Sapi and Me

I heard from a friend of mine about his interaction with an elephant, so I decided to see if I could connect with Sapi. Here's the picture – he's the dominant bull elephant of this particular herd, which means he's the strongest. At about 10 to 11 feet tall and about 6 tons in weight, Sapi is H U G E. In comparison, I'm diminutive – not how I usually view myself at 5'7".

During the post-safari feeding, the elephants are stationed behind a rock-faced terrace which is about 3' lower than the one we stand on. So that 3', plus my 5-1/2', while not eye-to-eye, was much more level than had we both been standing on the same elevation.

I did some conscious breathing and made eye contact … "I" contact … with a member of the largest land mammals in  the world. And then I forgot that. I forgot everything. I was present As a sentient being – With a sentient being. There was nothing else. No thoughts. Just Being empathic with each other.

I have rarely been beheld like that – not just seen …  but beheld (like is taught in Behold The Spirit – a More To Life focus course). A part of my mind wants to regard that event as an invasion of privacy – even if it was both ways. Most of my mind regards it as a deeply sacred moment.

For whatever space of time that experience took, I will never forget it.

(You can double click on the pics to enlarge them.)