Living gracefully

 

It is at twilight, I normally fill the feeding bowl in our garden. I noticed two Bulbuls perched on trees on either side of the feeding station, looking in the direction of the feeding bowl. As I turned back after leaving the banana on the bowl, I heard the chirp and saw the arrival of the two bulbuls. For the next few minutes they shared the meal with in between pauses. By then other Bulbuls had arrived for their meal.  

The habit of coming to the feeding bowl interested me. Often they come in pairs and leave together. 

The Bulbuls waited in their individual perches but arrived and departed together. Often a bird call precedes these two movements, which I believe is the signal to each other. 

For these birds, there are some habits which they preserve to practice bonding and shared experiences. 

In the book, Living Into Focus, Choosing What matters in an age of Distractions by Arthur Boers, suggested a thought about the drawing power of love: "Love stirs our feelings. Love engages us intellectually; at some level and in some way we can name reasons why we care much for the other. Love has concrete bodily implications; we demonstrate it by providing food or working or tending to needs or being physically affectionate. Love sparks our imaginations and helps us see ourselves and the wider world in new anymore vital ways.."(p 36).

The avian behaviour affirms a similar plane of relating with mindfulness and cohesiveness. 

Ken Robinson, in his book, The Element proposed a thought on The Alchemy of Synergy (P123). "Our work place is a an assembly of people who form a group, with similar interests, who create something much greater than any of them could create individually, who become more than the sum of the parts. A great group can be a guard, a check, a sounding board and a source of inspiration, support and even love".

I got to know from reading about avian behaviour that all pairs of birds are not in courtship. They like being together 'socially' and help each other in finding feed, shelter and escape the predators. This alchemy of synergy is a universal phenomenon. 

This is a contrast to the convergence of utilitarian attitudes we encounter in some relationships. The convergence of togetherness is missing as a social ethic of behaviour. Our societies have become segregated communities. Even in the United Kingdom, where people normally live in great communal feeling of harmony had riots recently to express sectarian interests and racial mindedness. 

I like watching the birds in our garden. They chirp to each other to stay connected, display their flying skills to each other; chirp to announce the impending wind and rain, give loud bird calls when they found food.....! This is the alchemy of synergy. Each bird is not just an individual alone, but a member of the community of birds. 

I wish in  a strife ridden world, we will rediscover the language of love which is the ground of our being, from where we can see others through the optic of human relatedness!

The Bulbuls left a message for me to ponder upon !

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)