Buddha once said:
“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change!”
The other day when I saw my daughter fighting examination stress, I told her to go out into the backyard and connect with nature. After a while she was back looking rather perplexed. “I don’t see much nature out there — all I see are tall buildings near the house,” she said. I was amazed by her response and took her out with me. “Can you feel the ground below your feet? It is the earth. And can you see the sky up there and feel the air touching your skin? And it is still light, so the sun is also around.” And what about water? she asked. “Water is also here as moisture within you and me,” I replied. Once I had explained my daughter seemed at ease. I too was at ease because I had somehow planted in her the virtue of being in proximity with nature!
Make the Connection:
Connecting with nature bestows immense contentment and tranquillity as we are holistically similar — sky, air, fire, water and earth. Taking a look at your body would convince you of this reality. Ether or the sky represents the empty space between your body organs —inside the ears, in the minute cells, etc. The element of air imparts all the movement that we experience like breathing, blinking our eyes and so on. The fire in our body is represented by the metabolic heat, gastric heat, body temperature etc. And water takes the form of saliva, blood, plasma, various secretions and digestive juices et al. And finally the earth element makes up all matter within us, be it muscle mass, bones, tendons, ligaments: whatever adds to the body substance.
It is therefore clear that like other forms of nature, we too seem to be made from the five basic natural elements. So we are 100 per cent natural! And thus it feels good as and when we are in proximity to the five natural elements.
Be One with Nature:
If you believe that rejuvenating with nature is not always going to be your cup of tea, then here is the good news! Staying where you are you can practice being close to nature and bring some activities into your lifestyle. For instance, the element of the sky is the subtlest and also the most significant of all the five. You can actually have more of sky by creating a vacuum. This means eating meagre amoun-ts or simply fasting once in a while. Maon vratt or maintaining vocal silence would also help. Bri-ng in the element of air by practicing pra-nayaam or deep breathing techniques; or eating more green leafy vegetables and herbs. Massage therapy is another natural technique that may be practiced as this helps to balance the air within your system.
The element of fire can be brought into your life by a sunbath or drinking sun-charged, coloured water or even more easily when you feast on seasonal fruits that have ripened in the rays of the sun! The best and purest form of water would be gained from having lots of fresh and succulent fruits. Other water activities like drinking, bathing and water therapy would help you to gain the element of water.
As the earth is all solid, you get this from having cereals, pulses etc. Mud therapy is also aimed at attuning your entity to the earth element! When you are one with nature, you will experience healing, guidance as well as intrinsic support.
Bestowing Self-Realization:
As and when you are consciously one with nature, you will realise the peaceful and blissful realm within!
Once Alexander the Great was impressed with the spiritual merits of an Indian saint and expressed his desire to take the saint to his country, offering him rewards and a fruitful life.
But the sage answered wisely that he was content with where he existed and that he was one with nature. He told Alexander, “Nature is my sole source and provider. The trees provide me with fruits and the springs quench my thirst with their fresh, sweet water. What else would I need?”
When Alexander heard this he aimed his sword at the saint. At this, the saint burst into laughter and said, “How can you harm someone who is one with nature. When small children make houses out of sand and demolish them, nothing happens to the sand. Similarly, the stars in the sky are never separated from light. Thus, when we are one with nature, then there is nothing to fear. This is because as we are all natural beings, you are myself and I am yourself.” Alexander fell at the feet of the saint in remorse.
Similarly, these lines of Caras, 1977 quoted in Swanson, 2000 provide us with more understanding…
“Every time we look up and see a cloud and understand it, we are closer to understanding ourselves. When we pick up a rock and admire it instead of hurling it at something, we are closer to some ultimate truth. When we hear a bird and stop for the sheer pleasure of that sound, we are nearer to real life than we were before. When we acknowledge beauty, we benefit from it most.”
