Travelling light !

While waiting to cross the road, a heavily loaded truck entered the main road from a side road. Its movement will be slow on a congested road at that peek hour. The other vehicular movements too will be disturbed with its presence on the road! 

There came a flashing thought in to my mind, while watching this sight.  We as humans also travel heavily loaded with our inner feelings, memories, or aspirations. The travel becomes encumbered by disturbances, inhibitions or anxiety! 

'Travel light' was the slogan of the Indian Railways a few years ago. 

How are we to travel light when we encounter emotional upheavals or multiple challenges in life? 

 

The three sources of our inner heaviness are on account of our disappointments, aspirations, or expectations. All of them exist in the domain of our control. 

The interior space when crowded with such thoughts would need liberation !  This is the exercise of personal debriefing, when one has an inner conversation with oneself to feel liberated from an entrapped mind set. 

The inner journey is towards inner sanctorum within, where the ambience is peace and goodwill. The clouds of disappointments, aspirations or expectations which descend in our inner being would get carried away, when our attention turns to experience the inner presence  of the companion God.

Listening to one response of a seven year old child by giving away his birthday gift of a set of clothes to his classmate who did not have enough clothes, opened my eyes to this reality of travelling light. His response when parents reasoned with him was, ' I have enough but my friend does not have even the essential'! The boys's freedom to give away suggested his attachment to friendship rather than to things. 

That example gave me an insight about another way of living- living relationally! Our needs or burdens become lighter to endure, when we have a mindful attitude towards others and their situations. We cultivate charity by being mindful of others and diffuse the traction of greed!  

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

 

 

The message from a garden !

During a recent visit to a mountain village in the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border in the Nilgiri mountains, Anna and I noticed these butterflies in one corner of a wild garden. Their presence made that corner of the garden colourful and vibrant. It looked like a breeding corner for the butterflies. 

Their colours and designs gave the butterflies a distinguished look. They belong to different species and families. Yet they shared a common home. 

This has a lesson for the human species. Historically, humans struggled to dominate over others. The history of wars and invasions tells us the hidden human instinct. However, from that traditions, the nations of the world evolved to become fraternal nations. The Second World War was the result of the resurgence of the pursuit to impose racial dominance. Now after about seventy-five years, we see another resurgence of 'authoritarian' culture returning to dislocate the fraternal spirit of co-existence. 

The lesser beings than the humans discover the pleasure of relational behaviour! Has the human species got entrenched in narrow selfish pursuit of intolerance and aggression to control and possess?

I noticed at the summit of a mountain range, terraced land and two cottages. The coconut plantation surrounded the hill. In a conversation with a professional who retired in his mid forties and came to live in this area 'close to nature' was seeking to live in peace and harmony with nature. 

Amidst all the advances we make in our human pursuit, has peace and wellness for oneself and goodwill towards others got subsumed in the strife to be successful, prosperous and wealthy! 

In the quiet corner of a garden, different species of Butterflies shared a common space to live and flourish! 

The language has shifted from 'saving' to 'investing' when we listen to younger people! Even that has become a reason for strife and stress! 

Stephen Grellet (1773-1855) wrote: " I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again". 

Stephen Grellet was a French-American Quaker who travelled to different places advocating for prison reform, abolition of slavery and peace. Born into a French nobility, he survived death sentence at the age of 17 years, during French Revolution. He managed to escape prison and fled to Amsterdam, spent time in West Indies and finally landed in New York in 1795. He dedicated his life to global humanitarian work. Raised as a catholic he became an agnostic during his youth. He had a spiritual awakening and joined the Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1976. Grellet became a successful merchant and used his profits to tour north America and Europe to spread the message of peace and reconciliation. It was he along with Elizabeth Fry initiated action, to change the horrific living conditions in the London's Newgate Prison. 

Grellet had a change of heart and was illuminated by the love of God to which he responded by pursuing to bring goodness of God to human hearts. 

He transcended from being possessed by success as a merchant and turned his heart towards people who needed wellness and peace! His was a journey from being 'imprisoned' by his wealth to a life of self emptying to bring wellness to others! 

The serene and jubilant ambience in the butterfly corner awakened me to a new consciousness of interior peace, which is what others too long for themselves ! 

M.C.Mathew (text and photo) 

A way of living!

A squirrel came visiting the feeding station in our garden. It seemed to be an exploratory visit! I noticed that squirrels avoid visiting when the birds are in the vicinity. 

I have observed that squirrels and birds become gradually familiar with each other and are comfortable to be in the feeding station together. 

But they are not co-feeders. They possess the food and eat! 

