MARDI TREK: I found myself in the trees, the stones, the hills & everywhere

Aayush Koirala

The trip was the most adventurous and memorable till now. I had never expected it to be such an experience ever. From the time of departure, there was a sense of freedom in the minds of all of us.

The more we climbed up the more we were tired and exhausted but at the same time we were moving up with hope and struggle. The never-ending mountains were the greatest hurdles. The rain and lightning at night reminded me of how vulnerable we are and how weak we are in front of mother nature.

But I strongly believe that nature is never against us. Everything it does has a reason for something good for everything resides in it. The lightening near the forest camp and the heavy rain with ice fall was just a remainder that death is coming, that we are just small as a grain of sand in this entire cosmos.

The more we climbed up, the more was the joy. The people were friendlier and the place was mostly untouched by modern science. Life was much simpler. The most valuable experience that I had was ‘I found myself everywhere, and the oneness across the existence was much profoundly experienced. I found myself in the trees, the stones, the hills, the people, and everywhere I can imagine of myself, not as an individual but as one with anything and everything I came across.’

The fear was almost gone and I could feel the life more profoundly. Meeting new people with different ideas about different aspects of life was another great experience. When we are out of our comfort zones, we tend to be more polite and the understanding among us grows more and more. When we are less attached to people and things, we tend to attach more to ourselves. When we can decode the silence of trees, the mountains, and the hills, then only we will realize that we are not different from nature or the earth but they are just different forms of ourselves.

After returning to my room, I felt different from what I was just a few days ago. There is a sense of more connectedness with everyone and everything. I am more aware of my death and the whole movement of my mind and the mortal body. Life has become bliss and I can never forget the trip ever.

(MBBS 2018 batch student of MCOMS, Pokhara)