A sunny day in Sacramento, California and I am sweating already. There is a slight breeze but, it is hot like a heater. I am feeling restless and so I grab my camera and I am off to meet the spirits that are calling me from the temple.
What is it like sensing another world all around me? Is it like voices in my brain or visions in my head? Is it shadows on the wall or misinterpretations?
No. It is like paying attention to the wind and the direction that it is blowing. It is like being focused on my dreams. It is about the natural parts of the world that can be appreciated by a spirit as well as a soul like mine. It is treating my body like a temple and tuning in to the purity of everything. It is a connection to the Earth, sky and moon.
Here I am at the gates to a Buddhist temple and I am called in. First I notice the Buddha and he seems to be laughing. No one else is around and I am snapping pictures anxiously as there is so much art in the garden to view. Yet, as I check the images to make sure that I got the shot there seems to be a problem. The Buddha keeps disappearing and all I am seeing is a black or white screen depending on the mode I am setting the photographs in. Confused I turn to the attendants and they 
are easily captured. They are sitting below him and there are six of them. So, I try another angle and the Buddha will still not appear in my pictures. I am frustrated but at the same time I am in accordance with the laws of the physical world. I grab my cell phone and easily take a quick photo. What is the difference, I wonder?
I make my way through the garden. I can’t go very fast as there is so much art to admire. The art is mostly women statues. They are each holding red flowers. It seems to be that there is a red flower for each person made from the molding.
By this time I am sweating but it doesn’t matter to me. It is rolling off of my back but I am too preoccupied with taking more pictures. Each statue seems to contain a playful spirit and I can feel each and every one.
The most beautiful Buddhist story that I had ever heard was the man who threw himself into a pit to feed a jaguar and its baby. He sacrificed himself for an animal forgetting the hierarchies of the human world.
Of course when you are focused on religion it is often hard to open up to different cultures and philosophies to learn the legends of their people. These are the legends of my soul brothers and sisters, it doesn’t matter what place we call home in the physical realm because we are all going to be born into the spiritual realm together.
I set the timer on my camera. I have something to say to the spirits in the stone. I want to understand you but I feel so alone and you have a world of living and dead with you that is so clear.
The statues are most likely portrayals of beautiful stories and moments. I cannot understand the words to them but I can feel the love that is within them.
The breeze hits my face and it is hot so I want to move to the shade. There is a tall woman standing at the back above some water. There is small fish swimming I am not sure that they enjoyed the hot sun but I do not really know.
There is no one around and I am feeling this temptation start. I am directed by an intuition to look down and I do. There is a bowl filled with burned incense and hidden behind are the tubes of long yellow ones. It isn’t hard to find the lighters even though they are hidden under a stone tablet. I find them easily because I am listening to the spirits in the wind. I light incense and offer my respects to the lady in the water.
No one else is here. No one is around. They call me at the perfect times. The temple has signs of lively activity. I can see an outdoor eating area guarded by two lions as I walk to the left side of the garden. This place is filled with life and I feel so lucky to have a private moment here.
I make my way around and take into consideration all the women with their babies. Perhaps this was the highest form of love these women ever felt or perhaps it makes them empty. They cherish their children with happy faces and I wish that I could have been so fortunate.
There were times in history when humankind would travel many miles on foot to make a spiritual journey like this. The
long walk would be filled with contemplation and an acknowledgment of the necessities of life. These meditations were hard to achieve. There were no vehicles with air conditioning or heat or tents. There was only the Earth and natural material. My ancestors may have traveled long journeys just to come to a sort of epiphany and here I am wishing that things weren’t so easy. I could never come to the same conclusions, living the pampered American life that I live but maybe I could make others that would be important.
There are fruits blooming in the garden and I am aware of the significance of this. The natural and pure fruits of a garden held sacred to the Gods. Why isn’t it also held sacred to those living in the mortal realms?
I make my way out of the garden. I see the temple windows and doors and I am anxious to go in. They are locked but I can still see through the glass on the side. It is a wooden floor a dark reddish brown wood and it is made of space. That is all you need to clear your mind.
As I leave, I notice the last guardians in stone that I did not seem to notice on the way in. Perhaps because I do not let my heart lead with bad intentions is why the spirits invited me in. I am carefree and weightless, already crossed over to the other side.
By Deanna Jaxine Stinson, HPI Sensitive & Metaphysical Cleanser
