On my first trek through Northern India back in 1997, I had a wonderful experience that left a deep and valuable impression on me. After several days of camping along the upper ranges of the Ganges River in the Himalayan foothills our small group began the long journey back down into India’s northern plains. This is truly an amazing part of the world; where for hundreds of miles in every direction are to be seen nothing but an endless sea of rice fields. It had an almost hypnotic effect on me as the bent stalks danced in the light summer breezes ladened heavily with their life-sustaining yield.  It was one of those unparalleled wordless experiences that stays with you for a long time.

 Well, finally we arrived at the ancient northern city of Hardwar, whose name means Gateway to God.  It is here that the holy river, Ganges, flows out of the mountain regions and begins its long journey to the sea. 

    There in Hardwar, each evening at dusk pilgrims come from far and near to participate in an ancient devotional ceremony where Hindu priests write the name of God in the in the night time sky with their flaming lamps.  It’s a visually stunning and uplifting experience that has been going on there every evening at dusk for over a thousand years.

  The crowds of pilgrims began arriving late in the afternoon.  It was a festive and relaxed atmosphere.  There were colorful saris, a few beggars, holy men, children, animals, and vendors selling devotional pictures, flowers and food for offerings.  The scents of spices and perfumes hung heavily in the air; it was, indeed, a real feast for the senses.

  The most common item people seemed to be buying that night was a little 8 to 10 inch boat made out of two large shiny leaves stitched together in the shape of a canoe.  Inside each little boat were a few orange marigold blooms and a little bit of candle wax which they lit and then with their devotion, set their little boat on the river to float away toward the Infinite Spirit that the ocean represents.  It was a mesmerizing scene as hundreds of these little lights floated silently away down the river for as far as the eye could see.

    As part of the large crowd of maybe between two to three thousand people arriving on this particular evening I happen to notice an artist sitting on the ground calmly engrossed in his craft.  He was man, perhaps in his early thirties, olive skin, slender with a wonderful countenance of serenity and poise. 

    He seemed completely oblivious to the passing throngs.  He was busy creating a devotional picture with what looked like pastels and was of an excellent quality.  There was absolutely something quite refined and magnetic about this beautiful soul that drew me toward him.  So I stopped and from a discrete distance I observed him for a time.     After a few minutes, he began to collect his things, putting his delicate picture in a canvass bag and placing the long strap of the bag over his head.  He then rose gracefully and walked away.

   Now the only part of this story that I haven’t shared with you yet is that this obviously talented, self-sufficient and beautiful soul had no arms.  His body ended at his shoulders.  He did everything he needed to do in life, including painting all his wonderful pictures, with his feet!

  For me, this was a life altering moment in my life, one where I had affirmed to me, right before my eyes, that it was up to me how I was going to respond to all the challenges that my life would bring.

  And that’s really true for every one of us!

    So as we move through our lives, day-by-day, it’s vital to remember the incredible positive potential that is right within each one of us.  And then strive to live our lives from that knowing by choosing to nurture and maintain an outlook that understands that it is our attitude that colors, for better or for worse, every challenge and opportunity that life brings. 

  I’m John Johnston.   See you next time, here, On the Cosmic Porch!