December 2009
Parliament of the World's Religions
& the Outback Adventure
Led by Susan Hull Bostwick & David Ponedel
by David Ponedel
One of the great side bars of attending a Parliament of the World's
Religions is exploring the site where it is held. Unusual things are bound to
befall you.
When I was in Chicago, in 1993, I was going down from my room
to the main lobby, but there was a guard at the elevator. This was unusual, and
since nobody told me to leave I decided to see what was going to happen (always
a good idea at an event like this). A few moments later the Dali Lama walked by
laughing and waved to me.
During the Parliament in Cape Town,
South Africa, a group of us
went to the Cape of Good Hope to see where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic. While there I wanted to get some water, as I
have a water collection gathered at sacred sites from around the world. I was
down on the beach looking for a container when I saw a bird just a few feet
away. He looked at me, and I at him. I approached indirectly and he did not show
any fear of me, nor wanted anything from me. This simple scene affected me in a
way I had never experienced. I have had plenty of time in all types of
wilderness, and have seen plenty of wildlife, but for the first time as I stood
there looking out at the ocean I felt natural. We were just two beings together
in the world.
