A Bridge from East to West

Bridges are highly engineered paths from here to there.

They can be as real as steel cable and concrete...

Or as digital as an idea,

Steel leading to somewhere,

Or a Photoshop path to a Himalayan cave.

They can be as straight as an arrow,

Or as crooked as a slithery serpent.

Many are of wood,

And an equal number of stone.

They can be clever, like London

s unfolding bridge, '

Or as unimaganative as a pile of rocks.

They can soar in high arches,

Or bend in low arcs.

They can be made to last a million years,

Or crumble in a few.

They can take us over land,

or water. Which brings us, at last, to the story.

Gurudeva spoke often of building a bridge from the East to the West, envisioning a connection that would allow the passing of ideas and culture between the two. A few days back we began a miniature version of his bridge.

It connects the Eastern shore of Rishi Valley to the Western side.

It is made of two stones carved at the iraivan site in Bengaluru some 4 years back.

Those two 15-foot-long stones were unpacked this week and brought to the Rishi Valley lake.

A stone bridge was built out in the water, to serve as the foundation to support the stones.

A giant excavator was used to build the boulder island, and straps were tied to each stone so it could be lowered into place.

Slowly, carefully, inch by patient inch the 1500-pound rough-cut granite stones were cajoled into place.

In the future, pilgrims will walk over the waters, a waterfall just 8 feet from them on the right, koi swimming beneath their feet and lotuses blossoming nearby.

We think Gurudeva would delight in this new bridge.

It opens new paths, something dear to him, brings new joys, something dear to us all.

True, it is a humble bridge compared to most.

But it is Siva

s bridge that will take sincere seekers to the other side. Aum Namasivaya!'
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A reflection today on bridge building and the little story of a new bridge the monks just built in Siva's Garden. Gurudeva had much to say about building bridges and was the engineer of a few during his life. But first, the reflection...