Once upon a time, on the nonsense land, there lived a man.
This man never had a moment of peace. He always sought a bigger house, the most
expensive things to adorn his house and the latest car. He wanted every person around him to always be in awe of his possessions. Every now and then, he
added a new belonging and basked in its glory but for counted days. His
contentment would vanish as soon as somebody else had a superior version of the
possession and he then lost sleep thinking how and when he could improve his possession and position. There was no peace for him.
One day the man had an idea. He thought of finding a wife who he hoped could bring him some peace. But he also wanted the most beautiful girl who belonged to an influential family so that people around could be in awe of her and his choice. He searched for days which turned into months and finally found the prettiest and most delicate looking girl from an affluent family. After a splendid wedding, he settled in a mansion with every possible comfort. He would take around his wife like a trophy, wherever he went. But months later, dissatisfaction started to creep back. As people stopped talking about his wife and started complimenting other women, the man became increasingly dissatisfied with his wife. He bought the most expensive clothes and jewelry for her, which gained her momentary admiration but didn't last for long just like his peaceful state.
The next thing, the man thought to get him admiration was to have a child. His child will be the most beautiful, gifted and brilliant and the envy of people around, he dreamed. He and his wife were soon blessed with a pretty girl. The man set high expectations from his young child. He wanted her to race ahead of all other children in every possible aspect. But the child was drawn towards what young children are normally inclined towards. She loved to paint and spend time close to nature. It made the man to be thoroughly disappointed with his child. Over the years, the man became distant and insensitive towards his wife and child. He became increasingly dissatisfied and restless. So restless that one day he decided to set on a quest to find peace.
So this man left nonsense land and wandered aimlessly. Through wilderness and mountains, he searched meaninglessly for days. There were days when he passed lush green forests with the most exquisite birds, ripened sweet fruits hanging from the greenest trees overlooking serene mountains. But in spite of the calm surrounding him, his mind was full of clutter.
On one such day after days of walking, he was exhausted. He
found a resting place under a giant tree and just as he made himself
comfortable under it, he soon dozed off. Some hours must have passed before he woke
up. As he drowsily opened his eyes, he found an elderly sage sitting next to
him. The man looked suspiciously at the sage who smiled back at him. Perhaps
the sage has answers for me; the man thought. So he shared the story of his
life as the sage listened intently. When
the man finished, the sage looked deep into the man’s eyes and spoke with
absolute calm.
"Son, you have led your life trying to chase what is infinite and that is others' expectations. What do you think peace is? Peace is harmony with yourself while you have been trying to chase harmony with an unreal world"
He paused for a few seconds and then continued in the most tranquil voice.
"On the nonsense land, you have led a shallow life. So shallow, that you have forgotten to appreciate small miracles of life. Even in your good deeds, you have always sought appreciation from others. If you are content with yourself, you will never seek outside.”
The sage looked at the man questioningly.
“As you journeyed, did you notice the birds chirping to seek
your attention? Did you feel the cool breeze which was trying to comfort you? Did
you show gratitude to the tree which gave you sweet fruits so you don’t starve?
And did you experience the raindrops trying to wash away your tears?”
The man listened intently with tears rolling down his embarrassed face.
“You are wearing a mask to gratify and impress
people who do not care about the real you. And you are tired of carrying the
burden of this façade. It curbs you to understand the happiness and blessings in
your life and holds you back from your real self. It has even made you inconsiderate
towards your loving wife and adorable child. It has made you thankless.
Start with knowing yourself. Make a journey within and shed
the mask. It will be only friends and well-wishers who love the real you who will surround you then.
So all you have to do is search within and know the real you
and that will be the moment you will have all the answers”
As the sage finished, he blessed the man and left.
The man continued to look after the sage till he
disappeared in the wilderness. The man felt warmed with love and understanding. With an overwhelming gratitude for so many things in his life, he started to
walk back towards his home. He felt peace for having an insight into the way to
find his answers.
