Incidents that happened the day before filled Shiva’s mind. Recently, his happy moments were short lived. They were followed by periods of trouble or agony. Did this imply any impending danger?
He was finding it difficult to concentrate. Time seemed to have stopped forever. Every minute seemed to be an hour! His attention was diverted else where. Not just today. He has not been able to perform to his full potential for quite some time now. External thoughts; unwanted to him a few months ago, were beginning to occupy significant portion of his mind! He was beginning to flail.
He remembered the book he read a few months back ‘The Power of NOW’. In it, he learnt, best way to free up mind was to admire beauty of the ‘NOW’; things happening at present. The things happening around him and around everyone. Little things like observing the path of a fly’s movement, the sound of water splashing against the hand while washing in a basin, the soap bubbles while rinsing the hand or anything else that goes unnoticed normally. It keeps the mind occupied and kills unnecessary thought process.
That evening, he wanted to try that when he was returning home from college. He made a conscious effort not to think of anything but the scenes he saw. He sat looking out of the window and listening to the songs he loved.
When his bus passed over a bridge, he saw the sun above the water in the river. Its light making the river glitter like glittering diamonds strewn about on the ground. He saw kids swimming in that river. They were playing. They were happy! They seemed to have no troubles. It appeared to him as though life was sagacious to them! Before that scene escaped his mind he saw an old, dilapidated church. Between the church’s bell and the structure that held the bell, he saw the sun shining bright! In the church’s garden was a small pond. Covered with lotus leaves on one half and pelicans finding their catch on the other half. Sight of white birds on a green backdrop of water and trees was a refreshing sight. He kept wondering how he missed it all these years.
The country side ended and his bus began its ride within the city. A funny incident followed. A banana vendor had left his push cart unattended, and a cow was eating the bananas! When his bus passed over railway tracks he saw children running on the rails. They were playing ‘train’; something he had wanted to do so desperately when he was a kid. His bus slowed down. Three little boys were standing on the road, wearing just a pair of shorts. They were chatting their way to glory! They seemed light with so much happiness in them. One of the kids saw Shiva watching them and he waved at him. Shiva waved back and saw so much excitement in their faces; he felt he hadn’t seen such excitement anywhere. He closed his eyes and began wondering. Why did I miss all these things everyday? Why do they seem to be much happier than I am? What is preventing me?
He sat thinking. The answer flashed in his mind like a charge of lightning; we seem to miss the happiness that we can find everywhere, pursuing what we term as ‘happiness’ and that will always remain something we keep pursuing and will never come within our grasp. To be happy, it is enough if we could make ourselves content with what we have…
He was finding it difficult to concentrate. Time seemed to have stopped forever. Every minute seemed to be an hour! His attention was diverted else where. Not just today. He has not been able to perform to his full potential for quite some time now. External thoughts; unwanted to him a few months ago, were beginning to occupy significant portion of his mind! He was beginning to flail.
He remembered the book he read a few months back ‘The Power of NOW’. In it, he learnt, best way to free up mind was to admire beauty of the ‘NOW’; things happening at present. The things happening around him and around everyone. Little things like observing the path of a fly’s movement, the sound of water splashing against the hand while washing in a basin, the soap bubbles while rinsing the hand or anything else that goes unnoticed normally. It keeps the mind occupied and kills unnecessary thought process.
That evening, he wanted to try that when he was returning home from college. He made a conscious effort not to think of anything but the scenes he saw. He sat looking out of the window and listening to the songs he loved.
When his bus passed over a bridge, he saw the sun above the water in the river. Its light making the river glitter like glittering diamonds strewn about on the ground. He saw kids swimming in that river. They were playing. They were happy! They seemed to have no troubles. It appeared to him as though life was sagacious to them! Before that scene escaped his mind he saw an old, dilapidated church. Between the church’s bell and the structure that held the bell, he saw the sun shining bright! In the church’s garden was a small pond. Covered with lotus leaves on one half and pelicans finding their catch on the other half. Sight of white birds on a green backdrop of water and trees was a refreshing sight. He kept wondering how he missed it all these years.
The country side ended and his bus began its ride within the city. A funny incident followed. A banana vendor had left his push cart unattended, and a cow was eating the bananas! When his bus passed over railway tracks he saw children running on the rails. They were playing ‘train’; something he had wanted to do so desperately when he was a kid. His bus slowed down. Three little boys were standing on the road, wearing just a pair of shorts. They were chatting their way to glory! They seemed light with so much happiness in them. One of the kids saw Shiva watching them and he waved at him. Shiva waved back and saw so much excitement in their faces; he felt he hadn’t seen such excitement anywhere. He closed his eyes and began wondering. Why did I miss all these things everyday? Why do they seem to be much happier than I am? What is preventing me?
He sat thinking. The answer flashed in his mind like a charge of lightning; we seem to miss the happiness that we can find everywhere, pursuing what we term as ‘happiness’ and that will always remain something we keep pursuing and will never come within our grasp. To be happy, it is enough if we could make ourselves content with what we have…
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