This post is not directly related to the how to's of building a family homestead but I feel this will be helpful to one's thinking or mindset while building one.
After spending more than a year in Japan, I visited Philippines again to attend a very important wedding of my cousin. Initially, I thought that it was going to be a rather simple trip- meeting relatives, meeting friends, eating lots of mangoes, and drowning myself in coconut juice- but it turned out to be a significant part of my journey of awakening.
The moment I stepped out of NAIA Terminal 1, instead of my relatives, the first one to greet me was a small girl asking me for alms. Since I was born and raised in the Metro Manila, this was a common encounter but after having lived in Japan for a year, experiencing this again had a deeper effect to me. I thought I was prepared to experience life in Manila again but I was gravely mistaken. Traffic, worsened. Population, increased. Street children, still present. Cars, increasing in number. Noise and Air Pollution, uncontrolled.
It seems I am painting a bad picture of the Philippines, but I am only speaking about my experience in Manila. I contemplated deeply as to how I can accept this environment after living a relatively peaceful life in Japan for a year. As I rode the car to our house, I looked around, looked deeply into the faces and eyes of the people walking, standing, passengers, and children. Observing the surface, most of them seemed tired and grumpy but as I looked longer and deeply there is a strong sense of happiness and "in the present moment" satisfaction. There is suffering, no doubt, on the physical level because of the weather, pollution, hard work, and work stress. Many people here live day by day. After paying for food for their family, costs for transportation, and other living expenses, they are only left with very little. While struggling with these needs, they have to survive the harsh environment of the concrete jungle. As the day ends, many are simply grateful and happy that they survived the day. The circumstances helped them realise the happiness of the moment- simply existing is bliss in itself.
Living for more than a year in Japan, I have noticed that many become accustomed to the safety of the environment and exactness of schedule such that I hear complains from very simple matters such as late trains, rainy weather, and honking of car horns. I even sometimes catch myself say some of these simple complains. Due to the privileges and conveniences of living in Japan, people become more concerned of "work" instead of "living".
I can't exactly remember what this saying is but it goes something like this-
"You may find the path to enlightenment faster while living in the city than secluding yourself in the mountains."
If you find your peace within despite being surrounded by chaos and madness, then wherever you go, this peace will remain with you.
Ironically, I found peace as I visited a mall in Manila with my relatives. I was surrounded by crowds of people, noise machines, dashing cars, wifi signals, and boosted bass music. Within these, I suddenly felt at peace. Rather, I felt that there is peace within all of these. Within the spaces of the sounds, the visions, and the sensations, there is silence. I felt as if I was simply observing all of these happenings around me without being identified or attached to the surroundings. I knew that this will have a tremendous effect on me as to how I experience life. The feeling quickly faded away as I get engulfed again by the chaos around me. I was happy knowing that there is indeed this state of consciousness where you feel at peace with your surrounding and that it was possible no matter the situation.
As I return to Japan to continue building the family homestead, I now carry this experience and I am confident that even if suffering or hardships come knocking on life's doorsteps, there is peace. This peace is not hidden within, as most will mislead us, but laid in front of us like the cosmos. As we look above, we immediately notice and place our focus on the stars but not the spaces between the stars. Without the space these stars will not exist. Such is finding peace in every moment. We instantly notice the problem, the noise, the image, the feeling and not the silence in the moment. These are based on the teachings of Eckhart Tolle.
I am grateful that before being fully immersed with my activities I had the opportunity to be back in an environment where peace seemed impossible to find. Finding the needle in the haystack seemed futile but as long I am the magnet that attracts the needle, I can find it. A simple law of attraction.
I apologize for the random ramblings!
Next post will be more on the practical side.
Clouds climbing the slopes of Mt. Banahaw (Lucban, Quezon)
"Ainu neonan Ainu"
(Ainu language, Human who is Human)
