Nature, Our Great Teacher

Nature gives us lessons in myriad ways that are easier to understand, absorb and experience than lessons we learn from the pages of text books. The only difference is there is no compulsion to read and learn from Nature as is the case with books. But our reluctance to read is much the same as our indifference to learn from Nature. Shirdi Sai Baba told his disciples that the Lord exhorts us to “take and take” from His bounty while we, humans always plead with him to “give and give”.  Nature asks us to take and take from her inexhaustible profusion to satisfy our sense of sight, sound, taste, smell and touch and to provide us lessons to last a lifetime. Unless we have the eyes to see and the ears to listen, Nature remains opaque and non-transpicuous.

Nature is an Institute of Design. Some of the trees that stand tall grow proportionately wide are so aesthetically designed that one wonders Nature’s way of developing and exercising  to create a perfect figure that will be the envy of our youth who exercise to get a  six pack abs. While we go for lovely looking pets, there are a number of uncared for stray dogs that carry a beautiful design in their physical architecture. I saw one with sunflower blonde body highlighted by white paws in symmetry as though a painter had measured and painted them. Its ears had a dash of white in the midst of the profuse blonde hair all around. The morning sun was balmy as it plunked itself on the ground totally unaware of its beauty.  Seeing Nature in her best design, I could not help muttering: “hey, here is God’s plenty.” Nature’s creativity is ingenious; we have plenty to learn from Nature. I am reminded of Harold Bloom’s words: “Talent does not originate; genius does”

Winter has set in. When I go for my morning walk to brace up for the day, I see Nature no longer in her resplendent, colourful finery as she stands  denuded of flowers. One of things I always enjoy in spring and summer seasons is sighting the hibiscus flowers. Every morning during these seasons, strolling through the parks, I would look for these lovely red flowers springing amidst green leaves. My heart would leap with excitement on seeing the crimson wonder. Though sounds silly and superstitious, I usually associate the sighting of the hibiscus with a bright and beautiful day ahead. When there is an abundance of these blossoms, there will be a spring in my walk. On the days when I would sight just one or none, I would foolishly feel a trifle cast down. But the moot point with me has been not to miss out on the joy Nature gives as it unfolds flowers of different hues.

But during the early period of winter, as hibiscus and other flowers take their bow, we see only the green foliage. Transposing human  emotions of pride and envy on Nature(since I have no knowledge of plant emotions), it is not far wrong  to assume that in the absence of large quantities of water and sunshine needed for blossoming, the flowers had faded leaving the leaves to suck whatever was left of both. This is the time for the leaves to preen themselves in their ‘green’ glory. It will be at least three months before the hibiscus can claim its rightful place among the leaves. Till then, the leaves feather their own nest pompously showing “how green my valley is”. But as winter advances, with no trace of moisture and sunshine, the leaves lose their green and are seen with a brownish coat of dust. They are no longer the high priest of green beauty but look wan and brittle, and appear jaded like a one day wonder (Ek din ka sultan).  Nature seems to quietly say no one can forever gloat while shining on left over tidbits.

The brown coating has to wait for a wash for the first drops of rain to come along with the sunshine to bring back the crimson red and restore the green armour to the leaves. Nature teaches the wonderful lesson to have humility while in power, to show grace unmixed with arrogance when one comes into good fortune even for a short period. Beauty does not last long, but beauty lends itself for revival at the right and opportune time. Power cannot be a matter of one’s right or a matter of usurpation of others’ legitimacy. Power is the transformation of the Lord’s grace to human efforts at the time deemed right. The flowers have to blossom, the leaves have to shed off their coat of dust while blessing their efforts is the grace of the Lord, evidenced in the precise cyclic movement of the seasons. Man has merely to follow Nature and do his work, leaving the Lord to bless him at the right moment.

Here is a lesson for our politicians and also for all those who have become power mad. Power like beauty cannot be had forever. When in power, be humble, gracious and modest. The design is His; the appropriate time is scheduled by Him and we are the recipients of His grace. But we are not to remain passive, for in our efforts lie the fruition of His will. Nature does her work with clock-like precision. She does not rest for she ceaselessly creates the beauty of spring, the majesty of summer, the after-glow of autumn and the quietude of winter.  Nature has her own language, her own idiom to teach us the great aphorism so often quoted from the Bhagavad GIta about Nishkama Karma:

                     Karmanye Vadhikaraste, Ma phaleshou kada chana,

                     Ma Karma Phala Hetur Bhurmatey Sangostva Akarmani

You have the right to perform your actions,but you are not entitled to the fruits of the actions.

Do not let the fruit be the purpose of your actions, and therefore you won’t be attached to not doing your duty.