A young boy brings home from the farm a bird with a
broken wing. A little girl has some chicks at home, and they are growing up
into fine hens. One hen breaks a leg. The children have some pet
dogs. Their favourite one gets badly hurt in a fight.
Each time, the children pray. They do
it secretly, inwardly, desperately. They turn away their eyes, lest an elder
sees the supplication in them and thinks it a weakness or brands it a foolish
sentiment. Their hearts are aching in desperation.
They do not make a ceremony and pray
out aloud. They do not wash hands and feet and cover heads and bow down and
fold hands and face towards something. They just live the prayers, they just be
the prayers. Their prayers are not directed to any power that can be given a
name, just to the hope that their dear ones will get better.
That is Prayer.
The bird with the broken wing dies. Silent,
moist eyes. The children give it a small burial. Sadness is gradually replaced
with a tender feeling of having done their utmost, and having loved the dying
bird.
The hen’s leg has been put in a
splint and bandaged. One uncle calls the hen after a chicken delicacy, saying
that they would cook it if it didn't get better; at the same time he keenly observes the
bandaging. He is making the pain easier to bear if the orthopaedic ministrations
fail. The little girl fights with him. On the fourth day, the hen gets up and
hobbles around. After a few days the splint is removed. It walks, then runs
around, with a pronounced limp. The name stays as long as it lives. The
children enjoy many an egg it lays.
The favourite dog gradually succumbs
to his injuries. His name is Bulldy. The family sits in prayer together. The
parents read prayers aloud, a little service is performed, the young fellow is committed
to God. The children take time to get over the loss, but they rejoice in the
love. Bulldy remains their hero. After a few days a bitch at the farm delivers
a litter of eight, and two of the pups look exactly like Bulldy!
It is an atmosphere of innocence. No
put-ons, no affectations of piety, no show of bestowing favours by praying for
someone. Just pure feeling, love. And Nature runs its course.
The children’s feelings for the
animals are prayers. The elders’ feelings for the children are prayers. Hopes
and wishes beyond the realm of words are prayers. The unnamed flow of deeply
felt blessings is Prana. The presence of God is Love.
I really like the way you have expressed prayer in these paragraphs. To no one. For no one. Just out of Love. Because of you and your feelings. For peacefulness, happiness, and joy. That's our core nature.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I am overwhelmed, and that is one of the best ways to be. Zeina Glo wishes you radiance.
ReplyDeleteDear Zeina Glo,
ReplyDeleteYour description of the children's bonding with their pets and other little, helpless creatures amply demonstrates the usefulness, even the desirability, of keeping pets.
Pets such as dogs and cats are able, just by their playful ways, to bring immense pleasure into our lives. Besides, taking care of them, feeding them, cleaning them, grooming them, vaccinating them on time imbues us with a sense of responsibility, of duty, of caring, of time management, of prudence. . . And sometimes, as is inevitable, a pet falls sick,gets hurt or simply grows old: we lavish extra care and love on it, stay up nights and even pray for its well-being. Sometimes our ministrations fail, as it happened in the case of your Bulldy.
These occasions hold the most profound lessons for children and adults alike - lessons of trying very hard yet accepting defeat, accepting death and the best lesson of all - of life carrying on even after a death in the immediate family. . . because pets are like family members.
Blessed are the children who have been given the opportunity to keep and care for a pet!
Our Key 'mid Ease.
An important message so simply written! Touched my heart. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteSimplicity is the way of inner peace, of simple joy, of happiness. It is the way of children, of Nature, of God. It is where we start, and it is where we end. Love. Innocence. radiance. The Inner Glow. Ze Ina Glo.
ReplyDelete