Recovering from the Hailstorm and Healing as a Community
What a catastrophic week it has been. That I am even writing this entry should prove how lucky I am to have survived the hailstorm that struck our village. It was worse than predicted and immeasurable damage was done. Torrential rains flooded the fields, our homes and even the caves. Our village is in a state of terrible shock. For the major part of the storm, my cave was in tact, but the storm progressively worsened and what I thought would be my safe haven was taken by floodwaters. I lost many precious sutras and valuable collectibles. The remaining contents of my home have been drenched by water. My medicinal supply has also been compromised. The air in our village is thick and the ground is damp. Leeches, gnats and hornets have been swarming the villagers. Broken tree branches have fallen onto the roofs of homes. I would classify these events as typical characteristics of life in Samsara. Unfortunately, we are prisoners of this cyclical realm. This also raises questions in my mind regarding the impermanence of the material world. Everything we have built has been destroyed.
This is a stressful time as everyone is concerned that, with everything being so chaotic, we will not have a solid enough foundation to provide for ourselves come wintertime. We are worried about not having enough crops to last through the colder months. What I pictured to be a seemingly harmless storm turned out to be far worse. The repercussions have been very severe and I have seen so many people suffer. It makes me reflect on the reason for such suffering. Have we offended the spirits so terribly? Have we emitted such bad karma to deserve such a huge loss?
On a lighter note, I do believe we, as a community, can walk away with some sort of lesson. We have become more aware of the interconnectedness of things. The actions we put out certainly have reverberations in the karmic realm. We have experienced first-hand the ways in which gossip affects us. Everyone has been focusing their energies to aid with the reconstruction of our village, we are eager to resume every day activities. We will be prosperous and happy in due time.
As it turns out, I wrongfully mistook the vendors’ intentions. I suspected the amulets to be counterfeit, but I was mistaken. The amulets that he was offering proved to be extremely protective and useful during the storm. I have spoken to some village members who found them beneficial, as they did not suffer the same consequences as those of us who didn’t purchase any amulets. I might reconsider for the next time.
As a result of the storm, the bridge connecting our village to the next one has been washed out and needs to be rebuilt. It is crucial that we rebuild it as soon as possible as it is essential to the villages’ economic, agricultural and social growth. I have contributed 5 building resources and ten units of gold towards the rebuilding of the bridge. I am also offering my labor, whether this consists of clearing the rubble or gathering materials.
Once the bridge is rebuilt, I will be able to travel to next village over. News has come to us that it has been hit with a naga illness. As a doctor, I have been very occupied for the last couple of days, simply dealing with the aftermath of the hailstorm. A naga disease, or serpent-spirit disease, is characterized as a mental illness. It is said that this illness is purely psychological and that there is no medicinal cure. The affected individual must be treated by burning incense and by reciting mantras. I have seen cases of this ranging from mild depression to complete insanity; it is an illness of the mind. I have also been considering the possibility that our neighbors are so strongly affected by the naga illness as a result of their past lives. It is possible that they have done unfavorable things, whether in the past or present, and by consequence are being punished in this lifetime. The doctors of our village must gather together and help rid our allies of their troubles, but some are complaining that it would not be beneficial to us. A village meeting was held and there seemed to be no consensus on how to go forth with matters. Our next move, as a collective, is up for discussion. What I know for sure is that such ignorant attitudes do not agree with the ways of the Buddha. We must always offer help when we can. Generosity has such an enormous impact, not only on those whom we offer it to, but equally to ourselves.
A group of other doctors and myself are going to go ahead and assume this responsibility. In preparation, I have searched the forest for incense and have feathered through my notebook to locate the exact mantras that need to be recited. All I can do for now is wait for the bridge to be rebuilt. I have equally been meditating in regular increments, so as to continue my path to enlightenment. On a broader not, I am hopeful that things will resume their proper course. Although our journey in this life is arduous, we will rise once more as a stronger community and will conquer a world so heavily embedded by duhkha.
