THE ‘JANUS’ IN US!

As the years pass by, hair turn grey and limbs become weak there is a parallel life that surreptitiously grows stronger. The more the present reality envelops us in its fold; there is an unleashed yet latent force inside all of us that grows robust. This force is opposed to everything sane in our lives, and is truly free like the birds flying in the sky. Free from the shackles of convention, pristine like the clear blue sky, carefree like strong directionless wind infused with the heady fragrance of fresh flowers. A dream world in our subconscious mind sometimes grows so strong that it starts sneaking a peek into our normal daily structured lifestyle.

This tussle of the real and the unreal is a fact of life. Most of us put on the garb of reality and shove the unreal under the carpet and convince ourselves that it doesn't exist. The fact is that it is an intrinsic part of our life and stitched intricately in our being. Till the time we keep the unreal at bay, life seems smooth but there are times in life, when the unreal force falls on us like a tidal wave and tries to wash away whatever the reality had built. Some people call it “weaker moments” when you end up doing something which shatters the perfect structure built by the rational and disciplined ‘present’.

So in some ways it’s true to believe that all of us are convicts and in some way our hands are always tied. The part of us which is truly free is too untamed to be true. It does not fit in our social fabric and is so powerful that it carries with it the danger of devastation. So engulfed with fear we all try to keep that side of us at bay and put in place necessary checks and balances that give us a sense of security.

So a person can be carefree and cautious; wild and tamed; sensible and crazy. Life is like the two headed Janus. There is nothing like the dark side of human nature. There is nothing wrong with the latent force that resides in us and there is nothing wrong with our present either. So there are times in life when nothing is wrong or right. They are just two sides of a coin. The two faces all of us have. 

Thoughts in Dhanaulti

It took me eight hours to reach heaven. The land which spoke volumes about purity and tranquility was symbolic of the peace we seldom find in the hustle bustle of city life.

The long and shapely oak trees, the chirping birds and the daunting hills all whispering in my ears, “This is my land and here you shall live the natural way. Come and experience simplicity in my lap”.

The trees overpowered the presence of mankind. The loud rustling of leaves dominated any other sound that you would want to hear. Amidst the noisy and rebellious wind the birds were chirping and were party to the dominance of nature.

It’s beautiful to see how nature in its purest and simplest form is like a child. Innocent and unblemished. Happy and rebellious wind is like a naughty child playing, chirping of the birds reminds me of the peels of laughter in childhood and the purity of the air is like the innocent and simple heart of a child.

I feel like a puppet in the lap of nature, the wind playing with my hair, and I somewhere begin to believe that nature has numerous untold tales hidden in the soil and the trunks. Tales of life the way God meant it to be.

Life was meant to be as simple as the luscious trees, happy like the chirping birds and carefree like the rustling leaves, but as we come down the ages, nature retained the meaning f its existence and with held the simplistic form but mankind fell in the rut of a commercial a life.

WHEN THE DREAMY EYED SPOKE…..

A sunny afternoon in Delhi. The market crammed with people, the atmosphere choked with the hustle bustle of a city life. A regular summer week day and suddenly change in scene: green grass, cool and clean breeze, dense woods, the sweet smell of rain and the purity of the rain drop glistening on a luscious leaf.

The people have disappeared, replaced by a happy and simple couple enjoying by the lake. The hustle bustle of the city has given way to the chirping of birds and the soft rustle of the leaves. A regular summer workday has been ridiculed and shunned in the face of a tranquil and content life wherein mankind blossoms in the lap of nature. The man sees his child grow, and the women experience again the innocence of childhood with her children.

A simpleton living, in the lap of nature, away from the capitalist realm of reality. A dreamy eyed man with his close knit family basking in the glory of a content and peaceful life. He looks at his children being nurtured and groomed by mother earth. The flora and fauna become their best friends, teaching them the naughtiest of pranks and sharing with them the deepest nuances of life.

The family earns enough to have a respectable life; they do not have ambitious dreams and unfulfilled wants. They have happily given up materialistic cravings for the love of nature. They live in their cocoon and let the universe be their guiding light.

On a sunny afternoon in Delhi, I a realist saw life from the eyes of a dreamer. For a minute I felt the cool breeze, for a second the chirping birds soothed my nerves. Life from the eyes of a dreamer has the power to make you smile and make you live that selfless life, even if it is make believe, yet it makes you experience existence which is naturally simple & beautiful.

Simple Pleasures Post 2: FLYING HIGH IN THE SKY

http://welovebirds.org/

Looking at the bright blue skies and somewhere far away I can hear birds chirping. Some of those wonderful creatures have perched themselves on the branches and some are flying carelessly enjoying the true bliss of freedom.

Looking at birds in the expanse can be one of the most enthralling experiences. They are the true personification of freedom. Sometimes perched and sometimes gliding, birds are the most elegant and vibrant creations of the Almighty. The hues celebrate color, their form is symbolic of variety and their life is reflective of strong and firm self sustenance.

If we observe them carefully, they teach us the true meaning of persistence and survival. Flying miles for food, nurturing their young ones with utmost devotion and yet being truly free, are only some of the learning we can imbibe.

It’s truly amazing how much we can learn if we simply observe these speechless creatures. 

Just watching them flying high or perched on the trees, fills me with tranquility. The sense of respect and humility overpowers me and I realize that in the simple pleasure of observing simple creatures lies the true meaning of life.