Cross Country

August 15th was India Independance Day. Belated Happy 61 India !

To commemorate the glorious occasion, Art Of Living, Pune organized a tree plantation at 10 locations - part of Mission Green Earth. I happened to attend one at Baner Hills at Baner, Pune.

Getting there was tapas - no less ! Once I entered village off the main road i went off completely and overshot the entrance to where the plantation site was supposed to be. I called the coordinator who told me to head back to the village and climb a *few* steps to a temple and cross over to the plantation location.




I started climbing the steps to the temple. Nice trek I thought - haven't been exercising a lot lately ! The steps kept going and going as if testing my resolve. I reached the roof top and looked around.



No Trees Being Planted - No People - No Nothing !

Panting, I went to the roof and looked far out - about a mile away on another hill were a group of people. W H A T ! - the mind went. I just climbed thrice as many more steps than I sometimes have to when the lights fail and the elevator in my apartment gets stuck .

I called the coordinator and he confirmed my suspicion. Waving to me from a distance he told me to get over T H E R E IF you can. The mind went - I am already late - whats the point - lets go back.

But something else said - you've already come so far - keep going .

Long story short - I got there - and helped plant just 1 sapling - as if it was waiting for my arrival. The coordinator, G, had a nice comment as I arrived, panting, gasping for breath - "Kriya Ho Gaya Aate Aate" ? (Did you finish Kriya trecking over here ?) :)

Sure Did G !







Though I didn't do much to save the planet on this day, I did learn an important lesson. It reminded me of what the teacher said last week at Long Kriya.

Dus Nikalte Hain - Ek Pahunchta Hai ! (Ten start this journey - One Arrives) .

This path too is full of steep precipices, long treks, moments of hesitation and despair - but its important to keep going.


As Longfellow wrote in "A Psalm of Life"

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,

Is our destined end or way;

But to act, that each to-morrow

Find us farther than to-day.

........

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

जय हिंद ! Jai Guru Dev !