Carpe Diem's Vision Quest revived #1 deep silence

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Maybe you can remember our "vision quest", that special feature we have had here at CDHK (started in 2014) a three days challenge to write a haiku in response on a shared haiku. Maybe you can remember that you had only 24 hours time to respond. I love to do a "vision quest" again, because it helps you to improve your haiku writing skills. What do I mean? Well ... haiku (as we know) catches a moment as short as the sound of a pebble thrown into water, or in an eye-blink. That's what I love to try in the "vision quest", creating haiku in an eye blink.

For this first revived edition of the CDHK Vision Quest I have a wonderful haiku for you which I wrote for the Winter Retreat 2016 to inspire you:

the sound of rain
on the tin roof of the cabin
deepens the silence

© Chèvrefeuille

Let me first tell you a little bit about the idea of the "Vision Quest".

A vision quest is a rite of passage in some Native American cultures. The ceremony of the Vision Quest is one of the most universal and ancient means to find spiritual guidance and purpose. A Vision Quest can provide deep understanding of one's life purpose.

A traditional Native American Vision Quest consists of a person spending one to four days and nights secluded in nature. This provides time for deep communion with the fundamental forces and spiritual energies of creation and self-identity. During this time of intense spiritual communication a person can receive profound insight into themselves and the world. This insight, typically in the form of a dream of Vision, relates directly to their purpose and destiny in life.

In many Native American groups the vision quest is a turning point in life taken to find oneself and the intended spiritual and life direction. The Vision Quest is often used as a Rite of Passage, marking the transition between childhood and full acceptance into society as an adult. A person’s first Vision Quest is typically done during their transformative teenage years. When an older child is ready, he will go on a personal, spiritual quest alone in the wilderness, often in conjunction with a period of fasting. This usually lasts for a number of days while the child is attuned to the spirit world. Usually, a Guardian animal or force of nature will come in a vision or dream and give guidance for the child's life.  A Vision Quest helps the teenager to access spiritual communication and form complex abstract thoughts. Through this Rite of Passage the child becomes an adult, taking responsibility for themselves and their individual contribution to a healthy society. The child returns to the tribe and once the child has grown he or she will pursue that direction in life. After a vision quest, the child may become an apprentice of an adult in the tribe of the shown direction (Medicine Man, boat-maker and so on).

 

I like the idea of a Vision Quest to find the purpose of your life. Three days being one with nature and nature alone. In deep contact with nature, feeling the vibrations of nature's spirits. And that's what I hope this Vision Quest will do with you. Maybe not that deep, but I hope it will give you the possibility to improve the "one-moment" skill of haiku.

in deep silence
surrounded by nature's spirits
finding the path

© Chèvrefeuille

Well ... I hope you will participate in this Vision Quest, three days of writing haiku (only haiku), within 24 hours. The Vision Quest takes three days so you have to create three haiku, every day one haiku.