I watched this Bulbul yesterday in our garden, taking a cognisant view of its environment. Its body movements and searching look indicated how good a bird is in sensing its surroundings to secure its presence. A garden is a safe place for avian movements normally. It is when they find their food and feed on them, a bird can be chased away by a bigger bird or squirrel.
For a bird, alertness is its second nature.
I slipped and fell yesterday in the garden. I was moving forward, while looking at the cloud play in the sky. I escaped unhurt. The presence and movement can be interrupted by distractions.
I listened to a senior doctor on phone yesterday, living in a far away place. I heard five distractions that preoccupied that person's attention, which made the work-life burdensome.
How does a bird practice presence! It is present integrating its sense of sight, hearing and odour.
We as humans too exercise similar faculties. One additional dimension that can enhance the sense of presence or cause distraction is our thoughts.
While walking in the garden, the movement of the clouds brought back memories of interesting cloud formation during the monsoon season. It was the formation of a human face like formation in the cloud that consumed my attention, which made me miss a step and trip.
I wondered why I did not stay in one place and engaged the amazing sight in the cloud!
One habit many humans develop is multitasking. Those who have this skills are often complimented for this exceptional skill.
When I tripped, while exercising the multi tasking, I remembered the Bulbul in the above photos. Its attention was on its environment. The look and body movements suggested vigilant presence and attentive response.
Many parents feed their infants and toddlers, showing action scenes in the television or on mobile phone screen. The children are fed passively. Their body and mind are divided in function. From early childhood, we introduce the habit of distraction or dichotomy of attention as normal.
But I got another message immediately after the fall, from a pair of Bulbuls engaged in communication. I noticed how a Bulbul was attentive by turning its head and body towards the other Bulbul, which was speaking through its gentle whispering bird calls.
The habit of being present without getting distracted, creates within us an association between the exterior and the interior ambiences. It is when our thoughts and sights get associated we grow in coherence and purposeful overview to convert our experiences into a personal reality.
How much of the day, I live by being present to myself! It took a fall to help me to consider this truth about mindful presence!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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