'Going to the mountains is going home'

I was fascinated by the above inscription at the entrance of a botanical garden located on a small hill, which is an important tourist attraction in  a metropolitan city. This famous quote from a conservationalist echoes a significant message even after 100 years. There is a danger of disappearance of our heritage sites, buildings, mountains, forests, etc. with the post modern urge to make all things look new, to suit the visual taste of tourists and make all of them income generating through eco-tourism. 

The words of John Muir sounds strange and out of context when viewed with a modern yardstick.What is rather special about what he wrote is the phrase, 'going to the mountains is going home'! The Ten Commandments were written on a rocky plate by Moses, listening to the voice of God in his heart. For Moses the mount Sinai had become a home, where he had an encounter experience with God, out of which was born the Ten commandments. It is when we are 'at home', God refreshes us with the consciousness of His abiding presence with us. 

A mountain is symbolically a place of rest, by the mountain drawing us close to nature and its exquisite beauty. It provides an ambience for relaxation. The sights in the horizon and the panorama of the valley create a feeling of wellness and fullness. The air is lighter and the quiet setting  evokes a serene sense within a human soul.  

The sea and mountains are two destinations our souls long for, when we live driven lives with pressures and stress. It is one thing to go to a supermarket or a Mall or a food court or to go to watch a game. It is yet another experience to offer our soul  the bliss of a mountain, to lift the mood of our soul to praise, thanksgiving and reverence. We are humans, living our lives in a hurried pace, where holidays have replaced 'rest and refreshment for our soul'. To be in a mountain and stay in silence, listening to the still sounds, from within and without, is therapy to our soul. 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)