Travel Photography Challenge: Photo Blog Series, Hiking to a Buddhist Retreat Cabin in the Colorado Wilderness!

This journey brought me through sacred Navajo country in Western Colorado in search of a tiny, but very special, Tibetan Buddhist retreat cabin perched atop a high desert mesa plateau adjacent to the Sangre de Christo Mountains.

I set out on the path and enjoyed the ascent to the plateau. This mesa is inhabited by mountain lions and bears (oh my!) and so I brought my little camping pack-alarm just in case and asked the Protectors to look out for me by doing practice before I set out.

The view to the west, toward lands held sacred by the Navajo Indians, invigorated me and gave me energy to journey on.

Along the way, I was rewarded with awe-inspiring vistas and special sightings of prickly pear cacti in bloom!

I left a cairn for other pilgrims on the path as a beacon for mapping their way.

And then I approached the magical little hut where many dedicated Dzog Chen practitioners have made lengthy spiritual retreats.

I took note of the tidy firewood pile supplied by devoted sangha members who had made the journey before me.

To my delight, a pilgrim had left drinking water for other weary travelers hiking in the summer heat! This is the deck where I would sit for my hours of practice. The energy surrounding the cabin is entirely peaceful, and a rare silence frees the mind, save for an occasional raven's call.

The retreat cabin has a powerful aura and has been lovingly tended to. The bones adorning the exterior represent the practitioner releasing attachment to external things.

A reflection of myself shows me how I appear to the spirit of this place. I am reminded of what I have come here to do.

I recall the Great Mother, Prajna Paramita, the ineffable creatrix of all the Buddhas, as I sit in meditation, my eyes open, and begin to take Refuge and then raise Bodhicitta.

My eyes gaze in the direction of Ekajati Peak, and I sound the seed syllable: MUM! And she opens the gates of space...

         OM GATE GATE, PARAGATE, PARASAMGATE, BODHI SWAHA! 

Thank you for reading my post, blessed Steemians. I hope you enjoyed my pilgrimage. If you show interest in this travel log, I will be happy to continue to share my spiritual journeys with the Steemit community.

This is my entry for #travelphotography sponsored by @juliank Please see the link for the rules. Blessings! @dakini5d