During the Diwali holidays this year, we went for a sojourn to
the Jim Corbett Park, situated in northern India. We reached the
resort in the evening and went for a ‘nature walk’ to explore the
nearby area, which consisted of a village set amidst very picturesque
farms on the periphery of the dense jungle. We had an early dinner and
turned in because we were tired due to the day’s travelling. Also, we
had to be up early for the jumbo safari!
As promised, the resort people gave us a guard-cum-guide who
took us to the place where we were to mount the elephant. She was
called Kalina. After all were aboard Kalina, we started moving slowly
towards the forest. Taking soft and sure steps she manoeuvered her way
into the thickness of the jungle. With silent, padded feet she walked
through tiny, dry ravines and the waist–high green grass. As she went
along she kept feeding herself. I think she used the safari to have
her breakfast!
She took us into the jungle, deeper and deeper. From time to
time, the mahout told us to be quiet, in case Kalina got wind of a
tiger’s presence. But no such luck. We were lucky enough to see many
deer; they were so endearing as they gazed at us in an innocent and
enquiring manner in a clearing in the woods. It was so picturesque. We
spotted some Sambar stags also. The swaying movement of the elephant
and the silence of the jungle had a really soothing effect on the
mind. As we went further into the jungle the only sounds we could hear
were the swishing of the grass as Kalina padded through it and the
dewdrops that fell softly from the leaves. There was dead silence and it was accompanied by such a soothing
serenity. The mind then wandered into the deep and quiet recesses of
itself, and somewhere along the way the thought came that we too carry
jungles within ourselves – jungles of our thoughts. Our '' mind'' jungles have
patches of clearing where happy thoughts dance like the sunlight
dances on trees and leaves. They too have those dark corners and
ominous caverns where violent and angry, hateful and selfish thoughts
lurk around sometimes. Just as we become alert there amidst the wild,
in case of facing a dangerous animal, so too in life we must become
alert and cautious as soon as such menacing thoughts enter our mind, which can
have far-reaching, negative repercussions.
The jungle ride on the sweet-tempered Kalina turned out to
be a meditative experience for me. This was something I least
expected, as initially I was scared to ride an elephant and go into
the deep woods. It taught me life’s simple lesson: no matter how
crowded our mind may become with strongly negative and dark thoughts
at times, we must slowly, softly and surely wind our way out of it
all, just as Kalina had done so staidly. We too can be mental giants and
retain gentleness and calmness, like Kalina, huge in size, but
possessing desirable qualities - silent, obedient, fearless and
focused on the path in the forest. The path in the forest seemed so
symbolic of the Path of Life, which safely leads us out of
this worldly jungle, where cut-throat behaviour, petty politicking,
and one-upmanship are the predators we must guard against. Besides
this, just as the jungle path took us into the heart of the forest,
our path (marg) also takes us into our deepest, utmost ‘being’ where
we learn inner stillness and calm.
We came back to the starting point and alighted from Kalina
with a feeling of great contentment. I, for one, had fallen totally in
love with her. We clicked pictures of her with her mahout. As we drove
away from there we made sure we tipped Kalina’s owner and asked him to
buy as many sugarcane sticks as he could for her.
It sure had been a
wonderful ride and she deserved to be rewarded!
Neelam Sethi .
Gurgaon
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