The morning drizzle started around 9 am. The buttercups had opened and looked brilliant from a distance, with a faint distant view of water drops on the petals.
With the camera protected from the drizzle, I walked towards the corner in the garden to have a closer look at the Buttercups. It was a sight of exuberance! The flowers got decorated and looked ornamental with the water drops.
How the Buttercups, which by the familiarity of their presence do not get noticed enough, had a different look in the subdued light of the morning on a cloud day!
There are certain experiences which give us a surprising insight, when we are not preoccupied with the usual! Even in the usual, there might be something hidden, that can be received only by attentiveness and fuller presence to the situation. The water drops on the petals were of different sizes. They looked hanging from the petals but not dropping to the ground instantly. That surprised me.
On the cable adjacent to the garden, a Drongo was perched with a an insect held by its paws and soon it gulped it into its wide open mouth. Its pair was perched on the cable, both deliberately wanting to be in the drizzle.
Soon after the drizzle, an Egret flew into the garden and moved around looking for its feed!
The rose bush looked fresh and sparkling after the drizzle!
A Bulbul arrived at the water bath. It did not dip into the water. Instead, it kept looking at its own refection in the water. As I remembered Bulbuls sitting on the car mirror and watching the reflection, I knew that this Bulbul was taking a break and finding delight in itself! The last picture of it giving a bird call at the end of this pleasurable experience was striking! It was an announcement of delight!
Do small things matter! Do we have time to give ourselves to be attentive to trivial things!
Someone might say to me, 'You are retired. You have all the time now'. It is a good question to ponder upon!
We have the sense of sight and interpretation! It is an outward incident, sight or an activity which shall lead us to experience an inward resonance.
It was while watching these sights above, in our garden, I realised that a garden has its own daily stories to narrate. It is when we receive them, there is a new awareness of the 'ground of our being'. We live surrounded by realities and insights. They can stay distant from us or come near us, depending on how we receive them.
We are formed and renewed by what happens within us. The gift of mindfulness we can offer to others begins with an awareness of what is around us and within us. We become free inwardly when we are open to receive sights and messages from around us. It is when we are preoccupied we live detached and dissociated. Is not preoccupation a stress generating trigger!
To be present to what is around us is one way of living in the present, and the 'now' becomes the centre of our being!
The disciples of Jesus of Nazareth were caught in a storm, while crossing over to the other side of the sea, in a boat. They were preoccupied with straining at the oars to steady the boat. Jesus came walking on the sea to meet them. We are told in the narration of this incident that the disciples thought that a ghost was coming towards them and got even more frightened Jesus revealed Himself to them by saying, 'Take courage. It is I, do not be afraid' ( Mark 6; 45-52) !
When preoccupied we loose the sense of perception and reality. We end up distorted in thought and in deed.
The antidote to a self absorbed way of living is to take time to feel touched, moved and spoken to by the happenings around us and feel present to receive what is hidden in each experience!
When I was about to return from the garden yesterday, I spotted a black hooded Oriole arriving in the garden! It surprised me ! It was at least four months since I spotted one in our garden!
When we become present, we would feel befriended! The Oriole kept looking at me!
Do I see those who keep looking at me!
M.C.Mathew (photo and text)
No comments:
Post a Comment