It’s been almost two full weeks here now and I have to say - being here in this village has changed me. I don’t know if it’s the hour long conversations I’ve been having with Panca my Balinese friend and now spiritual guide or being exposed daily to village life- I’ve become grounded in so many ways.
As I was walking through the rice fields with Panca one afternoon, I came across rows of women, men and children bathing in the river. They smiled at me, holding no shame for their bodies, imparting love with their gaze. Panca has taught me a lot about the spirituality of the Balinese and I understand now why there’s such a transcendent sense of peace here. The Balinese traditions and spirituality is all intended for balance. It’s to remind us of the impermanence of life and the cyclical nature of all things.
Panca, my Balinese friend and humble guide
Like any village, all elements of nature are deeply respected because we depend on it but also because we are one with it. Anything we inflict on another- being, plant or spirit has an echoing effect back to us in one way or another. This reverence and oneness with all of life has made me really consider all that I do, think and say. Every act or intention holds just as much power.
Panca said something profound the other day, he said, “some people go to the water temple to find purification, while others go to the night club. Both are just actions- it’s the intention that makes the difference.” Although you can argue one behaviour is significantly more detrimental to one’s physical wellbeing (and probably isn’t the best act of stewardship to our bodies)… the truth of this phrase sunk in. It doesn’t matter what I do in this life to try to attain ‘enlightenment’ or a sense of ‘success’. I will never find it if I search for it in external circumstances or things.
They say (and I’ve witnessed with my own eyes) that people with the absolute least are the happiest… and I believe that to be true. The people here hold a sense of contentment that can only come from inner peace. They appreciate what life brings, they depend on their community, they love deeply and laugh freely- they understand the transience of life and their role within it. They don’t seek for more than what they need, they don’t store up out of fear of or scarcity. They have an active relationship with the land and they work with source, spirit, God… to bring meaning to every day life.
I love this. As each day passes here, I feel that simplicity weaving its way through my soul. The essence of what life is about… what it always has been about but have become so estranged from in the West. This is what I believe I'm here to reflect back to the people I've been called to serve. The simplicity of life.
The true essence of our humanity. It's only through surrendering to this experience and how it wants to come through me that it can pass through.
This deep understanding of the cyclical, transient nature of life has reframed everything for me… including what I teach and how I teach business. Day by day, I’m creating and adding new concepts. Or I’m adapting what I used to teach through a more holistic, sustainable and ‘human’ way. It’s mind-blowing.
As each day passes, I’m surrendering and coming back to my essence and slowly becoming a vehicle for the message that wants to come through.
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