In the early 90’s a spiritual master by the name of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche oversaw the creation of six thousand two hundred peace vases that were meant to restore harmony to the world. More than a decade and a half after, four thousand have reached different parts of the world, even as far as the Antarctic. The forces the Universe must have conspired since I ended up being part of the team that deployed three of them underwater in the Philippines.
The World Peace Vase Program was initiated in order to protect important places from misfortune and provide positive healing energies to those that need it. They were to be placed on all continents, in all major water bodies, in all important natural sites such as the highest mountains, largest rivers, holy and powerful places, areas of war, strife and ecologically significant, degraded or endangered natural sites. One of the three vases for underwater deployment was placed at the Tubbataha National Marine Park in Sulu Sea and the second one lies at forty feet underwater in a marine sanctuary in Bauan, Batangas. Deciding on the site for the third one was not difficult. The Pacific side of Isabela is a well preserved natural environment. No other place in the island of Luzon is as pristine as the Sierra Madre Natural Park. It is in fact the biggest park system in the Philippines. It definitely needs protection.
Getting there though was not easy. The boat ride from Baler, Aurora took eleven hours. There are no roads to this place. It is in fact one of the most remote places in the country. The fabulous scenery however made up for the lengthy travel. I had been coming here for the last eight years and I always look forward to coming back. Although the weather was clear, there was a slight wind blowing and creating moderate swells. As soon as our boat Captain sighted Shark Fin Bay, he slowed down the engine and prepared to drop anchor near the sheltered part of the beach. Five people with ebony black skin and short curly hair ran along the shore towards us waving their arms in a gesture of warm welcome. They were Dumagat friends of mine who establish temporary shelters on this beach every summer to gather food. They live semi-nomadic lives traveling from their community to other coastal areas to harvest the fruits of the forest and the sea. More of them emerged from the trees by the beach. Men in G-strings chewing betel nut, topless women in skirts and dark skinned children covered with white powdery sand gathered to meet us. It was good to be back and to be accepted.
After setting camp on the beach we hiked to the Dumagat village. Amidst the warmth of their cooking fire, we asked the men about the reefs of the area. We told them that we need to find a small cave or crevice that will be suitable for the underwater placement of the peace vase. Since they can’t seem to understand what I was talking about, I decided to show them. We walked back to our camp and I uncovered a large clay pot covered and sealed with cement.
Treasure vases or terbums are plastic receptacles filled with finely ground precious stones which were mixed with sea water and formed into small balls. The substances were dried before they were sealed in the containers. They are traditionally used by Tibetans to promote healing energy. The North American Indian tribes have similar sacred vases that they use to heal the land and to restore peace. The placement of a vase underwater requires it to be sealed in a special mixture of concrete or polymer. Hence, the small plastic vase is encapsulated in a big clay pot to protect it from water intrusion. It weights approximately 50 pounds.
All six thousand two hundred peace vases were transferred by caravan from Tibet and were consecrated for a period of two weeks by respected lamas in the Kingdom of Bhutan. After which they were brought to a Monastery in New Delhi, India. It has been said that the involvement in the placement of these vases will bring a lot of merit for anyone who participates, even in the most limited manner. Even to wish for the successful accomplishment of the vase placement is adequate to receive merit from the project. I thought about this as I explained to my Dumagat friends that the vase needs to find a final resting place and it is meant to protect their land, their holy place and their home. The Chief nodded his head and said,”Kung ganun, tutulungan namin kayo ihanap yan ng lugar kung san hindi matatangay ng alon at agos.” (In that case, we will help you find a place for it where it will be protected from the waves and the currents.) With this commitment it occurred to me that spirituality is universal. The Dumagat may not have a religion but their intention to protect their environment and maintain peace and harmony is just as strong as those who started this project.
The deities must have been on our side since the sea was flat as glass during the day of the deployment. The Dumagat fishermen selected an off-shore reef sheltered by rocky pinnacles. We donned on our diving gear and entered the water. We had to survey the area first, find the exact spot and go back to the boat for the vase. The subterranean rock formations rose from a depth of 25 meters. We descended to the sandy bottom, amazed that even at that depth there were sand ripples. It is an indicator of the enormity of the waves that roll in from the Pacific. We came upon a slope with several huge boulders wrapped with carpets of seaweeds and algae. Halfway through the dive an emperor angelfish emerged from under one enormous mound. Feeling intuitive I peeked underneath. Lo and behold there was a small cave just big enough for the vase. We took a mental note of the location and surfaced.
On the second dive we used two lift bags to make the peace vase neutral in weight underwater. This made it easier for us to move it from where the boat was anchored and towards the cave. Just as we were about to position the vase, a school of jacks suddenly appeared from nowhere. They hovered and swirled twenty feet above our heads, living witnesses to the symbolic task we had just accomplished. Interpreting this as a sign from heaven, we carefully positioned the vase in the cave. Feeling exuberant and fulfilled I pulled a branch of tropical pine or agoho tucked in the pocket of my buoyancy compensator. I laid it on top of the vase and offered a prayer of gratitude.
The journey of this vase has been long and incredible. So was the journey of vases that ended up in places like the the pyramids of Giza in Egypt, at Loch Ness in Scotland, in the Antarctic, Iceland, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, the killing fields of Cambodia and even at the peace park at ground zero in New York City. The second phase of the project is even more amazing. We have placed peace vases in inner space, and I have to admit that it was quite a challenge. Twelve vases however had been allotted for the moon and the satellites. I can only imagine what lies ahead as people go to great lengths to have peace on the planet.
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