Monday 2 February 2009

My moment of Zen


The snow keeps falling gently brushing across bare branches, empty benches and the ruffled feathers of the birds.


First one, then another and then another one. One by one the birds arrive slipping and hopping on the snow and I savor my sublime moment of Zen.

We all will die. Eventually. There it is now said. Come let’s get on with the living.

In pursuit of happiness. As the Zen saying goes, when you seek it, you cannot find it.

Or as Eastern philosophy calmly proclaims happiness and sorrow are like the form and its shadow. You can’t pursue one without meeting up with the other. Ascribing good or bad are value judgments not intrinsic qualities. So, why celebrate this one and deride that one when both are an inevitable part of living. And life is about living. And doing.

Or as Kabir says,

Maya Mari Na Man Mara, Mar Gaye Shareer
Asha Trishna Na Mari, Keh Gaye Das Kabir

(Neither illusion nor the mind, only bodies attained death
Hope and delusion did not die, so Kabir said.)

The point being life itself is transitory. So why elevate its minor distractions and spend an entire lifetime chasing shadows. Why not just simply be. And watch the snow falling gently brushing across bare branches, empty benches and the ruffled feathers of the birds.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is so beautiful.

Archana

Anonymous said...

Great writing .I am so glad you still write.For me its taken a backseat with the day to day routines.But I still have my music to save my soul.

Anvita Lakhera said...

Thank you Archana.