I watched this tree in the lawn of the guest house of Bangalore Baptist Hospital drop its flowers on the carpet of flourishing grass in the lawn. With every blowing of the wind or when the squirrels were feeding on the flowers, there was a regular descent of the flowers. In fact the lawn was cleared of the dry flowers when I came to sit in the lawn, waiting for birds to arrive. In less than fifteen minutes the lawn was profuse with the blue petals.
I sat watching this regular descent of the flower petals as if they were dropped by a sprayer preset by a computer programme.
The story of these flowers began with the tender leaves appearing on the tree, followed by buds, and later flowers taking time to blossom over the next several days, offering their honey to bees, squirrels and honey suckers. At one particular time the flowers become loose from their stem and fall to the ground.
This tree was without buds during my visit to the hospital in February 2020, but in the first week of March, they were in full blossom and spread their blue petals to form a carpet over the grass beneath the tree.
It was then I was moved to dwell on the theme of impermanency!
There is a time and season for everything. In the 11 the chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament of the Bible, there is a vivid reference to this impermanency in multiple domains of life.
Most events and experiences have a beginning and end. We live experiencing these transitions.
At this time of widespread devastation following corona virus infection, we are currently pre-occupied with containing it from harming humans any more. This too has had a beginning and seems to have a decline or end in sight ! The story form China alludes to it.
So how are we to live in this transition phase!
When fourteen ladies were stranded at the geographical border of Kerala and the vehicle would not take them to their home town in Malappuram due the shut down, they called up the Chief Minister of Kerala at 1 am in the morning, waking him up from his sleep to share their predicament. In less than an hour the Chief Minister was able to organise a rescue party to take them to their home town. This act of generosity and timely support is a testimony to the way how we are to live during the transitions in life.
What matters ultimately in life is, 'How we are to others when they feel helpless and need us'!
Yesterday, about 300 migrant workers travelling in two truck containers were stopped by the police while they were on their way to Rajasthan from south india. Look at the desperation of people while they go through this transition of 21 days, when there is prohibition of any form of travel. About 2000 migrant workers turned up yesterday for a meal at the night shelter run by the New Delhi government.
There are sights of police caning or make them frog jump, while walking on the road carrying a back pack. They too are the helpless migrant workers who decided to walk till they reached home.
There is impermanency to our position, power, authority, and control, all of which is given to us to 'love our neighbour as ourselves'!
It was the Chief Minister of West Bengal who demonstrated this in an unusual way in Kolkota yesterday, when she visited the vegetable market and was seen making circles with a brick in her hand, on the road at a distance of 1 meter for people to wait, while they were served. She was mindful of the awful suffering of people and cared enough to visit them!
We live in a in between time. There is impermanency to all what we have or possess. So any good we can do during the in between time is an opportunity to be self giving.
When the blue petals are on the lawn grass, there is an added elegance to the lawn!
When we share our acts of kindness, during this in between period of awful suffering to people around us, we share in their sorrow and make it bearable! This brings humanness through our presence!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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