This is the final posting in a three-part series.
The Prophet
By Rusel Parish
Whenever I travel, on some level, I am searching for the meaning of life; a purpose or some great answer to an unknown. Having gone through this a few times I always come back not knowing any more but full of more questions.
Russia was a vigorous battle to which little answers were unveiled. On our adventure to Lake Baikal we met a man whom I call “The Prophet.” He is named after Saint Sergey, who is considered the holiest saint in all of Russia. He told us that this saint speaks to him and he bears this cross of a name with a “Lion Heart” and ultimately, it has helped him to become a teacher to his community.
In him we tapped into a deep reservoir of knowledge and over the course of about ten hours while we were at Nikita's we had the opportunity to talk with him. He opened our shuteyes to a different side of Russia. To start, he summed up Russia as “sour and bitter.” I thought it funny that he did not say “sweet” to conclude his thought. However, after traveling through Russia, it has not been sweet -- although occasionally we did stumble upon kindness the likes of which he showed us at the lake.
Lake Baikal is considered a spiritual place. The lake is pure clean water, so pure that you can drink from its well without fear. In Russia the lake is revered and honored as well as celebrated for its healing effects. Many come here seeking spiritual fulfillment, in fact the island is considered a general place of enlightenment. Buddhists, the largest religious group here, have a celebrated trek to the waters once a year to drink from its mouth.
Sergey is here establishing a Russian orthodox community church, which is small and humble. He advocates for it, keeps the keys and builds on its mission. After a quick meeting he took us to the church to show us around and we quickly went into question mode, where he told us how the church was founded (a story that deserves its own post, but too long now) and the spiritual history of the island. We quickly hit it off and I asked him the full gambit of questions and absorbed as much as I could. I told him I was agnostic, but clearly eager to discuss faith and philosophical understanding. He was well studied in both and our conversation ranged from Kant, Hume and then back to God.
The conversation veered through history and his beliefs. I asked him about infinity (replaced for the word of enlightenment, nirvana, spirituality, fulfillment etc. which I have found is pretty interchangeable with most religions and philosophers, regardless of belief – being agnostic I am typically uncomfortable using strong religious words to convey my beliefs). I told him that I sought to understand infinity but that I was troubled. I do not understand a world where enlightenment clearly seems to exist; yet vast seas of people continually seek it out. The reward of infinity or enlightenment seems unlikely, as I have not actually seen the proof. I question: is this path indeed worthy of pursuit? Does it exist?
He told me that not all people had the ability of infinity or understanding. He believed that God gave this ability to only some people and all others either sought it in vain or just lived as if they were a member of a herd (not in a condescending sense – but just lived a life in society – more of a biblical sense: there is Jesus, and we are his herd).
But no one knows who has the ability to reach enlightenment and who does not. I told him that I did not now if it was worth searching and struggling to understand infinity, as I had not known if I had ever crossed paths with someone who had obtained it and perhaps my time would be better spent at other activities. I asked him if he had crossed anyone who had been enlightened and what his thoughts were. He said he had not, but he had faith that his religious leaders, Jesus and his saints had achieved the feat.
He then told us a short story, which would sum up his thoughts. He said that a wise man traveled to a monastery high in the mountains to study. It was considered the best and brightest in the land. Upon going there he asked the monks: What is your wisdom and enlightenment?
They said: “Love your enemy.” He said, “I do.”
They said: “Love God.” He said, “I do.”
They said: “Love yourself.” “He said, “I do.”
They said: “Depart then; we have nothing to teach you because you are already enlightened.”
At this advice he was saddened and felt that even the wisest men in the land were as clueless as he. For the next 50 years he continued to study, struggle, seek discipline and seek to understand infinity. Then one day, in deep thought and study, he realized infinity and that he had had this knowledge since that day at the monastery. He looked back on his life and mused at the great journey he had taken for something he already had.
The Prophet told me that it is not infinity, but the journey of understanding infinity. That I may never reach it, that I may not be the one that God made to understand such things, but to continue my journey, for it was the journey that was important. .
I am not sure if he actually provided me with any different answers from what I already understood but I thanked him for the spirituality he had shared with us.
He told us we were very curious for Americans.








