Re: [pct-l] Re: Room 4 everybody

["Jeff Thompson" <sierra141@hotmail.com>]

Mary wrote:
>Just thinking -
>Seems like many spiritual leaders were great long distance hikers:
>Jesus, Gandhi, King
>Coincidence?

Let me include John Muir.

But first, may I comment on the common implication that ThruHikers
are special and even enlightened.  Compared to the masses, who don't
let go of the trappings of civilized comfort, and goals of career and
acquisition, etc., I agree that ThruHiker goals are potentially 
relatively liberating.  

But ThruHiking is not everyone's highest path.  I follow this list 
for ThruHiker insights into backpacking and gear.  I question the 
attitude of some ThruHikers, however, towards us non-ThruHikers.

When I was a teenager, I dreamed of a PCT ThruHike.  For me, that is
something I am now beyond.  For me, it was a dream which came from 
the need to prove something (to myself and others).  I'm not only not 
attached to the trappings and goals of society, I've also let go of 
my need to achieve the goal of 2600 officially designated miles.  

I don't mean ThruHiking is wrong, but it would be for me.  A ThruHike 
would pass too fast through country that is not all my choice, 
simply because it is designated.  The High Country means a lot to me, 
to just "be" there, so I'll be moving slow, taking 6 weeks with lots 
of layover days to explore, peakbag and even just watch the clouds 
roll by, this summer from near Whitney to maybe VVR (more or less).

Which brings me to John Muir, unquestionably in touch with
spirituality and nature.  When 29, after regaining his sight from a 
blinding eye injury, he left home and walked a thousand miles from 
Indianapolis to the Gulf of Mexico.  Later he chose, as I have, to 
savor and know the Sierra.  Does not ThruHiking mean he got less 
enlightened?  Would a former ThruHiker be admired, or considered 
"fallen", at a Gathering?

For me, a record-setting 5-day JMT has no appeal.  I may as well do 
the JMT at the speed of light, with .001 seconds to savor it.  The 
delicate beauty of the ancient forms of plant life in the high 
country in particular transport me to ancient times, millions of 
years ago, before anyone had ever walked there.  The timeless, 
idyllic, sublime magic above timberline calls me.

Certainly hiking can bring growth.  I cherish it as a meditative
experience.  Hiking, let alone ThruHiking, is just one way to grow,
however.  I've noted the "boredom" thread, which reminds me of the
typical rec.backcountry thread on solo travel, that some can't stand
to be alone with their thoughts.  I point to the yogis who spend a
lifetime meditating in a mountain cave to suggest that the need for
entertainment is not necessarily a mark of enlightenment.  They find 
peace in quiet.

I don't mean that what is right for me is right for ThruHikers, any 
more than what is right for them is right for me.  My point is that 
illumination is different for everyone.  

The superior attitude of some ThruHikers is not warranted.  For some, 
a 2600-mile goal would *deny* liberation.  Some ThruHikers might 
think I'm missing something, and some might wonder if some of them 
are missing something.  But we shouldn't judge, we should all hike 
our own paths.  In fact, someone who claims enlightenment faces "He 
who knows does not speak, he who speaks does not know" (from my 
Shambala pocket Tao Teh Ching).

Remember the old one about what the Dali Lama said to the hot dog
vendor, "Make me one with everything"?  If one ThruHikes for the
goal, this "conquering" is inherently dualistic; it is impossible to 
be one with something at the same time one conquers it.  *You* may 
not be ThruHiking for the goal; on the other hand, you just may not 
yet know that you are.

The attitude of some towards non-ThruHikers seems to be not just 
superior, but to wish they weren't on the list, that they aren't 
equals.  Some describe Gatherings with this same, cultish, angle.  
This list is for everyone, though, and it is sad that some feel free 
to, and are freely allowed to, attack non-ThruHikers on this list 
such as Mrs. Jensen with such hateful cruelty.  I think she was 
right to suggest we not divide and judge each other.  If we keep our 
ears open, we might continue to grow.  "Minds are like parachutes, 
they only function when open."

Peace,
Jeff

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