OshwalNewsI - Oshwal Centre

h
h
h
h
h
h
h
h
h
h
h
h
h
h
h
h
h
h
h
F
Happy Diwali - Oshwal News
W
e all desire to evolve and attempt to
make our lives better but we often fall
short of our desires. In order to evolve,
our first step should be to quit desiring. Desire is
a manifestation of our craving, which we wish to
accomplish some day and it further creates
expectations from everyone in and around us
including ourselves.
Our reaction to our expectations is usually in the
form of anxiety, pain, stress, self-condemnation,
accusation etc. But the question is, why does
this happen to us It happens because we are
weak and are surrounded by uncertainty. Our
actions are small but our expectations are very
high. We have got into habit of reacting about
everything irrespective of whether it concerns us
or not and if all it concerns us our reactions are
totally self-centred. We have become so
obsessed with ourselves that we have created a
world of our ideas, thoughts, principles and
procedures and anything that falls beyond it is
considered to be wrong by us.
It may not seem like the perfect comparison, but
when we compare ourselves with a tree, we find
that we don’t have to face even one per cent of
the difficulties faced by the tree. Still, a tree
always seems to be relaxed and calm. It does
not oppose anything though it experiences
everything. It doesn't have a home of its own
but becomes home for so many living beings.
A tree provides home and shelter for everyone
without discriminating between animals and
humans or between the stronger and the weaker
and is thankful to others for giving it an
opportunity to serve them. On the other hand,
we humans fight over small piece of land. And if
we provide shelter to anyone we either charge
rent or do not hesitate in mentioning the favour
that we have bestowed
on our fellow human
beings.
A
tree remains
unaffected by
strong winds,
scorching
heat, cold breeze, rain
etc as it stands still on
its ground firmly facing
the different forms and
forces of nature with
indifference. On the
other hand we humans
have all the reasons to
complain about the
heat, cold, changing
weather and other
inhospitable
conditions.
40
A
B E L IKE A T REE
tree experiences everything blissfully
through the passing phases of time as it
knows that everything is temporary. But we
humans react negatively to changes because we
expect everything to be unchanging and
permanent. Hence we cry and complain when
nothing is working for us because we feel
nothing will ever work for us.
A tree remains static, not interested in anything
but itself. That does not mean it is selfish, after
being static also it is home for the animals etc.
It meditates on itself in an attempt to realise its
creator. But man does not have time to even
think about all this - he is only interested in
knowing how he can grow materially and is more
interested in knowing what is happening outside
his own life, especially in others’ lives.
Instead of learning from trees, man has even
exploited trees for his own selfish interest, out of
arrogance that no one is better than him,
forgetting that the life of a tree is much more
useful than that of us humans.
A
tree is strong. Nothing disturbs it. It
experiences everything without
complaining. The wind blows past it, the
sun throws scorching heat at it and it is still the
same. Then the rain comes and again it remains
unaffected. Animals and humans take shelter
under it and it is more than happy to give what
they want. Birds make their nests in it, animals
eat its fruits, but the tree is happy because
others are happy. It remains within itself all the
time; It does not react to wrong or right but
observes everything as a beautiful experience
without being judgemental.
As stated in Bhagvad Gita. –in the Gita (20-23)
Lord Krishna says: “In the stage of perfection
called trance or Samadhi, one’s
mind is completely restrained
from mental activities by the
practice of yoga. This perfection
is characterised by one’s ablility
to see the self with a pure mind
and to relish and rejoice in the
self. In that joyous state, one is
situated in a boundless
transcendental happiness,
realised through transcendental
senses. Established thus, one
never departs from the truth,
and upon gaining this, he thinks
there is no greater gain. Being
situated in such a position, one
is never shaken even in the
midst of greater difficulty. This
indeed is the actual freedom
from all miseries arising from
material contact.”