ENTRY 36 -- Sea of Glass

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An Excerpt from the Travel Journal of Nigel Fox. (c. 1945)

ENTRY 36 -- Sea of Glass









Many who travel to the East are quite taken with India's mystical lifestyle. For me, life at the ashram was like a glorious dream. I seemed to be living in a different world of love and peace. The effect of the Holy Spirit, which came from Christ, was immediate and powerful! His grace flooded my entire being. It illuminated the glory of Nature, and made me love every person I met. To surrender all for Christ's sake as St. Francis did, brought me a joy that passed all understanding. The last time I felt this "ecstasy of the Spirit" was at my conversion. God was again fully present!

Daily Routine

The remarkable Improvement in my Health was another change: my euphoric episodes along with my depressions were becoming a thing of the past! I had lost nearly one stone, felt years younger and was becoming a rather dashing figure. It was as if life had become one glorious, sweet melody. My daily routine was long but pleasant. At a quarter of five I would arise, squeezing in a quick wash before early prayers. In the crisp, coolness of the morning, all assembled in the chapel to give thanks and praise. People of various ages read aloud from the Scriptures, succeeded by a short discussion. I somehow seemed to have attracted quite a following of young children, who always sat near me.

A nutritious breakfast followed. From six to ten o'clock people worked at various locations around the valley. Each person could choose to do the job at which they felt the most fulfilled (although we each had to take a turn at cleaning and raking the latrines).

To my surprise, I felt called to spend the bulk of my time tending the vineyards. In wide-brimmed hat and loose-fitting smock I worked industriously at tying up the vines and pruning. My tutor was a master vintner from France: having at first volunteered his expertise on a temporary basis, he stayed on to oversee the operation in what he termed 'Paradis'.

One could not help but be drawn to the grandeur of the ancient snow capped mountains encircling the verdant, rich vale. On the far end of the valley gushed a picturesque waterfall, fed by the peaks above. The dancing water splashed into a silvery river that wended its way to the large lake at the centre of the plain. Flourishing trees in abundance lined the shores of the river and lake, many of them bearing luscious, gleaming fruit. To be able to work in and be a part of such surroundings made my heart sing and brought me closer each day to the Creator of all things.

My routine took me to the hot springs before lunch, where I learned to truly relax. Having discovered a smooth, bed-like stone at one end of the pool, I submersed myself in the water from head to toe, with only face protruding. The rumbling of the water in my ears often lulled me into such a tranquil state that one of my fellow bathers had to shake me in order to let me know that it was time for the mid-day meal.

10,000 Films

Between 11 o'clock and 1:00 p.m. a healthy but delicious lunch was served. A time of relaxation followed.

The warmest afternoon hours were occupied with lessons in the schoolhouse, which had been ingeniously carved into the side of one of the mountains for optimum coolness. It was my job to assist Miss Wilkes and the others, who taught all the children in the same large room. The students sat on mats and used low desks, doing much of their learning on their own. The basics of reading, writing and arithmetic were taught to the youngest students, but once they could read, lessons were digested by studying a book on a certain subject and then answering questions about what they had read. Lectures were rare: students were taught to read, think, and discuss; not to listen, copy down notes and memorise.

In my 'unbiased' opinion, Miss Wilkes and her colleagues made learning fun, inspiring the young people to explore and do research on their own. All of the students worked along at their own level, and no one was made to feel stupid or slow. The school had managed to attract a number of benefactors from several different countries who donated supplies. The Ashram library had an extraordinary collection of books, music and art. Imagine my elation when I discovered their motion picture section had over 10,000 films from around the world.

An Embarrassing Incident

Those who were used to the British system took a light tea at four o'clock, usually a selection of the valley's delectable fruit.

I used the time to perfect my spinning technique, and, more often than not, had to be rescued from a knotted skein of cotton. In an embarrassing incident, both my hands became so entangled in the thread that I became tied to the spinning wheel, necessitating a shout for help. To my mortification, it was Miss Wilkes who heard my pathetic cries. Much to her credit, she managed to unloose me without laughing outright. However, a whisper of a smile flickered across her lips when first she saw my plight. She tried to comfort me by saying the very same had happened to the Mahatma.

Chagrined, I told her jokingly that I had ten thumbs.

"Eleven," she replied with a bold grin. As always she was jovial and good-natured in her teasing.

More determined than ever, I spent much of what was meant to be a leisure period, working hard at this new skill. In time, I grew rather capable and even began to take pride in my finished product. Often I would spin and meditate at the same time, another example of manual labour bringing me closer to God. For a man who had spent most of his life as an academic and a missionary, the revelation of the joy found in physical work had been a long time coming.

Links:

Longevity

Lithia Water

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ENTRY 36 -- Sea of Glass
The grandeur of the valley is extraordinary!