Lessons from the world

-Swamini Shraddhanandji

A lesson from the mountains and the trees:

                                           Avadhuta says that he also learnt a lesson from the mountains and the trees. These two are not enumerated  in the list of Gurus but we look upon both these as a part of the earth. From them he learnt the lesson of selflessness and generosity. The mountains give birth the streams and rivers, hence alone rivers are called girijaa(गिरिजा) or adrajaa(अद्रजा). The mountains however do not keep them for their personal benefit but allow them to flow down to the plains for the benefit of the world. The mountains also bless the human beings with trees and lend shelter and protection to the wild animals in the forests which grow on them. Thus all the functions of the mountains are for the benefit of the humanity and others. While majority of the people take care of selfish interests alone, the very birth of the mountains is meant for the benefit of others. Therefore a discriminate person should learn the lesson of generosity and selflessness(परोपकारः) from the mountains(भूभृतः). Similarly one must also become a disciple of the tree(नगशिष्यः). The trees also teach us the lesson of living for the benefit of others(परात्मतां). This lesson of selflessness is popularly known as karmayoga wherein one does not claim the right of the results of one's actions only for one's own benefit. It is like planting a number of fruit trees in ones orchard and allowing everyone to benefit from both their shade and their fruits, instead of restricting the entry into the orchard and enjoying everything by oneself. The tree cross the limits of altruism in that they take all the heat to themselves and give cool shade and delicious fruits to the others. They give away their fruits even to those who stone them and the trees are compared to saintly people(सप्तुषाः). There is a very interesting verse extolling the selflessness of the trees.  

छायां अन्यस्य कुर्वन्ति तिष्ठन्ति स्वयं आतपे

फ़लान्यपि परार्थाय वृक्षाः सत्पुरुषा इव

'Taking all the heat to themselves and offering shade and fruits to the others the tree or like the saintly people'.

Such saintly people who know the truth or the reality do live in this world. They are like the spring season. The spring season brings life to the vegetation without expecting any return. Before the spring, in the winter all trees stand bare having shed all the leaves in the autumn as though they are dead. When the spring comes, everything comes back to life. The trees get their leaves back and the earth becomes green and colorful with flowers everywhere. So the spring season brings about a colorful change and relieves people from chill of winter. In the same manner there are people living in this world who do what is good for the people without expecting any appreciation from them. They help people naturally without expecting any name, power or any other benefit. Since the trees have this quality of selflessness there is a universal demand for more and more trees. On the contrary there is an equal strong appeal to reduce the population of people. The addition of every tree is a blessing while thee human beings are a burden to the earth because of their selfishness. Moreover we take more from the earth than we give whereas the trees take less and give more so are a blessing to the whole world.

                                                      Let us all take a pledge to thoroughly learn the lessons of forbearance and selflessness from the earth, the mountains and the trees.

                                                      

                                           (To be continued…)