Once upon a time, a merchant lived on the border between India and Pakistan. He would board household supplies, foods, and hay upon his donkeys. He made a living by selling these items across the border.
The merchant had only been in this business for two years, yet he soon had enough money to buy a mansion and a personal yacht. The other merchants were at first jealous of him, but soon their envy turned to suspicion. They thought, One person couldn't become rich that quickly.
The other merchants suspected that their buddy must be involved in smuggling to be so successful. They told the customs officer of their doubts, and the customs officer agreed to check if the merchant was indeed involved in smuggling or not.
So the next time the merchant was travelling abroad, the customs officer checked every inch of each item. He unloaded the bags of appliances and scrutinized each one. He inspected all of the food items from top to bottom. Even after thoroughly searching through all the bags on the donkey, the customs officers couldn't find anything smuggled. Dejected, he let the merchant proceed.
Fast forward forty years.
The merchant had moved to the US and retired in a luxurious home. The customs officer had retired in the US as well, and he happened to hear of the merchant's presence nearby. He got the merchant's number and set up a coffee date with him.
After seeing the merchant so many years later, the officer prompted him, "We both are retired now, so the past doesn't matter. We are both in the US now, so the laws of India and Pakistan can't get you in trouble. That being said, what were you smuggling that made you so rich in such a short amount of time???"
The merchant briskly replied, "Why, I was smuggling the donkeys."
This was a story that I had heard at a religious camp I attended last week.
The story shows that too often, we focus on the materialistic things in life, similar to how the officer only focused on the items on the donkey. By doing so, we forget about the living things, such as the donkeys themselves.
In this hectic world, we are controlled by the quest for more and more possessions. Sometimes we forget to focus on the actual essence of life: other living beings. We forget to listen to the earth's music; we forget to dance on the dewy grass; and we forget to gaze at the twinkling stars.
We forget about nature.
It was last week at this camp that I had time to dwell upon the beauty of nature and connect with it. That was when I realized that nature is the best teacher of all.
Here are the lessons that I learned from nature:
The merchant had only been in this business for two years, yet he soon had enough money to buy a mansion and a personal yacht. The other merchants were at first jealous of him, but soon their envy turned to suspicion. They thought, One person couldn't become rich that quickly.
The other merchants suspected that their buddy must be involved in smuggling to be so successful. They told the customs officer of their doubts, and the customs officer agreed to check if the merchant was indeed involved in smuggling or not.
So the next time the merchant was travelling abroad, the customs officer checked every inch of each item. He unloaded the bags of appliances and scrutinized each one. He inspected all of the food items from top to bottom. Even after thoroughly searching through all the bags on the donkey, the customs officers couldn't find anything smuggled. Dejected, he let the merchant proceed.
Fast forward forty years.
The merchant had moved to the US and retired in a luxurious home. The customs officer had retired in the US as well, and he happened to hear of the merchant's presence nearby. He got the merchant's number and set up a coffee date with him.
After seeing the merchant so many years later, the officer prompted him, "We both are retired now, so the past doesn't matter. We are both in the US now, so the laws of India and Pakistan can't get you in trouble. That being said, what were you smuggling that made you so rich in such a short amount of time???"
The merchant briskly replied, "Why, I was smuggling the donkeys."
***
This was a story that I had heard at a religious camp I attended last week.
The story shows that too often, we focus on the materialistic things in life, similar to how the officer only focused on the items on the donkey. By doing so, we forget about the living things, such as the donkeys themselves.
In this hectic world, we are controlled by the quest for more and more possessions. Sometimes we forget to focus on the actual essence of life: other living beings. We forget to listen to the earth's music; we forget to dance on the dewy grass; and we forget to gaze at the twinkling stars.
We forget about nature.
It was last week at this camp that I had time to dwell upon the beauty of nature and connect with it. That was when I realized that nature is the best teacher of all.
Here are the lessons that I learned from nature:
Don't judge.
Nature doesn't judge. Whether the Queen of England or a pauper walks into a forest, they will be welcomed in the same way. Nature doesn't discriminate.
Be generous.
No matter what other people think about you, you are who you are.
Some people love nature; they are fascinated by the wildlife, the greenery, and the rainbows.
Other people hate nature; they are disgusted by the bugs, the rain, and the dirt.
Either way you choose to view nature, you can't take away from its beauty.
Nature's identity is not lost no matter what people think about it.
Similarly, you are not defined by what other people think of you.
You are defined simply by who you are.
What's easy isn't always what's best.
Every day is full of surprises. The best comes to those that wait.
It was a typical day at camp, and by the afternoon, we campers were already tired and ready for a change. As we were sitting in discussion groups, there was suddenly a downpour of rain, and the whole tent was furiously shaking.
Screaming, campers starting running inside, pathetically holding their hands over their heads to protect themselves from the rain.
However, I stayed in the tent to enjoy the mist from the rain. Eventually, the downpour faded into a light drizzle. The sun peeked out from behind the clouds. And beyond it all, a double rainbow was painted across the sky.
Only nature can create such artwork. And you can't have a rainbow without a little rain.
It's all about perspective.
Beautiful doesn't mean perfect.
Look around in nature, and there is beauty everywhere. Fragrant flowers, dancing evergreens, and colorful pollen.
However, beauty isn't perfection.
Look closely at the flowers, and you will see some withered petals and some holes where the bugs have eaten away. The evergreen trees will have a few branches that have fallen because of the wind. The pollen may be lovely, but some people are allergic to it.
Nature is filled with flaws. Yet regardless, it is breathtakingly beautiful.
Instead of focusing on what is wrong about it, we need to focus on what's right.
Only then can we see true beauty.
***
At this religious camp last week, I realized what really matters in life. It's not what you see on the front covers of magazines. It's what you see when you take a step outside. It's not what you see loaded on the donkey. Sometimes, it's the donkey itself.