But the birds share their food with others and co-feed. 

These observations help us in understanding human behaviour, which has variability! 

It is a human instinct to possess and keep. When we come across people who are comfortable to share from what they have, it is a delight because they are showing us the way we are called to live!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

 

The inner and the outer !

 

I observed the habits of birds, when they are perched hedges on a tree. Most birds find a secure place as in the first two photographs to hold on to a resilient branch. The next three photos show the Mynah was perched on a slender branch. 

It was, then it occurred to me that the Mynah did not need a strong branch to perch on t feel secure. It relied on its ability to fly and protect itself in case the slender branch gave way. 

What a consoling thought!

The resilience to stay safe is in the wings of the birds and not governed by the strength of the twig the bird is perched upon. 

That brought an inner conversation within me about the way I am used to view difficult situations! 

The recent example has been when I was caught in a traffic hold up. With little space to left to have a choice except to follow the vehicle in front, I noticed some honking, some others breaking the queue and moving forward when there was a little space to make a force entry, and some others waiting patiently. 

The impatience of many and the patience of some became a lesson to ponder upon!

When do we grow in patience! It is when there is a quiet and gentle confidence, comfort and trust that one is able to negotiate through a difficult situation. The impatient behaviour is an indication of stress or turmoil, often a sign of preoccupation with oneself! When the attitude of 'me, myself and mine' dominates we lose sight of what is beyond and attempt to press forward by grabbing what one is wanting! 

This inner orientation of comfort and hope is what gives many resilience. The external situation can be hostile or stressful! But that does not become a reason to pursue a path for oneself unmindfully of others! 

A bird's strength is in its flight. 

Its strength is both inherited and acquired. A bird is born to fly and develops the flying skills by practice. 

That is a thought that inspires me. Each of us is endowed with skills and abilities. How early we discover them and exercise them to allow the unfolding of them is a personal choice each of us has to make. 

After about 25 years of having had an interest in birds and flowers and used photography to capture the scenes that called my attention, I realise how reflection on birds and flowers became an inner upbuilding experience in life. Most of the blogposts in this blog are narratives related to birds and flowers. 

The reflections on this blog contributed to the inner growing experience during these years. 

Some of the difficult and turbulent experiences in life occurred during  these 25 years. The inner fortitude that a reflective learning journey offered protected me from the adversity of situations. 

The inner strength is God's gift as much as we receive them and internalise them! 

The bird's strength is in its flying! 

Our strength is in our openness to God!

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)

Fairness and justice in governance !

I followed the activities of birds and Butterflies in our garden yesterday.

They have a routine to their daily rhythm. They receive from nature their sustenance. There is a certainty about it. 

The recent agitations and protests from the student community arose out of their uncertainty about the fair outcome of the examination system in this country. After labouring to prepare for the entrance tests, many feel disadvantaged as the ineligible acquire admission by them  accessing the question papers ahead of the examinations through fraudulent practices. 

The uncertainty and denial of legitimate opportunities have a disturbing effect on the student community. 

Those who are responsible to oversee fair practices betray the trust reposed on them by millions of students. 

The trust deficit erodes the value system and pushes students to protest in the street over the failure of a system, for which those in authority do not seem to be accountable. 

The way the government of India added Ethanol to petrol without any prior discussion with vehicle owners is another example of a failing system of accountability to car owners. They suffered loss of mileage for the last two years. It was when car owners discovered this accidentally, it caused an uproar. There is a suspicion that it was done to befit the manufactures of ethanol. 

The civil society is beginning to be more alert to restore the practice of policy making by consultation. 

The responsibility of governance role is passed on to the democratically elevated governments in the hope that they safeguard the interest and needs of people it serves.  

We live in uncertain times due to the shift of focus from people- centric governance to partisan decisions to favour those who are ideologically in alignment with the ruling dispensation.

When people's interests are overlooked, we unsettle people emotionally and behaviourally! 

I wish peace and fairness will become the language of those in authority and in governance responsibilities ! The civil society needs an assurance of fairness and justice!

M.C.Mathew (text and Photo)

 

 

Seeker and finder !

We have had heavy rains in our area for the last five days. There are reposts of loss of lives and property in different parts of this state. The flooding has left several villages, townships and roadways submerged with rivers overflowing and landslides blocking roads. We suffered without power for a day. 

The bird visitors to our garden were fewer during this week. I noticed a Barbet flying into the Guava tree to find its feed during a short spell of respite from rain.  In a few minutes it arrived at a spot where one Guava looked ripe enough. 

