July 9th's Trail Tuesday: The Shambhala Mountain Center Stupa

     Departing from the regularly-schedules Estes Park adventures, Devi joined Diane on a trek up through Fort Collins to the Shambhala Mountain Retreat Center, home to a gorgeous Stupa dedicated to the Buddha. A Stupa, much like a temple, is a landmark dedicated to the wisdom of the Buddha and the peace of his followers.

     The center itself is dedicated to teaching Ayurvedic remedies, meditation, and yogic retreats. We set out somewhere around 7:00am to head down I-70 to Boulder. It was thirty minutes int out journey that we realized that we had taken the wrong highway. Certain that we could wing it, Diane and I elected to travel the foothills rather than go back for the highway.

   That...may have been a dreadful mistake.

    After meandering north along the gentle slopes of the feet of the Rockies, sharing many stories along the way, we came upon Fort Collins! At last, we could redirect ourselves...right?

    No. We were definitely lost in Fort Collins for upwards of 40 minutes before stumbling upon the correct road. Hey, that's not a bad thing. We just spent 4 hours on a two-hour drive. It's no big deal.

    The sanctuary was home to an intangible aura of peace. Every breath there is restful, even our fellow hikers were noticeably more mellow than normal. We were welcomed by two young deer asleep beneath one of the buildings. Such gentle creatures, we didn't want to disturb them.

      Our walk began a short distance from the center and lasted only a mile or so. The trail was decorated with prayer flags depicting various histories and ideas about the Stupa, leading us with their gentle fingers adrift on the wind. A small shrine rises humbly before the Stupa, decked with offerings and memories of those who had visited before us. Trinkets, photos, letters, keychains, even jewelry hung from its arms and obscured every surface. The smallest gestures of love, aren't they?

     The Stupa, its white form ablaze against the deep green of the forest behind it, lay in wait. It was as if my heart hadn't beat in all the years without its guidance. As the inner chamber is a sacred space, this is where the photos must end. The Buddha's eyes, however, will rest with me always-- such a vibrant green, I was on my knees the moment I caught their gaze.

     Our journey down was uneventful, marked by laughter and open-hearted reverence for the mountainous country here. Our trip home, also full of laughter, was aided and abetted by coffee.

 What a Tuesday we had. I am so thankful. Until we meet again.