Zenon Dolyyckyi
Chapter 5: Journey to the Great Wall of China
In a few short hours the alarm on my hand held computer or Palm Pilot woke
me up. Today was a day I couldn’t hit the snooze button. So I pulled myself
out of bed and went to get ready. After returning my bicycle key and collecting
my 400 yuan, I checked out at about 6:00 am. Many of the police were sleeping
in the lobby so I was tip-toeing around them for fear of waking them up. Exiting
through the revolving doors I entered the crisp dark Bejing early morning. The
shirt I used to clean the carpet was thrown in a trash can on my way out. Although
the streets were empty just as I left the hotel grounds a taxi cab pulled up.
I pointed to the map and off we went.
So there I sat drinking hot tea waiting for Joel by the main entrance of the
Great Wall. While I waited, drinking cup after cup of tea, I watched the locals
milling about and this little tourist strip was slowly coming to life. Tattered
tents and small tables were erected in neat rows along the inclining road that
led to the main gate of the Great Wall. It was nice to watch the elderly ladies
set up their booths to sell nuts. A man came slowly walking up this steep incline
alongside a donkey that pulled his cart. I looked into his face to see the eyes
of a kind old man. He smiled at me and nodded his head, as if to wish me a good
day. His hand lay on the head of his donkey as if he were helping or guiding
it up the hill. As he passed me I could hear each one of his footsteps. I watched
the wheel of his cart slowly rotate and the quiet squeek of the steel wheels
mixed perfectly with the sound of crushing gravel and the soft beat of his footsteps.
Not a few minutes later another old man came up the incline with his donkey
and cart. I looked at him, anticipating another pair of kind eyes and a warm
smile. Yet when my eyes met his, he smiled but he seemed rather smug. I noticed
that he was sitting on his cart and his donkey was pulling both himself and
the load up the steep incline.
The selfish and the selfless, I thought. If I took a plane back to the other
side of the world and sat on Wall Street and enjoyed my coffee, whether standing
on the corner or sitting in the window of a Starbucks, I am sure I would see
these very same men. Both well dressed, with somewhere to go and people to see
or some deal to sign. One of them got to his place in life through hard work
and effort. The other just rode the backs of other peoples’ hard work and
reaped all of the rewards for himself. Both of these old men in China made it
to the top of the incline and so did the businessmen on the other side of the
world. All four got to enjoy the view but there is that one thing that seperates
each pair: Virtue and the lack thereof. Whether you are on Wall Street’s
corporate highway or the dirt path going up to the Great Wall of China, people
are just people. But the true question we need to ask ourselves is where are
we going? Or, what will we make of this human condition? Is this just a condition
or a stepping stone opening the door to something more?
This rather pensive state of mind was suddenly interupted by another Chinese
man smiling at me but this one was riding a camel. He wanted me to go for a
ride. Then the ladies selling nuts began playing around kicking each other in
the behinds and laughing loudly. I couldn’t help but smile. All I wanted
to do was start to tell them all how good Falun Dafa is. But I refrained. This
feeling emerged many times. I kept thinking “Zenon you can’t jepardize
the mission, the reason you came all this way”. That was my favorite rationale
that I used whenever I was too afraid to do something.
Joel still hadn’t arrived so I ordered some dumplings. Half way through
the dumplings Joel finally showed. As far as I can remember, I have never been
so pleased to see Joel. I was able to relax a little. After my dumplings we
ascended into the mountains, onto the Great Wall. On our way up we were taken
aback by all the mountains and the view, it was just beautiful. Joel got out
the video camera and started shooting. Then before you knew it we heard a light
thump and then the rustle of some bushes.
Joel: I dropped the camera bag
Zenon: That’s okay, you’re holding the camera in your hand
I felt suprisingly calm
Joel: Well…ahhh.
Zenon: Was the hidden camera in there?
Joel: Well
Then I was a little panicky.
Zenon: Joel did you drop the camera you were going to use in Tiananmen Square?
Joel: Well , yes.
Zenon: You know how selfish I am Joel. I am just glad I didn’t do it so
I don’t look like the idiot.
I confessed.
Joel: We have to get it back. How are we going to get it back.?
Zenon: Look. One of the workers is going to pick it up.