The careful inspection that followed was what caught my inspection. It took time to have a good view of the fruit by inspecting from different angles before it reached out with its beaks for a taste. 

The determination to seek and find was explicit in the Barbet's behaviour! 

Another Barbet arrived shortly after the first Barbet left following a sumptuous feed. 

This interesting sight brought a reminder about the avian behaviour. They seek and find by the habit of overcoming difficulties. 

The old garage adjacent to our cottage has been the office of ASHIRVAD for the last thirteen years since Anna and I relocated to live in our cottage.  The activities of ASHIRVAD in child development and rehabilitation remain confined to publication of books, a weekly on line professional forum for clinical discussion and an on line consultation of neurologically challenged children for the advantage of Paediatricians working in mission hospitals in North India. The other focus of ASHIRVAD on Integrated Living continues with involvement to have seminars on Mid life formation, transition and vocation, Parenting presence, and Life, Living and Learning. Every time there is a long spell of rain, the garage suffers seepage of water. It happened again yesterday. The garage is about seventy years old with a tiled low roof located lower than its surrounding. While I was getting the garage tidy yesterday, it reminded me of the attention the garage needs to improve its sturdiness.  

The interior of the garage is a hospitable place during normal seasons and I find it a place of comfort to spend most of the day doing the writing and reflecting. I have often felt the joy of the transition of a garage to a work place that looks decent and comfortable. I wanted a simple facility which is what I found in the garage. On its wall, there are the pictorial representation of activities of ASHIRVAD for fifty years. They remind me of the journey of seeking and finding. 

One painting on the wall, given to me by a resident, Dr Jayanthi in 2008, when I retired from CMC Vellore, is a moving depiction of my biography. She captured the essence of 'seeking and finding' !

A Barbet seeks and finds its daily needs. 

For Anna and me, the journey has been to seek and find ways to engage in 'Taking sides' of parents and their developmentally challenged children  for the last fifty years!  It was this which became our vocation. We feel that we have been given an opportunity to live fulfilled in this vocation! 

The garden around our cottage brings messages of encouragement and affirmation for which we feel grateful!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Behavioural trends !

The Barbets arrive at the feeding station in our garden, when other birds have left after their feed. The Bulbul and Mynah birds do not appear comfortable when a Barbet is around. They accommodate the presence of a squirrel. 

The barbets have other fruits to feed on such as Guava or Papaya in our front garden.  

I notice one or two Barbets perch in the Cable and watch the feeding station and often fly away looking for fruits elsewhere in the garden that they are more fond of ! 

My own observation since we have the feeding station in our garden for ten years now, is that Barbets keep away from other birds, whereas Mynah and Bulbul birds are sociable. Even the Sun birds are seen present around the feeding table when Bulbuls are present. They tolerate human presence and would call out for attention! 

We tried having two feeding stations to allow some birds like Barbets who seek privacy to come to. The parrots are the other species which are similar in behaviour towards other birds. 

I become more aware of traits in human behaviour when I watch these behaviours in birds. 

Yesterday, I met a senior citizen in the local market, who knew my parents. He referred to my parents as those who were thoughtful towards others. He talked about an incident when he received help from my parents when he was in need. 

My parents moved to this village one hundred kilometres away form their native place, soon after independence of India, when the newly started local school needed teachers. Their response to uproot themselves and live in an altogether new place, made all the difference to their lives and others others in the village. This was a transcultural journey leaving the familiar place of their origin and the net work of family and friends.

Anna was born and brought up in Pune and I spent my medical college years in Nagpur. Following our marriage, we began our life at Pune and Sevagram, and then moved to Nagpur. We spent twenty eight years in Tamil Nadu and had a short time in Pondicherry. For thirteen years now, we live in the village which was the adopted home of my parents. 

Most birds are travellers and some are migratory in behaviour. They get formed by these experiences. 

I feel that people who have inter-cultural experiences contribute to enlarge themselves and educate natives of each place about something different from what they are used to. 

The honey bees and the Butterflies pollinate the flowers they visit. 

Now in our mid seventies, Anna and I look back at what we have left behind through our migratory presence in different places in India. We still have meaningful contacts and conversations with some in these places. 

The Barbets are more insular than other birds. They do not join in with other birds for the morning cacophony that is special in our garden! 

There is a self-transcendence which provides a relational dimension to social living! Others come into our lives as formatters and companions. I look back to see how marriage made us more complete; and how friendships and relationships have been formative and transformative to our way of living! 

The social media is largely event and cause centred. But relationships are life-centred to bring out a deeper experience of shared living!

M.C.Mathew( text and photo)