To Observe and learn from nature.

 “கற்றது கை மண் அளவு, கல்லாதது உலகளவு”
What one knows is only a handful, whereas the unknown is the size of the world 

- Auvayar (ஔவையார், ancient Tamil poetess)

I turned 48 years recently.

Having gone through years of school and college education, raised two children, read a lot of books, watched movies, listened to the news and lived in the age of google, wiki and YouTube, I expected to reach a point when I can say with confidence that I ‘know’ at least a little bit about our natural world - everything from germination to geology, from marine life to galaxies, from soil to solar eclipses, from snails to elephants.

But, Recently I came to the conclusion that I have no deep knowledge or understanding of any of the above!

Actually, let me clarify this. 

I can recall names, terms and definitions of many things. Thanks to our short sighted education system, I have probably committed these to memory in order to pass exams. But my understanding stops right there.

For instance, I have learnt the lifecycle of a butterfly from my biology textbook. ‘Pupa’, ‘chrysalis’, ’metamorphosis’ - I can recall these terms. But I perhaps never observed firsthand any of these while I was learning the lesson.

Later on, when life gave me opportunities to actually see a cocoon or a caterpillar, I chose to either ignore it or give it a quick glance and move on with my mundane daily life.

I probably told myself “I am done learning about this in school itself” or “I have more important things to do and hence too busy to notice this”. What I actually missed was the caterpillar weave a home around itself, dissolve into a liquid form and turn into a completely different form in a matter for few days. In short, I failed to see the masterpiece or the true genius that was happening right there! I was not letting myself be amazed because I thought I was too busy, or too cool for that!

So, what has shifted in me now?  I now know that the true brilliance of life can be discovered only by understanding the natural world. I have come to understand that I am not separate from the leaf or the butterfly. And I am very much a part of this wonder called life or living. Only if I see the mystery of the butterfly will I be able to recognise the wonder in my own life.

So here I am, trying to make a new beginning!

Going forward, I hope to spend more time observing nature, understanding and learning from it, opening myself to the deep and profound messages they are teaching me. 

For doing this, I realise that I should learn to become quiet, observant and practice patience. So, in some sense, this is also an opportunity for self-discovery!

Also, I do not want this quest to become a pure intellectual pursuit. Rather I want this to help me discover the connection between all beings.

The earth has music for those who listen. —William Shakespeare

Thanks you for taking the time to read my blog. If this interests you in anyway, please follow me on my journey and kindly share your feedback.