BUFFALO GURU

          Most of us are misunderstood - By ourselves, by others or both.

        To clear the confusion, we keep on bringing out dogmas and theories of proper behavior, ethics and morals.  Most of those who choose the dogmas thrive materially and also have a peaceful existence. They need not be bothered about the consequences of their actions because, it has been dictated by some dogma house and hence all responsibilities lie there.  The houses which hand out these dogmas or principles could be any religion or organization. It is structured for the needs of certain people.

        Those who step out of these structures or refuse to step into them, their roads are different.  They are alone responsible for their plights.

      There misunderstandings are bound to be more.  Because, they have chosen to be different and hence have dared the others.  For these fellows without fellow travelers, inner doubts are also bound to be more since they are not sure of the path to take.  What is to be done and not to be done, how, when, etc remain a perennial and eternal question in their minds.

        It was a sunny spring morning.  A Buffalo was grazing in a garbage pit near my house.  The one year old child in my arms, showed her hand towards the buffalo. As we neared it, it started running to another garbage pit, slightly away.  The child started giggling seeing the buffalo run.  To make her more happy, I also started running towards the buffalo.  Then the buffalo started running towards a third pit, which was at quite a distance.  I continued chasing it.  The child was very happy. Then all of a sudden, an unexpected thing happened.  The buffalo turned around fully and stood glaring at me with the head menacingly posed as if to charge.  My mind froze and a chill went down my spine. It was an open ground.  If the buffalo was to charge, we would have to run for our lives, and with the child in my arms, I did not know whether it would be a success.  Then without my own knowledge I smiled at the buffalo and said in my mother tongue, “No, No, it was only for fun”. (Later I realised that it was my being at work)  For a few seconds, the eyes of the buffalo held my gaze.  Then, with a nod, it gave a mild moo and turned off and walked away.  It did not run this time. Now, relieved, I looked at the face of the child in my arms, the one year old, her eyes had welled up with tears and she was visibly frightened and shaken.  The fear was writ all over her face.  This was the communication between three beings. No minds were involved.

        During the school days, when I came across the poets declaration, “He who wants to do good, knocks at the gate.  He who is good, finds the gate open”, to my mind, it appeared to be, contradictory and confusing.

        Later life shows the merit of that declaration.  It is not the action that constitute us, but what we are, determines the merit of our actions.

        At that point of ‘being’, then the misunderstandings vanish.  The veil of maya, is lifted. 

        For those of us who are ordinary but observant enough, glimpses like these happen. For those who are realized, it becomes a permanent state.