The Eyes of Nepal

I stand amongst my tightly packed group of fellow adventurers, impatiently awaiting the return of our guide and keeping a watchful eye on my backpack and pockets. This is how Dorothy must have felt when she left Kansas. And looking around, this certainly isn’t home.

The Boudhanath Stupa sits amidst the marketplace like a ship in the sea. The lines of prayer flags stretch down to the surrounding rooftops, dancing in the wind. It really does make me feel as though there is a connection between it and the city. Spirituality usually escapes me, but I can almost feel Buddha's eyes watching me from the stupa. Since arriving, it seemed as though wherever I laid my eyes there was rubble, poverty and disorder. But seeing this temple gave me a sense of something greater to this city, something you can’t simply see with your eyes.

Through the mass of people walking clockwise around the outer ring, I see a blind man slowly making his way towards one of the shrines. His can cane hits the hard stone, and he leans forward to feel for the obstacle in his path. As soon as he lays his hand on the rough stone his face breaks out into a marvellous smile. He bows with his hands together, and continues walking. It seems Buddha’s eyes really are watching.

Faith is something I find difficult to describe; but what I saw in that man’s face was true faith. It taught me that I shouldn’t just look for beauty, but feel it.