It is the spring equinox, today or tomorrow, I am not sure which. And today the weather has changed for the better. For two weeks, the dominant weather was cloudy and stormy, with heavy, persistent rain. At such times, this place, at quite high altitude, becomes miserably cold. The tiny monk’s room where I stay has no heating and its big windows allow what heat my body generates to rapidly disperse. At times, it feels like a wet, cold version of hell.
Today though, the temperature has risen significantly and the sun has been shining all day. I have been out walking amongst the wooded hillsides and visiting the nearby waterfall. With its innumerable cascades, cool pools to dip in and big boulders to scramble about upon, it is a playground for someone like me. And now, returning to my little room, those same big windows offer stunning vistas of the mountains and valleys. So today, I find myself in heaven.
Sometimes a small change can make the difference between hell and heaven – be it in a mountain environment, a job, a relationship or any other aspect of life.
