The Journey

A river-let has it humble origin somewhere in the deep forests. Tender and pure it wanders into the unknown and innocuous territory. Oblivious of where it is heading next, it encounters multiple challenges, sometimes a fall over a high cliff sometimes the curves of the valley. The experience is enthralling but all short lived. It thinks that is what it's life is all about, along it's course.

          All along it's route it picks up various things; logs, leaves, fishes, sand and silt. The river-let now identifies it's life with all the fallen things. Unable to decipher the meaning of it's life, the river-let give the things more importance than it's own life. It finds charm in the leaves, how green and how fresh. But in due course of time they all rot. Then the fishes attract the river-let for some time, but the charm dies down again. All those things ferry along with the river taking turns to impress the river-let but don't make it for too long.

          What is meaning of the journey of the innocent river-let? When there is too much rainfall, it overflows over it's own limits, unleashing it's fury. When there is too much sun, it looses itself in it's own paucity. Only a few lucky river-lets unite together to form a river! The company. The company of the like minded. All the different colors mix. Few celebrate the difference and few revolt against. But they need to move together to discover the meaning of their journey.

          After all the gymnastics and the painful travel from it's home, it meets its purpose of existence, its real home. It meets the ocean. The river is now no more there as a river but as might ocean. And what bliss to meet the ocean. The master greets and welcomes all his devotees that are part of him now. The river's sojourn is now complete. Is now complete.

(The Art of Living International Center, Bengaluru)