On Saturday 15 November, CTII held the second of its bi-annual hikes in Newlands Forest, led and organised by Nic Paton. Typically, each walk has a theme upon which the participants can reflect, together as well as individually.
This Spring, the themes were “Resistance and Renewal“, and seven ‘stations’ along the path offered our community of walkers the opportunity to take a sacred pause and share with one another prayer, poetry, meditation, ritual, and teachings. Our group was wonderfully diverse in age, faith, tradition, language and background.
“This entire spiritual life is good friendship, good companionship, good comradeship. When a monk has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, it is to be expected that they will develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path.”
Buddha’s teaching to Ananda, his faithful attendant
In essence, our togetherness is what sustains us and guides on our way. This is certainly what we experienced, there on the side of Hoerikwaggo, Table Mountain.
On the ascent, we began by considering “Resistance”, with Cecil leading us in a ‘Welcome to Land’, an honouring of our connection to all that is, to our history, to the First Peoples of the Khoi and San, and to all those that have walked before us.
Aidon, a graduate of the CTII Youth Programme and resident of Bonteheuwel, urged us to resist the pervasive violence that grips our communities.
Steve shared a refection on Isa inspired by the Qur’an, and Whitney enlightened us with the concept of a ‘pluriverse’, the many making up the one.
James, of Faith Hope Love Communities in Elsie’s River, offered us an insight from his Christian response to compassion for all, after which we made the final ascent in sacred silence.
Then, pausing in a gulley with the mountain spring bubbling around us, Nic offered a meditation with music from his flute.
On the descent, Raksha from the Brahma Kumaris led us in a meditation of “Renewal”, and Emma shared a poem, inspiring us to ‘Try Softer’.
Then, before completing our walk, Pippa closed the circle with a ritual of contemplation, each of us considering the power and potential of a seed and how we might “be the renewal” we want to see.
With the beauty and peace of our surrounds, sheltering us from the wind and bathing us in the gentle heat of Spring, we were reminded once again of Nature’s nurturing, and the sustenance to be found in togetherness. This is, as the Buddha said, the essence of our journey, and WE, as community, are the Path for each other.
photos by MJ Mzamo Jilana, Whitney Hedlund, Zahra Jobe and Nic Paton
