Have you felt that immense sense of overflowing joy in silence? There have been such moments in my life when I have removed myself from the chaos of activity and brought myself into natural surroundings. This image is from the jungles of Periyar Tiger Reserve in Southern India which I visited with Cristof in January 2007. It was early morning, around 5 am. There was a kind of a quiet that was breathed by the trees. The sun was emerging slowly from beyond the fog, tiptoeing through the branches and leaves. What an amazing moment! I could imagine the sunshine falling on the nose of a giant, gorgeous tiger somewhere close by. A tiger whose glory is immeasurable and indescribable in a way that would do full justice to its majesty. What an amazing creature! Just then we saw the paw prints of an adult tiger in the muddy path before us. Our ranger suggested that it was only a few hours old. I cannot describe how humble I felt walking in the footsteps of that graceful big cat. There was a sense of awe and respect that we all felt in our little exploratory group of 10.
Walking in the middle of the jungle, breathing the same air as giant herds of elephants, feeling the caress of the tall shrubs just like it would a buffalo, and experiencing the sense of peace in the same way as the creatures of the jungle...is an unforgettable experience. I aspire to feel those amazing feelings of stillness, intuition and complete peace, no matter where I am. And I invite you to experience the stillness within yourself just like Eckhart says in this beautiful quote.
-Sophia Ojha
