Moments...

No beginning. No end. As far as the eye can see, the road stretches on, right from the first faltering footstep to the final helpless collapse, we move on, oblivious to the chirruping birds on the wayside or the sweet fragrance of a dew-drenched rose. The path of life may twist and turn, but for the weary traveler, there is only one way – forward. He prods on, eyes set on avoiding the thorns here, the potholes there, but in doing so, his eyes miss the fast receding image of his origin, and his mind, whatever hazy notion he had of his destination. Till, some day, resting his weary legs in an ever-so-short moment of rest that he allows himself, his eyes catch a glimpse of something so remarkably simple yet exquisitely beautiful that for a moment, just a special beautiful moment, everything else is forgotten – he road, the thorns, the aching muscles – and all tat is left is moment of beauty , so transient and feeble, yet frozen for eternity. Heart filled with a feeling, too rich and strong to be reduced to words, he lifts his eyes and perceives the world around him in a different light. Where once he saw the dusty road stretching on, now his eyes seek out a horizon, beyond which he senses intriguing possibilities; where once he saw just travelers and path, now he sees the sky, the stars and the sun. Where once he ‘looked’, now he ‘saw’; where once he ‘walked’ now he ‘Lived’.

It is indeed these special moments that give a sense of purpose to all our lives. Each and every action of every human being ( and maybe animals too) is aimed at attaining our perception of happiness – an emotion whose definition is both fundamental and complex at the same time. Every deed – be it “good” or “bad” of ours is aimed at this. Even the so-called social sins – greed, gluttony, lust – aren’t all these aimed at happiness, however short term it may be?? but it is this eternal quest which stretches on till the last moment of our lives, clouding our vision of a lager, more fundamental purpose? Are we being blinded by our insatiable needs and end up missing the real reason behind the question of why we were given the consciousness to comprehend these very same questions? Does the path of life actually stretch on eternally or if not, what is, in fact, waiting for us beyond the horizon, even though, given our physical limitations we might never reach it? Well, I think that maybe, just the fact that we are gifted with the vision to perceive the horizons, means that we are also blessed with untapped reserves of mental prowess to comprehend what might lie beyond it, and it is this realization ,maybe that actually is the real destination-the end of the road. All I am sure of is that traveling doesn’t not make a journey but reaching somewhere does!(contrary to the popular saying i am afraid ;) )

In each of our lives, there are moments, like that of the traveler’s, in which we rise above the mundane reality of our drab existence and perceive a moment of such awe-inspiring beauty that it leaves us breathless, and fills in our heart the conviction, that we are, indeed, a small but integral part of an infinitely large cosmic puzzle. Moments like these may be few and far between, and come from anywhere- be it the sudden inspiration of an idea, the silent pride of an deserved triumph, the quiet joy of a kind deed, the elegant beauty of nature’s creations or even just a loving word from a beloved – but when they come, they leave an imprint that transcends our senses and gives us a glimpse of a realm, higher than ourselves.