The above photographs of a Myna in our garden through different movements to seek for its feed and find another Myna to share its good time strolling in the garden, caught my attention in the morning.
The Myna stood, watched, moved, turned, searched, found its feed, groomed its body after strolling on wet grass and gave out bird calls to invite another Myna to join in its morning delight in the garden.
A bird behaviour is intentional. This bird moved about on the grass purposefully. It repeated its daily habit.
The bird calls is what caught my special attention. I wonder if the Myna had noticed another one perched in the tree a little distance away in its grooming process!
The bird calls evoked a reciprocal response and the Myna arrived in the grass! Together they moved about searching for food and flew away together little later.
Every time I watch the bird behaviour of connecting with others of its species, I become aware the traction they experience towards each other. It is spontaneous and consistent. There is an inner and outer language of communication.
Yesterday, I watched how the outgoing Prime Minister of the conservative party, who lost the national election to the Labour Party in England, responded to the loss! His wish to the Labour Party leader was an effusive congratulatory note of good wishes, although he would be regretful of the loss to his conservative party.
It was a few weeks back that we had the national election in India. In less than three weeks after the election, the acrimony between the ruling party and the opposition parties spilled over in an ugly manner in the parliament meetings.
I keep wondering how humans have buried the art of respectful disagreement which can open the door for communication! I experienced this in a few years ago when I was involved in a difficult situation. I experienced it again recently in the work place from where I retired a year ago. Is there only one way forward! Is there not a middle path!
The language of communication between people has turned suspicious and untrusting.
I am appalled how the United Nations has not been able to find a way of peace between Ukraine and Russia, and Israel and Palestine! The language of negotiation and compromises is replaced by dominance and insistence!
It was moving and gratifying to watch a Myna create a language of mindfulness and filial regards!
In the book, The Power of Meaning, Emily Esfahani Smith while narrating the tumultuous life of Leo Tolstoy, suggested that, 'For Tolstoy, the meaning of life was found in faith. But many people do not believe n God or are unmoved by religious teachings. Others have faith, but are still searching for answers about how to live meaningfully here on earth'(p 29). I like the way Emily establishes her argument for meaningful existence, which begins with a new inner orientation of love responses between people and feeling the consciousness of God in one's inner being.
I recall two stanzas of a hymn:
O lord, all the world belongs to you,
And you're always making all things new,
What is wrong you forgive;
And the new life You give
Is what's turning the world upside-down
The world's only loving to its friends,
But Your way of loving never ends,
Loving enemies too;
And this loving with You
Is what's turning the world upside-down
The world is not yet upside-down, but the dream of the hymn writer speaks to us to live in hope and active engagement, to bring this reality in human lives.
M.C.Mathew( text and photo)
No comments:
Post a Comment