Snake On the Path

Snake On the Path 

May 22, 2005

Only Rudy and myself showed up for the Sunday evening meditation at the Vihara. The meditation hall was very warm as the A/C was either turned down or turned off! So we decided to talk a walk instead around the periphery of the monastery.

It was around 7:15AM and we were on our second round of walk. Suddenly Rudy asked me to Stop and take a look at what was on our path. I looked where his fingers were pointing at.

There was a snake and it was crossing our path. It was probably about 4 or 5 ft in length and was between 4-6" in circumference. I suggested we retreat and take the same way we came back.

Rudy said when a snake crosses our path, it meant that it was some relative or friend in some past life and it was trying to cross paths again. I suggested we get out of its way. Rudy said he will talk to the snake and will ask it to leave move away from our path.

He said something to the snake in his language (Apache). It appeared that snake was listening to him. After he finished talking, the snake retreated. It turned back and climbed a cedar tree and disappeared.

Rudy said it was a water snake and it must have come from some a nearby creek. He said it was probably looking for a bird or something to eat. It was not poisionous he said. The snake had a full circle around it's eye. One has to be careful with the snake which has half a circle (semi-circle) around it's eye. This was not poisionous.

Poisionous or non-poisionus, I was glad it left us! Rudy suggested we take another round the monastery. I was hesitant. He said the snake was gone and is not going to come back. If it has to attack someone, it will attack him and not me, he assured!