The Might of a Presence

As the car manoeuvred the sharp bends in the road I observed the scenery outside the window changing gradually. The uphill road wasn’t going up all the time; it was full of ups and downs. Yet, strangely, we were going higher and higher. The plains were left far behind and the mountains were rising around us, steadily. That’s not all, the mountains were getting bigger and taller, their peaks aspiring to touch the clouds. The sight of the mighty Himalayas left me spell bound, as always. Towering over the valleys, their presence exuded a strength far beyond that which can be expressed in words or seen. It can only be felt. I stared at them in awe, my mind stilled by their very sight.

Come hail or snow or sleet or rain, they stand there unperturbed. No lightning, nor thunder; no storm or gale, can make them move from where they stand. A few stones might rumble down, a little soil might wash away but they continue to stand there, as strong as ever. What a presence!

Can I, like the mountains, stand tall in the midst of storms?
Can I, like the mountains, hold my head high and look beyond the minor upheavals in my life?
Can I, like the mountains, remain steady and come out strong through tremors and rumblings beneath the ground I stand on?
I wondered…till I tried.

Only when I tried did I learn about my strength, my fortitude and my resilience. I realised that, like the mountains, I too have it in me to withstand everything that comes my way, be it the fiercest tempest or the wildest gale. I learned that we all have that power within us, all we need to do is tap it. And once its tapped, like the mountains, we too become a presence to reckon with.

Keep the Faith

The chirping of the birds outside my window woke me out of my deep slumber. My eyes still closed, drowsy as I was, I wondered how fast the night had gone by and it was already day time. When I finally opened my eyes I was surprised to see that it was still dark outside. But then, how come the birds were up and about? As I gazed sleepily out of the window, darkness started fading as the sun began to inch upwards in the sky. First a faint glow, then a brighter glow, then a gleam of sunlight and finally appeared the tip of the sun shining bright against the dark silhouette of the hills. The chirping of the birds got louder and frenzied. The sun was out! Just as they had expected. I smiled as I remembered the words of the great poet Rabindranath Tagore, “Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.”

What immense faith these birds had in nature and in the sun, that it will rise, that day will follow the night. In anticipation of dawn they were already up and about; long before the sun was up, long before darkness turned to light. Indeed, what better metaphor for faith than the bird who sings when day has still not dawned upon us!

Can we have similar faith in ourself? In God? In life? In people around us?

Like it’s said, ‘faith can move mountains’. If we truly believe in something, there is no way that we will not be able to accomplish it. Everything is possible for the one who believes. Faith in one’s abilities and faith in the Lord is the beginning of success. Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda puts it very succinctly when he says, “Faith is, `to believe what you do not see', the reward of which is, `you see what you believed'.” How true with the birds! Why not with us? Think!

Did you know?
Each year the Arctic Terns (seabirds breeding in Arctic and sub-arctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America) fly from the Arctic all the way to the Antarctic and back again! That’s over 35,000 kms. This is the longest regular migration by any known animal.


Do your bit!
Make a bird house using an old shoebox or half a tyre and hang it outside your window. Besides providing shelter to birds, you will be entertained by their colourful and musical presence.

Going Gaga over Ganga

Ever stood by the banks of the Ganga, watching her, gushing and exuberant, full of life and energy, bounding towards the plains to nourish and nurture? Ah! What a beautiful sight! White, frothy, bubbling, clean and pure. I always feel she’s in a hurry to give. It is she who brings life to the northern plains, be it plants or humans. None would survive if not for her. Mother Ganga gives. She gives, and gives and gives. It is not without reason that we refer to her as Mother. Like our mother, Mother Ganga also gives, unconditionally. No questions asked, no rewards expected, no thank you, no sorry, her job is only to nourish.

‘To give without asking, unconditionally, happily, with no expectation of returns… would that be possible for me?’ Mother Ganga stopped me in my tracks making me think. To give is sheer joy, it is the expectations attached to it that bring pain and sorrow, when they are not met.

Like mother Ganga, let us drop all expectations and give for the sheer joy of giving. The returns in happiness would then be manifold.

Happy giving!


Did you know?
The motion of the ocean waves can be harnessed to produce electricity.

Do you bit!
Shortening your showers by 1 or 2 minutes can save up to 2600 litres of water per month!

The Humble Weed

As he laid brick upon brick he took utmost care to leave not a crack in between. The wall was coming up neat and tidy. Once ready he stood back to admire it. He had been so careful there was no way anything would grow from in between the bricks.

