Tree and I are One

April 17, 2016

I was with my friend , the tree, this evening. I said – I wish I were a tree , just like you.

My friend asked why so? You are good as it is!

I said – no I want to be exactly like you. Same qualities ,many things same… I feel I would be much closer to you that way and hence with divinity.

My friend smiled – You are being silly ! Outer covering does not matter and having my genes are karmas! But what I am from inside, what I think and what I believe in , you can be like that !

Outer thing is perishable !

I said – yes ! I know ! That’s why I want to be one , a Xerox copy of yours from inside, such that you are always with me! That’s why I thought if I were a little tree of yours , I would be like you !

My friend said – being outwardly like me has no importance! It’s what on the inside that matters! You don’t come to me because of my outer structure , how so ever ,what so ever it is! But it’s my soul that’s un layered that brings you here ! You and I are same dear …. Really !

The difference is that I can see that and you cannot !

My friend lowered down its branch and gave me a loving hug and said , we are One ! Look in your heart … I am there … And see in my heart .. You are there !

I smiled .. And agreed.. Yes !thats true !

Tree-Surrender in gratitude

April 13, 2016

Walking down the road after a walk in a nice sunny but a little cold weather, my gaze, unfailingly goes to the number of trees in our neighborhood.. A variety of them.. Lots of flowering trees are there.. Now on them one can see the little pink buds sprouting.

The trees had been bare for almost six months now.. But today I noticed their thin shapely branches all raised up .. Up to the sky towards the cosmos..They had been like this for months.. During the cold season..

The whole tree looked as if it had opened up its arms wide and upward as if to say I am ready my Lord, I am all Yours! In all complete surrender…

And then as if listening to their prayers , those tiny pink buds sprout !

But the wonder of wonders is that later, when the branches are laden with rich flowers all over, the branches, the ones who prayed cannot be seen! There are no leaves yet!! But each and every branch is filled with flowers, and the branches now appear all lateral and bent…As if bowing down in gratitude for the rich bounty it received !!!

Even we are so rich ! Our Masters teach us….Things we take for granted, make their presence felt when it hurts… Counting our blessings for normal breath, counting our blessings for the vision that makes us see beauty, counting our blessings for food, that gets digested on its own, counting our blessings to be able to walk, to hear the sound, to sleep, to be able to smile, to be loved, to be hugged, counting our blessings to be alive such that we can strive to make it worthwhile …. And so we too bow in gratitude .. Gratitude for everything, just about everything!

Gratitude … For being able to feel grateful ..

Tree-Thank You

April 12, 2016

My mind had mixed feelings today as I started to walk towards my friend’s abode.

But as I neared and watched it from a distance, I couldn’t help but smile…

So may birds of different colors were playing, chirping . Coming out and coming in ….

The squirrel couple were having a fun time … Running up its trunk , coming back, running round in circles around its trunk..

A long train of ants doing their job as usual, going up its trunk and looking for food..

I stood at a distance and kept enjoying …. Then a slight cool breeze brushed past me … That made me look up to my dearest friend….

It seemed that it acknowledged my presence..

I went closer and put my hand on its trunk and whispered THANK YOU …

And put my cheek too against its trunk … My eyes were misty … My heart now said … Thank you …

My friend didn’t ask or say anything … It always knew what went in my silly mind…

I sat down … With my back towards it trunk .. To be one with him and all around … The chirping , the rustling , the squirrels and my own heart beat ….

Tree- it’ll happen one day

April 11, 2016

As I approached my friend , the tree today ….

It posed as if to read me something ….

And started reading…..

Believe in what you are

Believe in what Divinity is teaching you ..

Believe that one day this believe will change to Know

When you’ll say

I know what I am

Because that I will not be the Ego I

That I will be the Universal I

So continue to believe

That you are strong

Continue to believe you are beautiful from inside

Continue to believe you are part of Divinity

One day ….

One day you’ll see

What those Divine Ones saw

One day you’ll feel

What those Divine ones felt

One day you’ll see the real You !!!

One day all torment will be over

One day all yearning will be over ….

