By Pariti Gayathri

A bird flying high in the sky, a colourful and cute bird sitting on a branch, sometimes carrying grains and sometimes carrying some leaves and twigs. Whatever they do, when we look at them, they bring a smile on our face and peace to our hearts. 

            If we take a closer look at them, and their lives, they become our “Masters” and teach us the way we should lead our life. There is no tomorrow or no next moment in their life, they “Live” this moment not worrying about the next. If, we also take a break for a moment and look at our lives, even in our life there is no next moment until it is there. All that exists is now and here. But still, we carry the burdens and pressures for ten lifetimes in this moment, forgetting the fact that we might not be there in the next moment.

            So, the first lesson to be learned from these little cute creatures, “Live” at the moment. All the time they are working hard till their last breath, no rest, no recreation, no holidays. In spite of all the hard work they do, there is no guarantee that they will get two grains to fill their stomach or a few drops of water to fill their thirst. There is no fixed shelter for them, even if they make one, just a blow of wind or a thunderstorm and rain is enough to make them homeless. But they never lose hope, never lose heart, like a warrior, they keep going and going. Maybe they are never tired because they don’t think of tomorrow and keep working, doing all they can and expecting nothing.

            We, humans, are drained out very easily let it be physically or psychologically because of all the burden of thoughts that we carry in our hearts and mind. Like those birds, if we learn to engage ourselves in hard work, with no unnecessary thoughts and keep ourselves active in Mind, Body, Heart, and soul, maybe we would also be in peace. Those birds might have never known who God is, nor heard the Bhagavad Gita, But they live the way Lord Krishna had taught. “Do your work and leave the result on me, don’t be bothered about the result just keep going. Live in the moment because you never know if there is a next, yesterday is past and tomorrow is future “both don’t exist”.

            We humans had to be taught all this by Lord himself to live “life” like “life”, with all the superior faculties that he has given only to us, humans. But those little creatures live life, the way lord has intended. They live in the present, work hard till their last breath, never expect anything from anyone, they too have children and parents but have no bondages. They never know the word I or Mine. They depend on nature and God for everything, each and every moment of their life, though they don’t have a religion, know a prayer, or do they hear any preaching of saints, but they live life in total surrendering to the highest. What is wrong if we bow down to these little, great creatures? Don’t we need to that, for what they are and how they lead their lives?

            Maybe its time for us to learn these great things from these small fellows and return to innocence, leaving behind all our ignorance.