No doubt the mason was good at his job, and his work was a piece of excellence. But obviously he had not learned the meaning of grit and determination. That’s probably because he had not encountered the enigma called ‘weed’. Sure enough, within a few days specks of green could be seen scattered over the wall in the cement sandwiching the bricks. Alas! The nondescript garden weed had raised its green head. Through the minuscule cracks in the wall the shiny green stem of the weed had wound its way through and out into the bright day. Its roots held on tight. Even on close examination you wouldn’t know how it’s managing to hold on or where it finds water and nutrients. And that’s what keeps me intrigued by this wild wonder called ‘weed’. Anywhere, anytime, be it chilling cold or blazing heat, snow or rain or sleet, it manages to makes it appearance much to the chagrin of passionate gardeners. The worst of situations, with everything stacked against it, it still manages to not just grow but bloom as well.

How many of us can, like the humble weed, grow towards the light in a non-conducive environment? How many of us can find our way and keep going through a heady maze of obstacles? How many of us can raise our head amidst insurmountable opposition? Powerful lessons indeed, from the common weed.



Drop by drop maketh the ocean…DO YOUR BIT!

Shortening your showers by one or two minutes can save upto 2600 litres of water per month!

Did you know?

If the entire Antarctic ice-sheet would melt, sea levels would rise by 67 metres!

A Lot to Croak About

Come rains and the little ones can be heard singing in full glory. Hidden in the foliage, they are not easily seen but their deep throated singing is loud and clear for all to hear. Well, for some it is noise, but to me it is music. It is music because it herald’s a bountiful monsoon lashing across the countryside, filling up our rivers and ponds and quenching the thirst of the parched earth.

But is that all they are here for? To herald the rains? No. These little creatures, small and smaller, in hues ranging from green, brown, yellow, red and even blue, have an important role to play in maintaining the balance of our fragile ecosystem as an integral member of the food chain. To begin with they maintain the balance of the flying insects, houseflies, mosquitoes and all those that are generally considered pests. Most of us are unaware of their role in the eco-system and wouldn’t cast a second glance at them while many would scream in fright, and then there are those who continue to relish them as a delicacy despite warnings from environmentalists about them reaching the endangered mark. For instance, in Goa where they are eaten as a delicacy, because of their dwindling population a rise in mosquito population has been seen and also the snakes having got less prey, venture into inhabited area.

Whatever you may think, frogs fascinate me. What I love about them is their nondescript yet powerful existence. They have a formidable position of responsibility in the web of life. Without much ado they fulfil their role. How much better this world would be if each of us, like the frog, played our role to perfection irrespective of whether it gave us any publicity or returns; if we performed our duty to the best of our ability, not a shade more not a shade less. If each one performed their duty, our rights would automatically be taken care of. How wonderful indeed this world would be and without doubt, success would be ours.

Did you know?
Frogs live on every continent except Antarctica.
The biggest kind of frog is the Goliath frog, found in Cameroon in West Africa. It can grow to a size of nearly a foot (30 cm) long and it weighs as much as a large housecat, about 3.3 kilos!

Do your bit!
Firstly, discourage others (if not yourself), from consuming frog meat. If there is no demand for frog legs, frog-poachers simply won’t catch them. Secondly, if you come across people poaching frogs or restaurants serving frog meat, report it to the police (100/108) or any Forest Department official at the location closest to you.

The Givers

Just imagine...if trees charged us for the oxygen they made or the fruits we plucked… what scope did we have to survive?! We would be literally begging from them. Every time I look at a tree I am left spellbound by its selflessness. It gives and it gives and it gives, with no expectation whatsoever of the returns. You would ask, in this world of today, how is it possible to give and expect nothing. Well, I said ‘expect nothing’, I didn’t say you should forsake the results. The results will come. But let us not work only for the sake of the results, let us work for the sake of work. That is the smartest way of working. Of course, we should be aware of the desired result, but we should be smart enough not to make the fruit of action our motive because focussing on the result reduces our efficiency, productivity and creativity. It is only in selflessness that great benefits are achieved. The results will surely follow our actions for it is one of the basic laws of nature that every action will have its corresponding output. So, let’s learn from the humble tree and be good for goodness sake!

DID YOU KNOW?
Each ton of recycled paper saves about 17 trees.

DO YOUR BIT!
Make maximum use of every piece of paper: write on both sides.