Bangalore to Kumbakonam – About 7 hours drive. The mountains, the palm trees, the bushes – everything looked green and cool. As I dropped the window, I could feel the reality – the scorching sun was opening his mouth wide to send the gush of hot air.
Kids were playing and I was looking around admiring the beauty of Mother Nature. Trees by the sides, the roads seemed to penetrate the forest area long enough like the tail of Hanuman. We moved further and I noticed different expressions from different trees and objects around.
“I lost my power” said one whose branches seemed to droop. “I’m just lonely” said the far distant one. “I’m ready to help as much as I can” mentioned the tree that spread it arms wide around. “I’m thorny just to save myself” whispered the shrubs. “I’m the one that shows light in darkness” winked the radiators on the roads. “I’m the one stamped by thousands of people and I still lead them to their destination” smiled the roads. “I’m the spongy candy; try to reach me” – it was the clouds. “I’m hot but not angry; it’s just my nature” the mighty sun!
The roads twisted, turned and curled around but calmly moving towards the destination it intended to. Reminds me that we just need to move on focusing on our goals for life.
The land looked dry and there was no emotions around. Finally, there I see some traces of water. “Did it rain last night?” I wondered. The sheet of water every few hundreds of meter disappeared quickly as we approached it. The sheet looked as transparent as glass and glossy too. The reflection of cars from the opposite direction broke the transparent glass like water. “The glass seemed to be disturbed – maybe its dreams were shattered too!”. I wanted to capture the beauty of the glossy sheet and failed with multiple tries. I continued on and on but still failed. My eyes locked the beauty of the water in my heart, however the eyes of my phone camera failed.
Little did I realise that I was chasing “the mirage” which was just an optical illusion. The beauty of the mirage was it appeared transparent but covered the real road beneath. It masked the reality of the hot road.
“Hey, the person who appeared as my best friend suddenly disappeared. I’m upset and worried. Is being emotional my mistake?” the words of my cousin last night brought tears in my eyes. “What was my mistake” his shrill voice seemed to echo in my ears. I had explained him of my similar experiences and told him to learn to detach and move on.
“My career dreams are shattered. I thought it was understood and moved ahead but it has brought in unexpected results. I’m obsessed and unable to come out. Everyone around me gets what they want and why is it only with me?” my friend was in tears.
Every once in a life, we do come across such situations. It could be with a person, with a situation, with a career or sometimes with ourselves. We chase illusions around. We look at it from a distance without knowing the reality. We fail to see the thorns of the shrubs, the hot roads, the Rocky Mountains. We fail to see there is another side too.
It could be that the illusion is by itself just another illusion. It has its reasons to be an illusion too! This could be confusing but trying to understand it is reality!
Every illusion has a science behind it why it appears to be an illusion. Refraction of light by heated air causes an appearance of a sheet of water on hot roads – the mirage! So there is a reason behind every illusion too.
If your mind throws millions of questions to you about a person, situation, career or about yourself – it’s just trying to understand deeply. But the illusion created by yourself has a reason associated – that is what your mind believes. The mind develops and believes it – sometimes it gets hurt and sometimes it tries to soothe. Understanding the reason of this illusion brings in an understanding of what your subconscious mind wants.
Finally it’s just a mirage and we need to accept that there is no water and move on. We could throw questions on why we feel sad or emotional but our constant chase of the mirage is not going to relieve our thirst. Your eyes don’t have to be blamed for the illusion it saw nor the illusion itself needs to be blamed as it has a reason too. “Is it my mistake for being emotional?” I now seem to answer my cousins question.
You can still capture the memories of the transparent mirage and cherish it. Your eyes do not have to become blind for seeing an illusion. You can just be yourself – friendly and open as always! You can just continue chasing your dreams and relish your thirst with real water!
Finally we just need to move on accepting reality and search the water we need – live life and go in the direction of your goals without creating a fools paradise around. It’s just you chasing your dreams and let it become a reality! Stop trying to catch the mirage or punishing your eyes for capturing them!