves you the way I love you then I can send you on your way …” and realizing that the most loving thing we can sometime do for another is to realize that we cannot love them and so  send them on their way.  Forgive all betrayers – for they loved you enough to let you go.

So much richness.  I am blessed. You are part of my wealth.  So from this mountain top in Arzua, Spain I bid you “Bon camino”.