Dr. Rajesh Bhola
India
Sep 06, 2013
India
Sep 06, 2013
I
fondly remember my trekking journeys as a young enthusiast, when every
year, the moment snow was sighted, I would trek from Kalka to Solan.
Both these places became special and symbolic for me I vividly
recollect the intense and concentrated beauty of the valleys and the
landscape, the birds and animals that revelled in the freezing
conditions and the serene, tall, awesome sky-touching Oak and Deodhar
trees. After almost every kilometer I would find a new landscape, a
new view and a whole new world. The outer landscape merged with the
inner terrain and took my breath away. I have still not forgotten those
sacred experiences of nature. ‘Wild’ nature engenders a sense of
mystery, a sense of awe or wonder; a sense of connectedness or oneness
with the natural world; a profound feeling of transcendence; a belief in
a power greater than oneself; and an appreciation of a unique beauty.
It sparks feelings of inner peace, hope, joy and empowerment, promotes
physical and emotional well-being, and brings about significant changes
in attitude and behaviour. Walking leisurely in the woods is like
hearing a beautiful song, a melody that flows on without haste.
Our modern lifestyles have created a disconnect with the natural environment, wherein we spend significantly more time indoors. We are spending much of our time under fluorescent lighting and in front of a glowing screen.
Many of us have lost our deep awareness and our intimate relationship
with nature because of our busy lives or our urban dwelling. When we attempt to orchestrate time according to our needs and desires we disconnect from the natural cycles of life. We are missing out on the beneficial effects of nature. Our
diseases - physical, emotional and spiritual – are increasing because
we have separated ourselves from the natural rhythms of nature. We are
creating lives that are moving faster than the natural cycle of life. We
are in danger of producing a generation of people who have very little
sense of what place we have in the natural world. We need to tell
our kids to ‘get outside’ - for jungle safaris, rock climbing, river
rafting, or for just collecting snails or butterflies.
Meditation
can help strip away the fog created by all the artificial stimuli we
are exposed to, so that we can find our true self - the self that is a
natural being, just one of the creatures sharing the earth. We need to
disconnect from the synthetic world. Just turn all the gadgets off once
in a while and spend time doing things for ‘real’. There is a higher
purpose at the centre of our existence and it includes in its orbit
bountiful nature, which is teeming with life and bursting with joy and
bliss. When we recognize and acknowledge this bliss we put ourselves
in a position to think well of all others and become one with nature. This is also termed as nature mysticism
and is characterized by flashes of illumination, a feeling of unity, a
sense of joy, bliss and peace, a transcendence of time and space, a
sense of the numinous and a change in attitude and behaviour. It makes us humble in the face of something bigger than ourselves, and helps impart a spiritual grace.
Some people have a special connect with nature.
The foundation of their activism is spawned from their childhood
adventures with nature, particularly experiences that were somewhat
risky, and often undertaken alone. My family was fortunate to have Mr. Sharma as our neighbour.
He was the Secretary of the Chandigarh Lake Club and was a very good
surfer and skier. He used to consistently purse his passion by skiing
for a few hours everyday in the Lake’s water. He would share many things
with me about his passion, and say: “When I go skiing or surfing I
enjoy the interaction with the environment. I enjoy the excitement. I
also realize how fragile I am as a human being. I am focused in that
moment. I cannot think of anything else that gives me that feeling. I am
playing with something so much greater than me; so much more powerful,
pleasurable and sensuous. I am totally immersed in the task, so much so
that I lose my sense of self and become totally at one with the water.
It cleanses me, washing all the cares and worries away.”
All
manifestations of the natural world, from the highest mountain to the
simplest flower, elicit noble, elevated thoughts and passionate emotions
in the observers. Wordsworth repeatedly emphasizes the importance of
nature to an individual’s intellectual and spiritual development. He
says that people become selfish and immoral when they distance
themselves from nature. A good relationship with nature helps
individuals connect to both the spiritual and the social worlds. Nature
provides the ultimate good influence on the human mind. Humanity’s
innate empathy and nobility of spirit becomes corrupted by artificial
social conventions and the squalor of city life. In contrast, people who spend a lot of time with nature, retain the purity and nobility of their souls.
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in Nature that is ours.
Dr. Rajesh Bhola
is President of Spastic Society of Gurgaon and is working for the cause
of children with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and
multiple disabilities for more than 20 years
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