Peru 15 - Harmonious Strawberries Fields for Ever

Oct 29, under moon sliver and headlamp

Ever since I saw and heard a harmonium play at a yoga festival this last summer, I've been wanting to get my hands on one. A harmonium is the offspring of the piano and the bagpipes – technically a wind instrument (bellows moved by one hand) – but with a tiny keyboard not unlike a piano – white and black keys. Yesterday my dream came true. Last weekend during the Sunday festival, a young German devotee played the harmonium and sang as well. I asked if she could show me how it works, and soon I was pumping air into a small box, while my fingers completely mangled the tiny keyboard and screeches filled the temple air. The birds flew away but I was enjoying the privilege to play a soaring instrument that India has adopted for its kirtan and other musical endeavours (this harmonium was made in India). Its particular forte (haha) is in meditation for unlike a piano where a keys sound soon dies away, a key pressed on the harmonium will go on for ever as long as the bellows is bellowed. The droning sound of a single key can be played in waves of volume as you move the bellows lightly or strongly – accompanying that with you favourite mantra is a shoe-in – although I've noticed the devotees here are shoeless so that word is completely inappropriate.

This morning I had the joy of working with Isabella, a young Mexican full of light and laughter and amazing stories and on a strong spiritual path that leaves most of us in the cosmic dust. She is studying eco-tourism, but she is leaning towards painting as her true passion. We worked together on the caigua cart, transforming the green and brown ancient veggie cart into a riot of bright colours. This cart stands near the front foyer, so roving tourists can buy organic veggies as they pass by. We traded stories on kayak surfing, lucid dreaming, Carlos Castenda, Carl Jung, snorkeling, as well as sharing memories of Puerto Escondido in the stunning Oxaca province of Mexico. She commented on how painting is her meditation, like sweeping is mine. Incorportating meditation in ones work or lifestyle is a great way to get this ancient practice out of the sacred halls and remote mountain tops. As a large bowl of freshly picked strawberries was placed on the the caigua cart, Strawberry fields forever sprung up, for indeed, as you walk down the dusty roads here you see strawberries growing everywhere – they thrive well here and are sweeter than our North American counterparts. Isabella mentioned that the Beatles have many connections to this corner of the world. My Sweet Lord by George Harrison is about Krishna, and not the Christian God that I had always mistaken the lyrics for (listening to lyrics is not my forte).

Vera has a copy of Samsara on her laptop and movie night is about to start. Its a great movie and much more appropriate than the prison movies that the devotees put on a few weeks ago.