November 7, 2020 – Dedicated to Swamiji Ajay Jain ji

Swamiji says …

” ‘I am going for a walk. I want to play outside. We are going to a hill station !’ We’ve grown up garbling these words indistinctly in our dotage, impatiently in our childhood and firmly in our yonder years. The magnetic pull of Nature inviting us to venture beyond the restricted, limited confines of our homes ; be it a garden, a park or a natural reserve is irresistible and looked forward to, by all of us. The unmistakable, urgent need to get connected with Nature, calls out to each one of us, as though tempting us to see its marvels from close quarters and rejoice in the beautiful creations that it holds in its womb.The excitement at being outdoors, be it in a pram, as an infant , or , in a wheel-chair during the sunset years of one’s life is the same.”

“Crisp, fresh air; vivid colours; intoxicating fragrances of flowers and Mother Earth; the magnificent spectacles that the eyes behold, in the open, leave us spellbound at ‘prakriti’s’ divine plan ! But do we respect and love Nature the way it should be loved by us? Do we give Mother Nature its due? Remember, she is the escape route that we opt for whenever we are stressed or unwell, and, gladly head for a change of scene to different picturesque destinations.”

” ‘Jiss prakriti ne, humey sab kuch diya hai … uss prakriti se prem karna seekho! Prakriti kitni sunder hai, uski sundarta mein , uski divyta ki anubhuti mein anand lo, aur uss anand ko apne andar utaro! Joh insaan prakriti se prem karega, woh khud se bhi prem karega!’ – and the realisation of this love makes us appreciate and love others around us in a similar manner. Seeing is believing and thus we eagerly cross continents to experience, first hand, Nature’s stamp of creativity on its magnificent creations.The love and gratitude that inundates our mind, body and soul for Nature, should also make us extremely conscious, aware and responsible about the irreparable consequences that can be caused at attempting to damage the fragile, delicate and divine soul of Nature.”

“And why shouldn’t our response to Nature be such ? After all, it is the submission of the five elements of our body; saluting the five elements with which our Creator has crafted every wonder of Nature, and, we instinctively respond to the Divinity in which Nature is bathed with reverence.”

” ‘Prakriti ki har ek cheez ki sundarta ka lufta uthao! Utsahit ho!Nature’s beauty fills our heart with pleasure and has the amazing ability to lift and light up the most depressed minds and spirit. Convalescence in the lap of nature has always shown miraculous results.Seeing flowers of different colours, emitting varied fragrances, bloom and admiring their beauty makes us realise …’ Sab jeev, sab insaan achche hain ! Hum mein koi farak nahi hai aur sab ko hi khoob sukh aur khushiyan milni chahiye ! Humari soch sab ke liye achchi aur nek honi chahiye !’ “