Switching to Zenmode

Have you ever felt lost but still enjoyed it?   

Timothy hardly could have made out the correct path in the veil of green if a group of trekkers did not flank her. Her body was slicked with sweat and lingered an afterglow in the heat of the tropical rainforest. She could manage only a few days from her busy schedule of internship at the law college to come on a solo trip in the rainforests of South East Asia.                                                           

The forest jeep took the tourists to a saltwater pit from where they had to walk as the roads had been deformed by incessant rain. She preferred to enjoy the serenity of the forests and hence booked the entire jeep for herself and was only accompanied by a forest guide. Rainforests are quite different from other forests; they have multiple layers of green infused with each other forming different patterns. There were gigantic trees, the base covered by layers of woody, herbaceous shrubs, growing fruits and flowers forming an ecological kaleidoscope of colors.                                                                   

On the first day of the safari, she was lucky enough to spot a herd of elephants crossing the roads. She also caught sight of various unique birds from the watch tower, which included jewel-neck parrots, mountain serpent eagles, hornbills, woodpeckers, and scarlet macaws, among the known ones.           

Have you ever trespassed into someone's house knowingly? Their jeep survived a close encounter with bison as the beast approached the vehicle and slammed its horns into the front grill, causing a loud crash. Thankfully, it did not cause any major damage or injury.             

 On the second day, she spotted a black bear camouflaging in the dimly lit foliage. The forest made her feel more alive but tiny at the same time. The tall trees almost formed a canopy at the top where they met the crowns of other trees. It also had mid-sized trees with creepers twining around the trunks. The deciduous trees growing in the forest seemed to be 100 years old, leaning on each other in a caring way or dancing merrily to the tune of the forest.                     

Timothy thought that in forests, the plant never dies. And even if some may die, they become the home of other plants to grow as if carrying the memories and blooming into new life. The forest guide pointed out that in the forest, the trees go tall to compete with each other for sunlight. But Timothy perceived that competing for a better and abundant life only breeds in the human minds as all the other living species which inhabit the forest have cohesive existences. The law of nature is quite different from the law of the land.                                

A musty odor prevailed on narrowing trenches of the forest. As she treaded through the forest, the only sound that could be heard was the crackling sound of the leaves crunched by her boots. The forest guide asked her to be careful with every step because the warmth and the humidity of the rainforest provide ideal habitat for the snakes and other nasty secrets. Timothy was exhausted and her body was itchy with red patches, but still, she felt her heart was filled with joy which made her cheerfully buoyant to make the next moves. Have you ever felt stillness amidst the chaos? On a hot, humid day, the endless breathing of green brings a sense of calmness to every traveler’s mind.                               

 Have you ever walked the forest trails alone and still heard a humming noise? It was as if the branches and the leaves were greeting Timothy, whispering all the secrets to her ears. It was not the beauty of a maneuverer garden with exotic flowers but nature's simple yet majestic form.                                     

In the forest, it is difficult to track time, and suddenly, it becomes pitch black after sunset; so the forest guide interrupted her and said that they should go back as it was time for sunset and it would be difficult to drive in darkness.                                                               

On their way back, they saw some areas devastated by torrential rain that year. But the forest did not seem to be overwhelmed by the outside environment. They know the essence of creation is to endure through the pain as that will pass, and a new dawn will set in. And in the moment of pain, all who are a part of the forest become partners in each other's suffering; that gave them strength to overcome, and the mournful music of the forest became a prayer.                                   

The day and the night set a striking shift in the practice of the human mind. What seemed to be a paradise during daylight becomes the home of the most dangerous and creepiest wild animals at night, and a sense of threat fills the mind.                                                     

Have you felt threatened with life in a forest?  But what can a forest do if the sun sets, the light disappears, the fireflies still set the light, and the forest stands still, witnessing the thousands of stars and the moon above?