It started to sink in exactly how important that camera was. Sure enough we
got the camera back from one of the workers and continued.
We started walking up and down the steep inclines of the Great Wall. Those
who have been there know that its very steep going up and down. We couldn’t
help but stand in awe of this immense and beautiful structure. We walked trying
to get as far away from the other tourists as possible. We came to one of the
small buildings that lined the wall and entered it expecting to walk out of
the other end and continue on the wall like we had already been doing. But the
other end was boarded off. So we climbed out of one of the windows to a 6 centimeter
wide ledge. We put our torsos up against the wall and inched our way along the
ledge to get around the baracade. Sure enough the next builiding was boarded
off but this time we could slip through the baracade. The part of the wall we
were on was completely over grown with plants and was falling apart. We walked
to what was left of the next little building and decided to stay there for the
day.
Using the timer on Joel’s camera we took all the photos of ourselves doing
meditation, holding the banners we made, and set up the video camera to interview
each other. We took time out of the public eye as a chance to do some Falun
Gong exercises. We read Zhuan Falun off our Palm Pilots and we sat sharing our
experiences of what we had been doing, feeling and thinking ever since we seperated
in Toronto.
Joel: I have been feeling so clear and strong like nothing can move me. I look
every policeman in the eyes with a big smile and say “ni hao” ( hello
in Chinese). They either have to smile back or look away, they can’t hold
their angry faces when I am smiling at them.
As Joel laughed with a big smile.
Zenon: Wow, I haven’t been that strong, nor that clear.
Joel: Really isn’t that funny.
Meaning ironic. He has known me for a long time, so he knew that fear was not
one of my common problems. In fact it was usually his problem. But not now,
that was for sure.
Joel: I know why I am here. I know what I have come to do. Its all so clear.
Zenon: I know why I am here, but I still feel like I have no footing. I feel
weak.
Joel: Lets Send Forth Righteous Thoughts.
Zenon: Okay.
We sat down, folded our legs in full lotus, conjoined our hands in our laps
and began to clean ourselves of all bad thought karma, bad notions and external
interference. The second I folded my legs all I felt was pain. I can usualy
sit like this for over an hour but I was in pain instantly and not just in my
legs. My mind spun, my heart ached and every inch of my body felt this unique
painful sensation. I just tried to stay focused. After five minutes we began
to Send Forth Righteous Thoughts but we didn’t stop after five minutes
this time. We ended up continuing for half an hour. A long half-an-hour as the
pain never really subsided. The only thing that seemed to subside was my will.
I couldn’t bear it and many times I just wanted to give up but I knew I
couldn’t.
We had come so far. Using our lives, not just time, but our own bodies to come
here and stand up for Falun Dafa and defend the Chinese people from the hate-breeding
lies being forced upon them. There we were on China’s monument of monuments.
The structure that itself defended China for thousands of years. Should I just
give in to the want of comfort. Although I felt weak I couldn’t give in.
I kept straightening my spine everytime it slouched and tried to stay clear,
firm and as unmoved by the pain as possible.
Joel: Finish.
I was shamefully relieved and quickly unfolded my legs. I bowed my head down
feeling defeated as I could barlely keep my mind righteous enough to really
send out any righteous thoughts. Then Joel looked at me and said in a very calm
voice.
Joel: That was great. I felt so clear. My mind was so firm and strong. Wow
that was great!
I was glad one of us was strong. I couldn’t help but feel a little deflated,
as I gazed out at the mountain range. Although it was real it looked like a
painting. The sun was on its way down and half the landscape was starting to
turn a deep blue while the other was lit a golden brown. It was a strong contrast.
The bluish mountians were a little foggy and you could see the mountain ridges
in the distance drawing lines in the landscape beneath the horizon. The other
side was crystal clear. Looking back it seemed so fitting. Joel and I were as
contrasted as our surroundings. You could see some villages in the valleys below
and I wondered if there were any Falun Gong practitioners there.
About five hours had passed and the first ever English speaking, mini experience
exchanging conference held in China, had successfully come to a close. All that
was left to do was to hang the banner on the Great Wall and then head back to
Beijing. Joel kept suggesting a place that was very visible and I kept suggesting
a place that was not so visible.
Joel: Well there is no point of leaving it if no one will see it.
