When I poke my head out of the quilt these mornings, the thermometer reads around 10 degrees Celsius, which is the real winter we have been missing for a long time.
Yesterday it was so cold that I went hiking alone in the afternoon in a native forest not far from home. It was a very effective way to keep myself warm, and the more I walked, the warmer I got, and the more I wanted to keep going.
I walked six or seven kilometres through this forest, a nature reserve, surrounded by giant old trees. I always like to hike alone in the mountains and forests. I could hear the murmuring streams, the chirping birds everywhere, and I could hug the vast old trees around me and touch their twisted, thick trunks. Only in the silence can I hear the stories of nature. As I walk out into the open, the sun shines on me, warming my body and giving me a sense of pleasure. Every leaf shone in the falling sunlight, and the hills glowed with light and warmth. The breeze whistles through the treetops, and when I step on the path covered with fallen leaves, it is an encounter between the glory of life and death.
Amid the changing seasons of the forest, I am only a part of it. I am also experiencing the seasons of life. In the end, I am also a fallen leaf on the mountain path, and one day it will be my turn to turn into spring mud, to take another form to nourish other creatures and welcome the next spring.
Every time I come back from the forest, all my senses are filled with the sounds and sights: the wind whistling, the birds chirping, the water flowing, the leaves dancing, the moss traces, the various scents of life hidden in the forest, and the full experience of living in the present.
I am always fascinated by the reflection of the water.
In one early winter morning, every creature in the stream area was still very active. It was a fantastic moment: birds chirping, ripples winking, fish swimming, bamboo leaves dancing, water flowing deep, the morning breeze blowing. All things are bright and beautiful. This is the optimal moment for me to practice "live in the moment". All the images, sounds and sensations remain in my memory till now.
Nature is indeed a blessing to us. It is free for everyone, and it heals the weary.