Maintaining a Peaceful Center

"Beautiful Paulina Lake at Newberry Volcanic Monument in eastern Oregon." ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

Cracking open my fortune cookie, after completing a delicious meal at a Chinese restaurant a few years ago, I pulled out a message that said, “Change is the only constant.” Indeed, the very law of life itself is totally one of continual change - sometimes great violent change. Given the fact that nothing in nature stays the same and that sometimes those natural transitions involve a very dramatic process, throughout those changes, the Earth always seeks to maintain a state of balance. Mountains may crumble, volcanoes may explode and rivers may reek havoc with devastating floods. But, in the midst of that turmoil of change, both to the Earth and her inhabitants, there is a healing that happens, often bringing about the formation of something new and positive. New layers of fertile soil from an eruption can encourage an abundance of plants, places violently created with incredible beauty can offer a habitat for a new species, and even pristine, blue lakes can be dramatically born as a result of those sweeping changes. 

"At the trailhead of Paulina Lakeshore Loop in the Newberry Caldera."  ~ photo by Lee G. Young  © 2014

As I hiked the Lakeshore Trail around Paulina Lake within the caldera of the immense Newberry Volcano, I could see evidence of the many sweeping alterations that had occurred in the geologic history of this area in eastern Oregon. The Newberry Volcano,which is about 20 miles in diameter, has one of the largest collections of cinder cones, volcanic domes, lava flows and fissures in the world. The Newberry Caldera, where I hiked, probably existed as long as 500,000 years ago, when the cone of the volcano is thought to have first collapsed after an eruption. Geologists have found evidence for a total of six eruptive episodes, one lasting 200 years, during the last 12,000 years. Those episodes have slowly crafted unique landforms and separated the original lake, Paulina, into the two lakes, as seen in the caldera today. 

"On the ridge between the lakes, a lovely view of Paulina Lake can be seen."  ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

About 7300 years ago, volcano eruptions violently split the caldera, as ash fell forming a ridge between Paulina and Lost Lakes.  Today, 6700 year old basalt and obsidian flows loom between the caldera lakes, and the Central Pumice Cone, which now rises about 700 feet higher than the flows, further separates those lakes, As I passed by that area looking at the hillside of pumice and scoria, I imagined a scene from the distant past where a pyroclastic flow slowly eased its way down to the lake, burning everything in its path. 

"A hillside of volcanic rock - pumice and scoria."  ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

And today, beneath the land in the caldera, that is covered by lush, green lodgepole pine forests and inhabited by many animals, the Newberry Volcano is still very much alive. During the last 70 years, the mountain has bulged four inches, reminding us of the hot activity that still exists below the surface. William Sullivan, in his book, Atlas of Oregon Wilderness, says, “Geothermal speculators, who drilled a 3000 foot deep well on the volcano in 1981, hit such hot rock that the drill melted.”  Even the state of Oregon is changing while being stretched diagonally, as major fault lines emerge from the North American continent’s shearing collision with the plate of the Pacific seafloor. 
In the midst of volcano walls collapsing, molten lava altering the caldera, and hot ash burying the land with a powdery dust, an area of azure-colored calm was created - beautiful Paulina Lake. And then, as if one scenic lake was not enough, violent explosions changed the interior of the caldera to create a second lake - Lost Lake. As I stopped on my hike to gaze at the placid, serene Paulina Lake of today, it required effort to imagine those periods of incredible unrest and relentless geologic change. I looked  across the peaceful, glass-like water and saw worn down walls of this low-lying shield volcano, and they almost appeared to be protecting the lake from the outside world. Here, in this serene place of tumultuous change, Paulina Lake presented itself an oasis,  offering a respite from a busy, hectic, and sometimes challenging, world. 

"Kayaking on serene Paulina Lake."  ~ photo by Carol E Fairbanks  ©  2014

Life felt simpler here in this caldera, as human needs are more focused on being a part of this natural beauty - whether it be on the Lakeshore Trail around Paulina Lake or in a kayak skimming across the water. It’s a land that felt almost surreal, as I encountered huge glassy obsidian boulders along the trail - big enough for me to sit on!Red hillsides of scoria and pumice contrasted with the verdant, lush pine forest and mosses, as they together continue to tell the “story” of a changing past. Everything here is connected, as it beautifully reveals the saga of the land’s evolutionary journey. 

"Huge obsidian boulders line the trail."  ~ photo by Carol E Fairbnaks  © 2014

And in the center of all these rock deposits, abundant forests and squawking stellar jays, rests a lovely lake with a breathtaking vista. It holds the center of all this continuing transformation in a place of stillness and quiet. As I hiked the entire 8 mile perimeter around the lake, my attention was oriented toward that still water. That mandala of blue stillness became a part of me, as I released the need to be in any other place but there. The lake reflected not only the blue sky and green trees, but also became a metaphor that mirrored my peaceful emotional state.

"Paulina Lake's colorful shoreline."  ~  photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

In reflecting on my hiking experience at Paulina Lake, I have become aware that I am able to imitate those natural processes I saw at the Newberry Volcanic caldera. I can choose to move through the extreme changes of becoming who I am, while maintaining a peaceful, tranquil center. I can keep my eyes on that inner calm place at the core of my being, even in the midst of any “eruptions” that might be happening in my life. I can trust in a benevolent process that does its best to maintain balance and equilibrium during that process of change. Though things may appear to be breaking down in form, I can still affirm in my heart that all of nature conspires to manifest a harmony and balance. 

"Across Paulina Lake, an impressive Paulina Peak can be seen on the horizon."  ~  photo by Carol E Fairbanks  © 2014

Knowing that my finite mind can never fully grasp the essence of this mystery of creation, I can let go of intellectual understanding and move rather to an image of being “lake-like”. I can picture myself calm and still while resting in the center of my life’s activity. I can witness the result of great change without being the change itself. I can surrender to the flow of becoming, as I am illumined with reflected light. I can be like the water, the very essence of life, and can endure all the necessary changes, no matter how disruptive. Wisely, I can learn to use that transformation to bring out the “beauty” that is buried within me. And as I experience those birth pains bringing forth newness in my life, I can contemplate this treasure of nature from my hike at Paulina Lake and find solace in that peaceful, calm “lake” within.

                                                                by Carol E. Fairbanks, W.W.W.   © 2014