One day the fish will not yearn for water…

The illusions will fall..

through intellect or devotion

It does not matter

As it’ll be from your Master only

Only Him and Only Him

O my dearest friend ….

I laughed and cried and had to give my friend a hug.. You knew it… Or did you just say it to get a big hug?? Hmm ?

The leaves rustled … Whatever it was .. I will never know… As my friend chose not to answer…..

Tree- the Doer

April 11, 2016

I went to meet my friend , the tree and hugged him right away.

Wow! It remarked ! That’s a treat , right when you came !

I didn’t let go …

What happened – it asked ?

I looked up at it .. Do you think I can rise beyond what I am ? I am very limited… But we know that one can go beyond limitations … Do you think I can do that ?

My friend looked at me deeply and said – This answer my dear, you have to get from within you. Nobody on the outside can say that.

But you know me in and out – I said ..

I am naive , have no experience of the inner world , ( outside world – don’t even ask !! )

Even though I wish to ..

I don’t have doubts… But I believe no .. I know that as I am His, he’ll nourish me with required ingredients and machinery to rise up to His expectations!

Yes dear – my friend replied! Divinity can do wonders! We are nobody… But look at the miracle that His energy makes us function, do things that is amazing ! It does not matter if you have the experience of it or not !

Divinity can do wonders ,even when one is capable or not, if He so wishes, anything and everything is possible !!

Opportunities are provided to us so that we rise and go beyond our limitations.

So you relax , my dear ! Who are we to rise up to any expectations … It’s an illusion dear that we’ll do something or rise … No .. We are part of the Divine.. Divinity makes us do… Our Masters un-layer us, such that we know the real Truth and stay stationed in it …

All is Him and through Him … Divinity and Divinity alone… You just stay centered and let things happen the way He wants to happen and when He wants it to happen.

I took a deep breath but did not still let go of it ….and my friend also did not ask me to ….

Tree and Being Centered!

April 10, 2018

I always like to touch and feel the roots that pop out out the ground of my friend , the tree. It feels as if I am paying obeisance. I could go on for hours keeping my hands gently on the roots and sitting there in solitude.

My friend said- you know.. There was a time when there were many fruit trees like me..

I turned – Is it?

The tree said – Yes! We were young and when the first fruit came and people went crazy over it, we just couldn’t contain it !!

I listened…

Yes! The season after that and after that… The rush that we got when people liked the fruits was very strong …

What happened ?

We were warned… A wise old owl once came and told us that we are here for a purpose! Of serving .. It’s all the Boss’s ! Nothing is yours !

It kind of clicked somewhere in me .. I started noticing my self.. The seasons.. The changes in me.. I noticed that everything was happening on its own.. I never thought or planned anything, whether change in colors of the leaves, whether their fall, or sprouting of fresh leaves or making of food inside or giving out useful oxygen to the earth…. Nothing was in my hands… I was just there… Every thing happened on its own…

Then …. Listening to this I got centered…

But my friends did not understand… I tried telling them , but no they did not listen…

After a couple of years, a disease spread, they all perished … But I survived…

I unconsciously touched its roots ….

So my dear.. Every thing we have or that we are made to do is through Him.. He is the planner and executor … Which fruit, how much fruit, which birds or worms will be fed, which bird will build a nest, who will visit today… Every single thing is ordained by Him !

Even the energy to perform one’s duties is provided by Him only !

If we remain centered .. In the Self .. Life becomes way different… It has it’s very different taste!

Tree and Master

April 9, 2016

As I was sitting beneath the shade of my friend, the tree, I saw a bird trying to make a nest there, but a squirrel would repeatedly go and disturb it and the straws would fall. The bird would get angry but the squirrel continued to disrupt it.

I remarked about this to my friend the tree, I said – usually animal species do not interfere with each other’s jobs, they all live peacefully together, I wonder what’s bothering the squirrel ?

My friend , the wisest of all, smiled and said – There is a reason! A cat has recently started visiting the tree during odd hours. The squirrel has seen it and hence its trying to prevent the bird from building the nest !

