Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Philosophy- The Banyan Tree,The Squirrel and You









Once up on a time not too long ago on the banks of the sacred river Penna was a huge but calm , tall but simple banyan tree.It was so tall that the clouds could rest on its branches.On one of its far spread stems in a beautifully built nest  lived a sparrow happily with its cute family.In a small hole of a close by palm tree lived a squirrel and its sweet little family.As the sparrow finishes meditation and flies away to fetch food every morning the little ones used to chirp him good bye.As months passed by quickly , slowly crawled a beautiful money plant across the trunk and soon reached the tree tops.Unlike the sparrow the money plant is completely dependent on the banyan tree for its food and shelter.Its a Parasite.

Every day on its way back the sparrow started bringing home a new friend, who soon would bring his family and build a nest on the big banyan tree .Soon the tree was filled with nests of all the species of birds on this planet.As days progressed, competing with each other they built nests with soft feathers the next with marbles and an other with silver pebbles and then with diamonds.The banyan tree which couldn't carry the weight anymore started leaning each day.The squirrels family on the other hand lived its own life style taught to it by its ancestors and the knowledge gained from their prayers.While eating for surviving they used to  save some nuts for tough times.



But the birds on the banyan tree still competing - some sent their kids to harvard fishing school and others force them to oxford hunting university.Soon their happiness turned in to quarrels for space/food .While one wanted to see the sunrise from its nest the other wanted a clear view of the stars at night.The little birds no more chirped good bye when the male birds fly to get food every morning.The birds no more had time  to meditate every morning either.

A friday which started like any other day soon turned dark as the black clouds filled the sky like the tides in the ocean.As the squirrel lives close to the ground it quickly sensed the smell of mud and the cyclone on its way.It immediately rushed home to his family and could survive for a week with the nuts they have saved.As the lightning split it in to half , the hurricane like winds soon destroyed the banyan tree which was in its final stages lifting it from the roots.The nests were torn in to pieces and not even a single bird survived the natures disaster.The money plant crawled on to an other banyan tree near by.The palm tree which was light and small survived.

The tree  can be compared to the human body and nests to the number of people around you.The people and the problems that come with them are not outside you but deep inside you.The more you have around you the less you have inside your-self.Like the money plant there are parasites who solely depend on you .The day you have no more to offer they quickly ignore/abandon you and move on to an other sources of survival.

Everyone is a hero in their own World/Ego.Every home is a sweet home for the one living in it and his family and kids are the best from anything else on this planet.That might be extreme humane.But don't get carried away and get lost in the race for excessive materialistic pleasures/comparisons like property,money and power.Always remember where you came from and how beautiful your childhood and life has been.Don't forget the soul/sole purpose of your existence and the one responsible for its creation or as you lean day after day you will be swept by the cyclone hiding behind the cloud of people/passion.

And the squirrel lives happily ever after....


Nani