The Mango Tree

Life seems to be at its most beautiful moment when I connect my inner self with the environment; when both seem to be in unison with each other; when I raise above self and start appreciating each and every creation of the God Almighty.

It was during one such moment that I began my inward journey with a thought about “Mangoes” and as I closed my eyes, I heard someone say “Nice fruits aren't they?”

“Nice is an understatement, I will say delicious” I replied. The person nodded his head in agreement and went ahead “Did you ever think of the bearer of this fruit; The Mango Tree?”

“No” I said. The man chuckled and said “I did not expect anything better from you or for that matter from any of your kind”.

“Year after year it keeps giving delicious fruits to the mankind. It seems as if it is fulfilling a sacred ritual, a commitment given to its creator, the God Almighty. It looks as if the tree is living up to the God’s expectations” he continued.

I felt my eyes open wide even with their lids firmly shut.  Images of mango groves with tall and mighty trees, full of all varieties of mangoes loomed large in front of me. I saw myself going around the grove, looking at the branches bent down with weight of the fruits, a sweet aroma emanating from the ripened fruits and the trees swinging their heads slowly with an open invitation to offer their services to me.

I felt a gentle touch on my shoulders and I came back from my reverie and I heard the person say “All those which exist under the sky are created with a definite purpose by the God Almighty. The expectation while creating is that everyone and everything lives up to the purpose for which it has taken birth. The purpose of the purpose is to ensure peaceful co-existence, selfless service and a desire to see others happy”

There was a little pause so that I could brace up for some bitter truth to follow.

“Contrary to the expectations of the creator there are some who do not live up to the purpose while some do it heartily. You will notice that the nature; its flora, fauna, the water, the air, the rain, the clouds all perform their duties perfectly. They never look for recognition or rewards. They just keep going about their task so as to make their existence meaningful” the person stated.

“What about the human beings?” I asked.

“I knew that you will ask. I deeply regret to say that the human beings do not come anywhere near fulfilling the purpose of their creation. Their greed and selfishness do not allow them to extend even an empty hand to others as a gesture of help. They fill their coffers and are reluctant to spend a penny to fill someone’s heart with happiness; they spend lot of time, money and energy to get a shapely body but do not flex a muscle to drop a drop of water on someone’s parched lips; they spend hours together in front of a dressing mirror and keep smiling at themselves but hardly smile at all the beautiful creations of the nature” so said the person.

I felt that the person was speaking as if he was in a trance. “Yet, yet, the human beings, without any remorse keep enjoying the fruits of the selfless services offered by other creations of the God Almighty. What an irony? They are the biggest takers and not givers. They do not have the heart to do so”

“Is it not being very hard on the human beings?” I asked.

“No. It is not. Search your heart with earnestness. You will find the answer and come back to me when you find one. We will then embark upon a journey to learn the means to make your life and that of other humans meaningful”. He bid goodbye with a wide benevolent smile.

I went outside into the garden and bowed in front of a “Mango” plant I had planted recently.