Wao! Amazing !

The same way ! If sometimes we have never done something, but suddenly we do it, one should consider Divinity’s hand in it! We at once either start beating ourselves or start blaming others, but in reality, it is Divinity preventing us. So those whose machinery has been handed over to their Masters, they need to think that if this did not happen, it was my Master, not wanting it to happen or if this happened, My Master wanted it that way!!!

Tree- outside covering inside one

April 9, 2016

I was clearing out the area of dead leaves under my best friend’s shade, so as to sit there comfortably.

My friend the tree said, you know today, somebody came to meet me !

I said- Is it? Who?

My friend said – a man ! With an old man .

I asked – Did you know them ?

My friend swayed a little under the gentle breeze and said -yes! The man was a little boy once and used to come here with his dad to play and pick up fruit. Today they were passing by so dropped in!

I said – Wao!

My friend the tree said- Actually I know the dad’s grandfather too. I was planted here during his childhood!!!

My friend got slightly nostalgic!

I said – Hey! Are you feeling alright?

My friend said – Yes! Actually it’s these things only that make us centered around reality. Everything is perishable. Generations come and go. But the world keeps going on. This shows who is the real Boss! Whose land it really is ! Hence, one remains centered in reality.

The outer layers keep on changing but the inner one , the One that shines pure and radiant remains the same !

Today you are here my friend, tomorrow somebody else! Only the outer casing will be changed, but inside you, me, the man, the child all are One !

My friend took a deep breath and went still. So still that only my heart beat could be heard!

Tree and vanity

April 8, 2016

I was in a pensive mood, as I walked to meet my dearest friend, the tree, today.

I was surprised to see that he too was quiet today. I asked what happened dear ?

He looked on the side and I saw his Neighbour , one of the very tall beautiful tree was on the ground.

I asked – What happened? This tree had beautiful flowers! People used to pluck it’s flowers for decorations, for offerings on the deities! What happened overnight !

My friend said- It became too proud ! It had started becoming vain regarding his flowers !I told him that you have been given this service, you have been given these flowers such that you become humble! But instead of being humble, it starting looking down on others , as if there is nobody better than it! It could not tolerate if any other tree was praised or complimented ! It would become furious and mad from inside ! All my suggestions went in vain!

So our Boss had , had enough. Yesterday’s lightening struck it down ! Every vanity gone, the opportunity of serving others gone, getting spiritually elevated all gone!

I hugged my friend with non stop tears rolling down. I hugged – because its compassion towards its fellow one moved me to the core And tears , well ! They were my own reality check ! I felt as if my friend had soaked up the effects of my negativity… And only the outer shell of negativity was pouring out ! I looked up at its huge stature and found it be be grounded in a meditative state! I allowed myself be to be there for quite sometime…….

Tree and thoughtlessness

April 7,2016

It had been raining since long..

As it stopped and the sun God peeped through the clouds, I thought of visiting my friend, the tree.

As I reached near it, I was welcomed by the downpour of rain water !!

I said -What !!! And laughed ! It was cold!

My friend laughed too! And said – you know it had been raining for so long that I somehow started feeling that these rain drops on my leaves are MINE !!

Then I just swayed, and all of them poured down ! It brought me out from my illusion!! Even the leaves on me are not mine, how can these temporary water drops become mine!

Nah!!

So now I am enjoying shaking them off !

I moved inside of its huge cover such that I might be saved from water, this time !

But it’s so true. Our thoughts that visit us, are the most temporary things we have. Whether they are negative or positive, none are ours! The negative ones keep sticking to us and we feel Oh ! I am like this !! Dirty! But if we keep shaking them off, like my friend and become strong in getting centered at the Self within, we’ll not form any sort of association with these! Who knows one day, we might become so centered that even though they might be passing by but we won’t see them as ours or one day there might be none! Cause thoughtlessness is the key to the journey within!

Thoughtlessness is not just during meditation for a few moments… It needs to become a way of life !!

So this Navratri we can aspire for thoughtlessness… Maun of the mind …. 🤔🤔