Cybele and I first met virtually during the pandemic through a photo I posted of a sacred tree in Kyoto on the Inayatiyya Facebook group. We decided to meet up when I made a short work visit to Korea in August. Cybele wanted to take me to a sacred shaman nature site nearby in the mountains. The spot is marked by a huge rock spot topped by a dead tree (Cybele said it died immediately after a fence was put around the rock by the local government to keep people from praying there); evidently the mountain spirits were not happy, now again it is a place to offer prayers to Nature. The spot used to be a sacred crossroads for travelers. There is a small alter in front of the rock to make offerings.

As we were thinking and imagining what to offer, and ready to light some incense, we noticed there were already two other Korean local ladies there getting ready to do some kind of ceremony. They said we could watch from a distance, and this is what we saw with our eyes and poem below the photos for what we felt:

Shaman Ladies

Braided bound chords of cloth
Shaken then ripped
Ripping the knots of humanity
two lay shaman ladies
in their daily clothes
standing, bowing with passion
calling upon and
appeasing the spirit of a giant rock
and a dead tree at
ancient crossroad
scared gathering spot.

In sweltering heat their voices barely heard
they call upon the mountain gods and energy
that controls our lives….
my friend and I stand and watch
unexpected sudden guests to this ritual event
us too, hot with the heat of the boiling summer day
watching sacred colors
Red Yellow Black White Blue
symbols of Humanity
weaved and waved by
these believers
in the Spirit of the Land
patient local shamans
global in their intent.
They also have work to do.

Afterwards the ladies followed us to the WMH to get a feel for the place and possibly offer some advice on the energy present there. All I know is that the next morning I had a very special meditation time in my simple, beautiful, private room (too many bugs to sit in the garden as planned). The above poem was inspired in an instant that morning.

After breakfast I helped Cybele with some gardening. Cybele was cleaning up around the big tree at the entrance, partly so we could get the car in and out more easily. My task was to cut and unravel some tenacious vines that had taken over three small fruit trees during the summer. It was not unlike the shaman ladies unknotting the weaved chords they had prepared, clearing the so-called knots in humanity and our relationship with Nature as well.

vines in the trees
battle the sickle
hot sun me

(Haiku by Edo, aka Edward Levinson)

Finally taking a break in the shade under a big tree, sitting on a prime view veranda, I was touched by Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan’s being. He seemed so pleased that this space in Korea existed and how my spot in Japan balanced with it and how we had created spaces for the Message here in Northeast Asia. Validation in any form is always dear.

Meditation time and hard labor work done, we were ready to take the car and treat ourselves by going out to lunch. Being super cautious driving out the narrow gravel road, we felt a hard bump and heard a shockingly loud hissing. We had hit a sharp rock (invisible to us in the high grass) that demolished the tire. While we waited for the wrecker, the “why” of our predicament came to both of our minds. A rock in the road could be a symbol, but interpretation of that is personal. I'm pretty sure somewhere Murshid’’s teachings it says, "the work of a Sufi is to remove rocks from paths of others" or something similar to that. Could have been Pir Vilayat who said or repeated it. My simple gardener mind always remembers the phrase and image. With extra unexpected effort, we certainly removed that rock from the path! I tossed that now broken thing off the road where hopefully it wouldn’t bother anyone else. I suppose the spirits of the land and the beings who knew we were there wanted us to slow down a bit. And so, we did.

sharp rock on the road
our so-called plans
a blow-out

(Haiku by Edo)

This is some guidance we came across after our untimely tire blowout!

By Edward Levinson with help from the spirit of Cybele.

Cybele is a musician from New York who came upon an abandoned traditional lord's house in the countryside of Korea. Entranced by the spot and the open-air stage of the house's porch, she spent the next 20 years creating a dream and then acquiring and restoring the house as a stage to preserve and promote world performing arts, and gather people in meaningful ways to expand the peace (inner and outer), joy, and connection in the world through music, the creative arts and culture. Cybele on Facebook.

For more info on Ureuk World Music House visit:
www.facebook.com/worldmusichouse

Unpublished poem and haiku copyright Edward Levinson.
Share with discretion.

For Edwards books visit the book page and his essay memoir book page "Whisper of the Land"
To see photos of Edward's Solo Hill Garden and House visit this link.

Tags: Environment, sufi story , Shaman story, haiku and photos

Local Summer Scenery ローカルな夏の風景

A few days ago driving a back road in Kamogawa, a place I often drive by, the summer landscape looked nicer than usual. I stopped the mini-truck in the late hot morning sun and took a few photos of the place. On the left side of the river is a quaint gravel road with some cherry trees on one side and a gone-wild bamboo thicket. The bamboo green looks especially nice this time of year, but can be a nuisance when it becomes invasive. Along bamboo side of the road were the tell-tale signs of development, the orange ribbons tied here and there marking where to cut. In fact, one lot at the beginning of the road was already clear-cut, covered with gravel and now looking very hot. Having a little house along this river would be nice I am sure, but I worry about what the hodgepodge development will look like and what effects it will have on the environment. As I made a u-turn on the dead end road, a small “kyon” deer crossed on its way to the river. These over-populated mini deer can be a nuisance, just like the overgrown bamboo, but they are all living things and deserve our consideration. I hope if I go back during the spring cherry blossom season the place will still have some charm! (one more photo below the Japanese text)（日本語は写真の下にあります。)

数日前に鴨川のいつも使う裏道にドライブしたら,夏の風景が普段より綺麗に見えた。暑い昼前の太陽光で、ｋトラックを止めて、この場所を撮影しました。川の左側に趣のある砂利道があり、その片側に桜の木が並び、向かい側は野生になった細い竹の竹林があります。今の夏の時期に竹の緑色はとても綺麗だ、けれども生い茂ると迷惑になる事があります。竹林側にあったすぐ分かる開発の印、あちこちオレンジのリボンがあって、カットする位置に印を付けています。実際には道の入口の近くに一区画の土地がついでに伐採されて、砂利がしかれて、とても暑そうでした。この川の傍に家があるのは気持ちいいかもしれないけれど、このごった煮てきな開発の事を心配し、環境にどんな影響があるかと考える。行き止まりの砂利道でUターンしながら川へ行く小さいなキョンが道を渡った。今生い茂った竹と同じように、大変溢れているキョンはたしか迷惑ですが、彼らたちも生き物である、私たちの検討に値します。もし春の桜時期にまたこを訪ねたら、まだこの場所は魅力的であるように願います!