Although it was just about a month ago, so many things happened since I was in Nepal. Not just new trips covering three countries that I have not been to before but additionally and more importantly, exciting things and – to put it in a better context – a stage of awakening happening in my very own country. I was already in Nepal when the Gezi Park events have started in Turkey so the emotions that I was trying to deal with in Nepal have been replaced by excitement and to some extent worry focusing on my own country. However, looking back to those Nepal days, there is still one emotion, which still feels so alive and captures me entirely – sorrow. For me Nepal was many things, a country of spirituality, a country of kids knowing how to genuinely smile, a country where death is worked with such subtlety into the real life and celebrated, a country where the religious tolerance truly exists but more importantly, Nepal was a country full of sorrow for me.

Devil`s Dance

There had been times in Nepal I felt angry for how Hinduism is claimed to be adopted and appreciated by the western culture by missing the very core part of it – renunciation of anything worldly. Seeing the sorrow on those peoples faces and how they try to cling on to life just for their kids, it made me feel like even appreciation of their beilefs and their religion would require an experience on at least a fraction of the things they go through just to remain alive. I came back from Nepal with so many questions and even questioning whether it is in fact their religion leading to so much poverty and eventually sorrow or whether it is their religion, which gives them the strength to go through life despite so much poverty. Probably both. You can check out some the photos from my trip to Nepal here. I know it will sound a little too worldly but this is the song I listened to most while in Nepal – Devil`s Dance by Asaf Avidan.