Companions in Solitude-7
Apple of the Forest
=Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya
In today's journey I had many co-pilgrims. Among them there were a few women, too. Along the way there were Binni trees laden with ripening and attractive fruits. The ladies began to debate amongst themselves as to which kind of fruits they were. Someone from amongst them said that these were forest apples. It was therefore concluded that those were apples of the forest anyway. Fruits were in abundance, and wore a mixed colour of red and yellow, which imparted the impression of their being ripe.
The group of ladies stood back. A grownup girl climbed up the tree. It seemed that she must have had the practice of climbing up trees in her village. She shook down about 40 to 50 fruits. The ladies standing on the ground picked them up, scrambling. Some smart ones could pick up more than the others. Those who got less started quarrelling with those who got more. While quarrelling, a lady who had got less started accusing that the other woman blocked her way and picked up more. The woman who picked up more retorted that she picked up more because of her agility and her ability to move fast. She reasoned that those who moved fast are bound to be the gainers. If you had been more agile than me you could have outdone me and collected more. They decided to eat them at the camp along with the food.
The fruits, they opined, were sweet and beautiful and would taste well with the food. Putting the fruits in their apron, they began moving happily, for having collected so many of these costly fruits so easily. Though the quarrelling ceased after sometime, the mutual illwill of collecting less and more continued. They were angrily ogling at each other. The camp was reached. Everyone sat down. Food was prepared. Fruits too were taken out and served. And lo! Those who hastily put it in the mouth began to spit out. The fruits were bitter. The beautiful fruits, for collecting which they quarreled and laboured a lot, have turned out to be bitter. They were greatly disappointed. The native porter standing beside was greatly amused and started laughing. He said, "These are fruits of Binni tree. They are not eatable. The seeds are used for extracting oil."
The ladies felt ashamed for having collected and carried the fruits without knowing the truth about them. I too was there and was a witness to the entire episode from beginning to end. The ladies now started laughing over the fruit episode. They got a chance to make fun. It is common that people feel happy on laughing over others mistakes and faults. Their mistake was that they assumed the fruits to be sweet and tasty because of their attractive shape and colour. How can everything that appears attractive be sweet? They should have known it. The ignorance caused them to be ashamed of themselves. Moreover, they quarreled for a worthless cause.
The group of ladies stood back. A grownup girl climbed up the tree. It seemed that she must have had the practice of climbing up trees in her village. She shook down about 40 to 50 fruits. The ladies standing on the ground picked them up, scrambling. Some smart ones could pick up more than the others. Those who got less started quarrelling with those who got more. While quarrelling, a lady who had got less started accusing that the other woman blocked her way and picked up more. The woman who picked up more retorted that she picked up more because of her agility and her ability to move fast. She reasoned that those who moved fast are bound to be the gainers. If you had been more agile than me you could have outdone me and collected more. They decided to eat them at the camp along with the food.
The fruits, they opined, were sweet and beautiful and would taste well with the food. Putting the fruits in their apron, they began moving happily, for having collected so many of these costly fruits so easily. Though the quarrelling ceased after sometime, the mutual illwill of collecting less and more continued. They were angrily ogling at each other. The camp was reached. Everyone sat down. Food was prepared. Fruits too were taken out and served. And lo! Those who hastily put it in the mouth began to spit out. The fruits were bitter. The beautiful fruits, for collecting which they quarreled and laboured a lot, have turned out to be bitter. They were greatly disappointed. The native porter standing beside was greatly amused and started laughing. He said, "These are fruits of Binni tree. They are not eatable. The seeds are used for extracting oil."
The ladies felt ashamed for having collected and carried the fruits without knowing the truth about them. I too was there and was a witness to the entire episode from beginning to end. The ladies now started laughing over the fruit episode. They got a chance to make fun. It is common that people feel happy on laughing over others mistakes and faults. Their mistake was that they assumed the fruits to be sweet and tasty because of their attractive shape and colour. How can everything that appears attractive be sweet? They should have known it. The ignorance caused them to be ashamed of themselves. Moreover, they quarreled for a worthless cause.
I ponder as to why these ladies alone be laughed at, while nobody laughs at the whole society which is crazy after attractive appearances, like moths dying over the flame. In the world of appearances, god of beauty is worshipped; pomp and show attract everyone; and due to the temptation people madly fall for worthless things. They waste their lives chasing shadows of happiness and fulfillment and in the end repent over the futility of their pursuits, like the ladies who were repenting here due to having collected the bitter fruits of Binni trees mistaking them for forest apples. People who go after appearances would do well to cultivate a deeper vision to be able to realize the inner worth rather than the form. But it is possible only when one is wise enough to discern the pitfalls of attractive appearances and be able to keep away from them. None could eat the Binny fruits. They had to be thrown away.
Those were not eatable at all. Riches and wealth, beauty and youth, merriment and fun, sex and infatuation, enjoyment and easygoing lifestyle and the like are some of the many vices, which disturb and pollute the mind. But most of the glittering things in the world are such that their acquisition ultimately causes only deep remorse and disgust. MULES THAT WALK CAREFULLY In mountainous regions, sheep and mules are used as beasts of burden. They are the only means available for transport too. Like we see carts, tangas, rickshaw, etc on our roads of the plains, mostly mules are seen moving safely on the difficult paths of the mountainous regions. We walk with great caution on such perilous mountain footpaths, taking proper care to avoid hitting the foot against stones. The mules also walk likewise.
Our head is so positioned on the body that we can see where we are putting our next step and can thus avoid danger. But it is not so with the mules. With their type of movement of the neck and position of their eyes, they can see ahead, but cannot see where the legs are being placed. Yet every step of the mule is always carefully placed at the right spot. Else the slightest slip would cause it fall down and end up its life like the cow calf we saw yesterday lying dead on the way to Gangotri due to falling from a height of about 80 feet. The poor thing lost its balance due to keeping one of the legs on the wrong spot. Such happenings are rare even in case of mountain cows. But in the case of mules such instances are never heard of.
The man incharge of the mules told us that these animals were extremely careful and were wise in treading the way. They walk fast, yet every step is kept carefully. When they apprehend any dangerous spot they suddenly control themselves, take the step back and search out the safe spot with the leg and then go forward. While walking, its attention is concentrated on the balance between the foot and the ground. Had it not been so they would not have been so useful on this difficult terrain. The wisdom of mules is commendable. While man repeatedly takes wrong steps without caring a bit and consequently suffers without growing wiser, the mules make no mistake in finding the balance of their feet. If we too learn to carefully put our steps on the uneven and perilous path of life, our conduct would also become commendable like that of the mountain mules.
Thanks GOD,Thanks Sadguru,
Shiv Sharma
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