Life is a journey for all living beings with an unknown destination.
A new life - newborn receives the warmest welcome, the mere news of its arrival brings in curiosity. Yet unborn, this little creature inside the womb has unknowingly started its journey, its plan to step into the world and very little it knows about how well it will be received. Every parent, the farmers, the poor, the commoners, the royals; from whichever strata of the society have their own ways of celebrating life!
The recent 2 instances of the way of celebrating life lay the foundation for this post-
The world learnt of a proud father, an eminent CEO of a social networking site that I and most of us use to promote, share and vent our experiences from our everyday life. The CEO shared his joy of fatherhood. The couple's daughter, needless to say is the most precious gift for them and a very elated father, donates 99% of his company's shares that accounts for $45 bn (30 bn) at its current market value. Very sensibly this amount will be given away over the course of couples lives and it primarily focuses on improving human potential, promotion of equality of children. The couple wants the world to be a better place for their adorable daughter.
This announcement broke the internet - undoubtedly it had to!
Though there are many unanswered questions, CEO's wife's property isn't accounted and only time will analyse the authenticity and purity of the purpose.
Like the world, I too applauded this benevolence and commitment of these powerful parents towards their daughter.
My limitations that I could only laud because unlike them neither I posses that amount of money nor I have that ability to make this world a better place for my daughter, instead I can only strive to make her a better human who can make this world a better place to live.
Often when questioned about the disparity in our Indian society, the divide between the rich and poor, privileged and underprivileged despite of India being a land of multi-millionaires, I prefer to keep mum. Do I have any answer? That is an unfathomable reality.
Oh Yes! I opened a Sukanya Yojana account and have been piously depositing some funds to secure her future - I am a commoner!
Often when questioned about the disparity in our Indian society, the divide between the rich and poor, privileged and underprivileged despite of India being a land of multi-millionaires, I prefer to keep mum. Do I have any answer? That is an unfathomable reality.
Oh Yes! I opened a Sukanya Yojana account and have been piously depositing some funds to secure her future - I am a commoner!
Now what instigated me more to write this post?
A Prince is born in a Royal family of Bhutan. Again, needless to say the Royals are over the moon on their Prince's arrival in not so perfect world; a world that is cutting down trees, a world that is losing its connection with nature, a world where modernisation comes at a cost and at last a world where natural is replaced by unnatural and the later being accepted as modern civilisation. So going ahead this couple with the help of the government of Bhutan, plants 108,000 trees! Bhutan is a democracy, underdeveloped but high on happiness quotient. It relies on India for its needs but is progressive about restoration of a faith as per Buddhism, which believes that trees are symbol of longevity, health, beauty and to an extent compassion. Now why 108,000 trees? Like Hinduism, the number 108 is very sacred in Buddhism, it relates to cleansing of 108 'kleshas - impurities' that obstruct beings from enlightenment - so now you understand importance of 108 beads in rosary, which also exists in Hinduism and Islam.
So when Buddhishts, Hindus and Muslims dwell in India, is something like this difficult to adapt and practice?
So when Buddhishts, Hindus and Muslims dwell in India, is something like this difficult to adapt and practice?
Never being colonised, being rooted to the tradition, never being attacked unlike its South Asian counterparts, Bhutan silently is giving a 'strong message' and it is up to us to decipher.
Unlike the world, I applaud and praise this stance of planting trees more over the former's donation stance; no way I am being judgemental or demeaning the CEO.
This Royal family has laid the stones and it is for the world to realise the significance of living in a world close to nature and the irony is most of us spend time and money to organise a perfect holiday amidst hills and trees to find solace.
Solace is; when that crisp pure air soothes your respiratory tract and rejuvenates your lungs and different colours of nature calm your eyes that leave an ever lasting image in your brain. The experience is magical when your senses are in co-ordination.
As neighbours, India can and should learn so much. There is a probability of 'vaan nahi tari gun lagla' as a saying goes in Marathi. If each faith plants even 108 trees, a global message can be conveyed.
A commoner like me who doesn't have billions or even millions to donate, yet can be a Royal by planting trees - what a fantastic thought and act - take a bow Bhutan!
There is no rule book to celebrate life and one can surely draft its own way.
Each sapling is planted with a prayer and gratitude, the tree grows well and healthy, so shall the Prince.
Long live the Prince.
Long live the Prince.
