I don’t remember how long have I been walking. Millennia have passed by, days have submerged in the depth of nights, civilisations have risen, empires have fallen, but my walk has never stopped. I have changed, I have transformed, I have evolved - but my walk has never been interrupted.
All seemed to happen just in a blink. It all started with that prodigious cosmic revolution. No word is enough to explain how spectacular was that phenomenon. It seemed then so benignant, so promising. And why that wouldn’t be? I was so absorbed, so amused in that little newly born place amongst the never measurable, ever expanding hollow. It took millions of years to settle down. Then, in a gorgeous morning or in a seducing night the most miraculous of all happened. Life began.
Life – how tiny of a word to describe the most valuable, most magical phenomenon of entire creation. During its first embodiment, it was as tiny as the word. Then, with time it grew big --- bigger --- biggest. Then, in a flash it disappeared. I felt sad, I mourned. But, not every life that was perished. The left outs started the journey again. It changed, it transformed, it evolved.
Came the most adorable of all life forms into existence then – the human being.
A whole new story was set to be told.
Though they were the most delicate of all the species, they learnt quickly, learnt firmly. The learnt how to hunt, they learnt how to cultivate, set fire, draw, build, invent, sing, teach, treat and so many other things. Vibrant radiance of their intelligence spread out to innumerable facets of life. But one thing they never had to learn. Making love. That came as a instinct at the beginning, then they found the true emotion, true passion, true meaning of it. They realised life and love were inseparable, complementary to each other.
As they prospered, complexity of aspects of life began to increase as a normal course. They learnt both to be united and to be divided, simultaneously. Without the one, other would not have existed. At different places and in different times they united to prosper, which historian would refer as “Civilisations”. But to me it was scattered pieces of an unique picture. Along with civilisations came jealousy, greed, treachery, brutality. But as positive is the other side of negative, they conceived an eternal concept, to confront with these darker aspects – Religion. Concept of supreme being, concept of destiny came into formation.
Though they had worshipped powers of rain and thunder out of fear from their days of caves, but that was not what could be referred as religion. Religion was far more organised, far more realised, researched, nourished form of that primitive fear. Each civilisation was having their own form of religion. But those became more ritualistic, more dependent on miraculous divinity and hence became destined to fall. Only one of those, stood firm, standing firm, will stand firm as long as human race will be breathing. The One which gave birth to Vedas.
Though they were striding towards excellence in every sphere of life by sheer virtues, something was not there. Something everybody was thirsty for – consciously or sub- consciously. True salvation.
After the most adorable life form of all, wandered for thousands of years for salvation, came the most noble, purest of all. People would know him as Siddhartha, as Gautam Buddha. But to me, he had no name. He was like a beam of brightest of lights. He, who had attended true emancipation, apex of self-actualisation cannot be confined in a name. Glorious radiance of his knowledge, traits never had required shelter of miraculous divinity. Whatever he had said, whatever he had preached were nothing but eternal truths, eternal concepts what holds the fundamentals of entire creation. But he also had to go, leaving his knowledge, thoughts, realisations, teachings behind. I knew like every other good teachings, every other noble thoughts his thoughts, teachings would also be molested. And so did it happen.
But life did not stop there. It kept striding forward on the path of achievements. Prosperity, developments continued to make situations more complex, more demanding. Megalomaniacs at different geographies tended to prevail. They rose, they fall. They were crushed, ruined, dragged down – anything but extinct. They have changed their forms, changed their resorts but they have not stopped. They are truly united. In spite of geographical or political boundaries they have been able to remain united, firmly and confidently. Mocking at the goodness.
So far rituals will be prudent than humanity, so far superstitions will be admirable than education, so far blind-belief will be adoptable than knowledge, so far idol will be more respectable than fellow beings, so far demand will be greater than need – these negative forces will be maneuvering the course of lives of their species.
Nothing exists forever. Nothing is constant except the end, except the ultimate void. Start is never inevitable, but the end is. The journey of this magnificent life form will also come to a complete end. They will also have to bid the farewell. But let that farewell be with grace, be memorable. Not in any destructive, darkened, agonising manner, but with artistry, with radiance, majestically, in peace.
I will again move forward, in anticipation.
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