I met an old man repairing trail near the Mali Danda, a 2500 meter mountain pass. He stacked the stone carefully at a deliberately efficient pace. His cribbing wall would hold the steep bank behind him, and keep the village’s path intact. ‘Namaste’, I greeted and he turned with a smile. I told him I was also a trail builder. And he paused in his work to speak with me.
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| Riprap to the Khumbu |
He told me trail building is one way to accumulate karma. Most of Nepal is Hindu in religious belief, but our trek brought us to the strong Buddhist region in the Himalaya. I asked the man more and he commented on fate, good actions, and their effect on one’s life. He said bad actions would equally have their negative effects. It will bring you closer to a higher incarnation.
He smiled again and returned to his tools. I thought briefly to home, the New Hampshire White Mountains, where I would be building trail in another month, after this journey to the Solu Khumbu. I understood that now, he probably wanted to get back to work. So I thanked him a word similar to Namaste but used to evoke the highest holy respect and admiration, “namaskar” and he replied “namaskar”.
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| Porters on the trail from Junbesi |
