Fablescape

Reverence For Life

Jai Paramartha an Indian mystic was once on pilgrimage to various shrines along the Coromandel Coast. In one place he and his companion were taken to a hill. They were in time to see the priest who regularly fed the kites with meat. They watched with interest the birds eat their fill. While they climbed down his companion said that the locals worshiped the scavenger-birds as holy. He also added “But their meat is of no use. Inedible. It is a fact.”
“Where did you get that for a fact, friend?” the mystic wanted to know. He hemmed and hawed and said, ”It is a common knowledge.” “Where do these kites, scavengers as they are, go when they die?” “They fall to earth for sure.” “So they are of some use to earth even while dead?”
“Gampa Guru! “ exclaimed his friend in exasperation,” I only meant to say their meat is of no use to us.”
Later the local rajah invited them to be his guests for a while. While chilling out in his gardens Jai Paramartha pointed out to an alligator that was being fed by rajah’s attendant. “See Punya,” the mystic explained,” how devout the animal is? It knows that it is eating the carcass of what was once a living thing.” “So?”
“It is weeping even as it eats. Such reverence!”
His companion went into fits of laughter. “ It is not crying.” “You say some facts. Must you also tell me how I must feel? ” Jai Paramartha said, ”Pity is what those alligators made me feel. My feeling cares not for facts.”
At the end they were back in the village adjoining their own. Coming across some huts gutted by fire Gampa Guru explained how the brushfire had spread and destroyed parts of the village. “Lucky we were spared.” Punya commented. Someone in the meantime called out his name. To his surprise it was his uncle who ran towards him to convey the bad news. Gampa Guru saw Punya changing color from shock. Gampa Guru went quickly towards his companion who cried, “My relative is no more! He only had recently moved to these parts. How terrible. So young and before he could settle down in life!” Gampa Guru expressed his sympathy and led his friend on.
Life Signs is like a rope of many strands. Its power comes from the way we are connected to one another. This power is maintained and made stronger by our ability to share our emotions.
Truth And Imagination
Take poetry for example. How can any poem move us if it were not that quality? We are able to feel for the fall of a sparrow or shudder at the sight of a tiger stalking his prey. A poet with an eye for detail and ear for music paints a picture: not a word is out of place and in a few words the effect is emotionally charged. (How skillfully he is able to convey his emotions!)
The poet’s skill is matched in the way we can see it as vivid as he intended. Also feel it because of a shared experience. There at the heart of it all is truth since it connects the poet and the reader. Truth of experience.
benny