Weggis was the location chosen for the first overseas Advanced Meditation retreat in mid-nineties. When Gurudev told us about it, I was thrilled to my bones. It was the thick of winter too.
Swiss, the country with its numerous lakes, villages and the glorious Alpine peaks, not forgetting their cheese, chocolates, clocks, and snow everywhere flashed all over my eyes!
The pride of Weggis namely Lake Lucerne and our venue was in proximity. The tranquillity of the beautiful lake and mountain panorama took my breath away. Mark Twain rightly named it the “loveliest place” he had ever visited.
However “where is the snow” I asked myself. I thought the minute I landed in Switzerland, I would be immersed in soft white snow. Two days passed without a speck of snow! The climate was extremely mild and we only felt the presence of a warm down wind, providing clear views across Lake Lucerne. Every morning I would get up and rush to the window to see if I could catch a glimpse of the white fluffy snowfall. But it kept eluding. I was very disappointed and during the evening boat trip over the Lake, when the Master asked if I was enjoying myself, I said with my head down, “ Yes and No; I have not been able to see any snow at all!” With a twinkle in his eyes, he reacted with his usual Hmmmmm!
The next morning when I rushed to the window sceptically,was amazed to see before me a marvellous carpet of snow and snowflakes falling. I ran out of the room and woke up my friends shouting “It’s snowing, it’s snowing”.
Hours later, the Master took all of us out. My joy knew no bounds when he showed us how to carve an angel in the snow. All day we spent outdoors, making snow man, snow balls and throwing snow over one another spurred by him. Those magical moments remain etched in my memory.
Courtesy - the travel diary of Chitra Madhavan:
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