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Stumbling upon stillness!



Being a person who thrives in urban, metropolitan chaos; it is a reward to find some time alone, just by myself, doing nothing. I crave for absolute isolation and embrace it at every possible opportunity.  I love to shut myself from outside world and am happy with my cave like world, a womb of complete peace, deep inside my cerebrum. Such interludes are always soaked with sacred moments of deep rooted piety and invariably unfold fascinating lessons about life in general

Our life has become so harried with zillion things that our minds are deafened with its maddening cadence! Every person is running after some insatiable chase, moving like addicts into unheard, unseen rhythm of uncontrolled chaos! 

Sometimes, I wonder if there must have been times when we human beings were mightily happy and content to just sit and be! How many moments during the day do we actually feel stillness to focus on the moment we are living; the present and deeply enjoy it? Exploring the alchemy of stillness and its beautiful intricacy in otherwise chaotic and often claustrophobic spaces is an art not many of us have mastered.



The reason I am ruminating about “Stillness” today is an interesting experience I recently had during our holidays to Coorg, Karnataka.  

I was taking walk near the place we were staying at; a golf course surrounded by forest and mountains and barely any soul around. While exploring the small path leading to the unknown I stumbled upon a small boy sitting quietly on the steps. It looked as if he was sitting there since ages! His solemn face had so much calm! Despite the dirty clothes, he came across as portrait of purity and radiance. I could not help asking him what he was doing. Surprised by my question he replied with a smile, “Main kuch nahi karta hoon. Sirf hoon”. (“I am not doing anything. I am just being.) His simple, innocent answer bowled me over and kept me thinking about how the boy was able to enjoy the stillness at that young age! He looked part of the whole scene, a small, beautiful piece of a perfect picture, absolutely at peace, just happy to BE!

Some occurrences are understood in essence but very difficult to describe in words. When we refer to stillness, we think about cutting ourselves from the world, away from all the chaos. But discovering contours of stillness doesn’t necessarily entail a long journey to the woods. It can be encountered all around us and can be inhabited with complete surrender to the moment, like that little boy.

Far too often we miss out open, playful little moments to this long, unending scroll of floating world; a lyrical stream of tenderness running through life right amidst the chaos and cacophony. There are several moments that offer “vismaya”, that elevating sense of wonder our scriptures talk about. All we need to do is just embrace these simple, poignant moments and realize that stillness is not about external aesthetics but a complete surrender to poignant journey within and discovering our own creative, spiritual pulse and in those magical moments finding the universe resonating tranquil peace. It is in such moments that we discover nucleus of intellect, creativity and even spirituality and find ourself anew in this  solemn journey!  

“Be still.

Stillness reveals the secrets of eternity” 


 - Lao Tzu

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