Zenon: Some people will see it… Ah Joel…
Joel: Yah Zen.
Zenon: Am I still too attached to fear right now?
Joel: Yup.
Again I felt deflated but then I remembered our “mission”
Zenon: Remember we have to be careful, we can’t jeopardize our mission.
Joel just smiled and walked away.
Joel: Hey Zen, hang it right here.
Another spot I would be risking the chance of being seen.
I became quite fed up with myself. As practitioners of Falun Dafa we cultivate
Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. This is noble. Those genuine pracititoners
are truly noble. Should I really be cowering in fear or standing out with dignity
in my heart. So wherever Joel told me to put it I did. Why should we be afraid?
I kept hanging and he kept taking the pictures until we finally left it in one
place and then began our walk back. It felt good to make that small step past
the fear.
While we were walking back we kept joking about how impossible it was for warriors
to have fought on these steep staircases that make up a large portion of the
Great Wall. We had to really be careful just to walk up and down normally, let
alone in battle armour carrying weapons. We were just in awe. Then the conversation
turned a little more serious. I told Joel how sad I felt for those people who
tried to rip people off for some tea, or try to make people pay extra for the
washrooms. They were really sad. Doing anything they could to take people’s
money. When the lady told me the tea and dumplings were 50 Yuan I told her that
she was stealing from me. She just smiled, noded in agreement and took my money.
Zenon: I didn’t have the heart to fight it out with her, I felt so sad
for them.
Joel: You shouldn’t just judge things from your sentimentality. When they
rip you off they are doing more harm to themselves. Remember good is rewarded
with good and evil with evil!
I remembered my past when I used to steal. He was right.
Zenon: What goes around, comes around.
Joel: Its okay I’m just on a roll. If you fall into their little game you
just help them to hurt themselves. You have to be strong and dignified and remind
them what is right. “One’s mind must be upright.”
He quoted from the book Zhuan Falun.
Zenon: You’re right. Thank you.
By this time we were almost back to the chair lift. I looked back at the banner
and you couldn’t even read it. No matter how “visible” we had
been, it was obvious we were totally safe. Right then and there, I saw how irrational
fear can make you.
Rather than taking the chair lift down we took the metal slide. You get on
this sled and with a big iron lever that sticks up between your legs. The attendant
said “to brake you pull back”. Well not many people knew how to speak
English but surprisingly when I went flying down that mountain a lot of them
knew how to shout “PULL UP” You should have seen Joel’s hair
when he came flying down the home stretch. Talk about wind blown hair. He got
of his little sled with a big smile on his face.
As we walked down some steps into the market area the people working at the
booths began screaming at us. If you didn’t know that they were trying
to sell something you would have thought that they were angry with you. They
all approached us. Joel just sauntered on through like it was nothing. My heart
began to bleed. One of them could smell it and came in for the kill. She dragged
me over and pushed me into her booth. It was a little old lady; I didn’t
have the heart to use my strength to overpower her. She kept smiling at me but
every time I tried to walk away she hit me in the shoulder shoving me back into
her booth. She kept screaming numbers that kept getting smaller. I wanted to
just give her money and put and end to her misery. I could see this pitiful
desire just controlling her to the point that she could barely acknowledge me
as a human being. But after the talk I had with Joel, I knew that giving her
money would have been wrong. I finally got out only to be surrounded by more
peddlers from other booths. The bizarre thing about it was they all had virtually
the same things in their booths. They didn’t care if I wanted anything
they just wanted my money. When I finally got away, their faces lost their smiles
and a few shouted at me in anger.
My heart sank into my belly seeing people so lost. They say the rich get richer
and the poor get poorer. Regardless they both seem to be after the almighty
dollar. Maybe not everyone but a lot of people. Actually the dollar isn’t
so mighty after all. It can play on peoples weaknesses but that’s not mighty.
After practicing Falun Dafa I feel that true might comes from compassion. It
comes from letting go of the things that can make us weak replacing it with
the unwavering strength of Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance. I just wanted
to tell them all that Falun Dafa was good and that it could bring their life
more meaning. There weren’t any obligations; you can just benefit your
life. But earlier I had seen some military soldiers and I didn’t know who
was still milling about so we just left.
Category: Insights
