Do You See It?
Spirit. There's nothing stronger, yet nothing more delicate than one's spirit. And his spirit, took a beating every single day. Every boundary that he failed to save, every goal that he could not block, every single ask where he could not deliver, brought along with it a torrential spout of bullying, followed by round after round of mocking, ridicule and shaming. Every evening he would return home, silent, sullen, with dark clouds over eyes that should have been sparkling with happiness. Every night he would console himself that tomorrow would be a different day. But as the sun came up over his school each day, his mishaps were never quite forgotten and were aggregated, laced with malice and flung at him from every corner. He wondered at how long he would have to keep up with it, terrified, alone.
One evening as he came home dejected, he found his father who had his day off, enjoying a book aloud with his mother. The sound of their laughter drew him to them, and in their arms, he found much awaited joy, as he sat listening to his father reading and saw his mother smiling at him. That night, he had a dream, wherein he was visited by an old Oriental man with long thick hair and beard. The man asked him, "Do you see it? Oh! It's so beautiful!" Confused, he asked him,"But what is there to see in this blackness?", to which the man jubilantly replied,"why, the light of course! One day you will see it!" The man came close and something in his old kind face brought on a big grin and he chuckled as the old man ruffled his hair. As he opened his eyes, he saw his mother stroking his head lovingly and she asked,"Did you have a good dream?" Although he could not for the world figure out what to make of it, he simply hugged his mother and replied,"I think so."
Years went by, and school days, that childhood spent fielding abuses, were long past. Somewhere along the path he had found it in himself to separate his happiness from acceptance and adoration. In the arrogance of adolescence he had decided that if people wanted to hate him, or make him an outcast, he might as well give them the right reasons. And so he excelled in his studies, performed marvelously on his duties and soon built up the reputation of an erudite, responsible, pragmatic, young man. Books were his mentors at life, as he tried, tested and observed theories philosophized by great minds of contemporary and bygone eras. Still to call him completely devoid of human companionship would be wrong as he did find friends, mostly people like himself and a few rare ones who empathized with him. So an outsider he was and contentedly so.
The hubris of his youth had made him take on several projects which required inputs from diverse minds and a team approach, but he took them alone head on. His friends had tried in vain to save him but his pride would not hear of it. Thus with each endeavor failing to meet the sky high expectations from him, the ratification of him being wise was soon lost, as he saw disappointment in each of his mentors. Suddenly, everything came crushing back to him - his childhood sufferings and what was worse, was that this time his situation was of his own making, and no one else's fault. That night, as he drifted off, feeling alone again, once more the old Oriental man visited him. The same exuberant smile was on his lips as he uttered the familiar question,"Do you see it? Oh! It's so beautiful!" Bewildered as ever, he asked,"But what is it that you see?", to which the old man, a little disappointed for a moment, yet smiling, replied,"I'll wait for the day when you see for yourself!" Then, with a gentle pat to the head he faded into darkness. Next moment, he woke up to find himself surprisingly motivated, and happy.
Having learned his limits, and the importance of people in life, he opened up a little in the years that followed and to everyone's surprise, including his own, even found the love of his life, although by sheer accident. Were it not for her uncontrollable urge to talk, and her comforting charm, he would never have been able to slip in a proposal as she was tirelessly relating an anecdote to him. It hit her a full two minutes later, but when it did, for once, she was at a loss of words, and he read yes in her eyes. With her, he made a perfect life for himself - a rewarding job, a loving wife and a home of his dreams. And soon enough they were expecting a small bundle of joy!
But life had other plans it seemed. During childbirth, his wife underwent severe complications and ultimately passed away, giving birth to a baby girl. As the OB-GYN, broke the news to him, he was shocked out of his wits. So numb was he, that even the cries of his new born daughter could not bring him back. And when the realization of being alone hit him again, it broke him. All these years, he had been fighting his desolation and just when he thought he had won, life delivered it's most cruel blow. He was alone again, and now as he heard the cries of his daughter, he steeled himself realizing the enormous responsibility that was now his alone. Getting a grip over himself, he made the arrangements for his wife's last rites and over the next few days, accepted and thanked his friends and relatives for their condolences, suffering in silence, secretly wishing to be left alone. So one night after all the relatives had gone, and his mother took his daughter with her to allow him a peaceful sleep, he was once again visited by the old Oriental man.
"Do you see it? Oh! It's never been this beautiful. You must see it now!"
"Go away you loon! There's nothing left for me to see! My life is barren, dark and desolate now, for my love, my light has been taken from me!"
(The old man disappeared for a moment and then reappeared with a mirror)
"Look here son! Now you will see it!"
(He looked into the mirror and saw a bright white light emanating from his entire being.)
"It's coming from me? This light? I don't understand!"
(The old man chuckles)
"I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in the darkness, the astonishing light of your own being."
"And today you did. When I was at my loneliest!"
"For it is redoubled. Now you see it!"
One evening as he came home dejected, he found his father who had his day off, enjoying a book aloud with his mother. The sound of their laughter drew him to them, and in their arms, he found much awaited joy, as he sat listening to his father reading and saw his mother smiling at him. That night, he had a dream, wherein he was visited by an old Oriental man with long thick hair and beard. The man asked him, "Do you see it? Oh! It's so beautiful!" Confused, he asked him,"But what is there to see in this blackness?", to which the man jubilantly replied,"why, the light of course! One day you will see it!" The man came close and something in his old kind face brought on a big grin and he chuckled as the old man ruffled his hair. As he opened his eyes, he saw his mother stroking his head lovingly and she asked,"Did you have a good dream?" Although he could not for the world figure out what to make of it, he simply hugged his mother and replied,"I think so."
Years went by, and school days, that childhood spent fielding abuses, were long past. Somewhere along the path he had found it in himself to separate his happiness from acceptance and adoration. In the arrogance of adolescence he had decided that if people wanted to hate him, or make him an outcast, he might as well give them the right reasons. And so he excelled in his studies, performed marvelously on his duties and soon built up the reputation of an erudite, responsible, pragmatic, young man. Books were his mentors at life, as he tried, tested and observed theories philosophized by great minds of contemporary and bygone eras. Still to call him completely devoid of human companionship would be wrong as he did find friends, mostly people like himself and a few rare ones who empathized with him. So an outsider he was and contentedly so.
The hubris of his youth had made him take on several projects which required inputs from diverse minds and a team approach, but he took them alone head on. His friends had tried in vain to save him but his pride would not hear of it. Thus with each endeavor failing to meet the sky high expectations from him, the ratification of him being wise was soon lost, as he saw disappointment in each of his mentors. Suddenly, everything came crushing back to him - his childhood sufferings and what was worse, was that this time his situation was of his own making, and no one else's fault. That night, as he drifted off, feeling alone again, once more the old Oriental man visited him. The same exuberant smile was on his lips as he uttered the familiar question,"Do you see it? Oh! It's so beautiful!" Bewildered as ever, he asked,"But what is it that you see?", to which the old man, a little disappointed for a moment, yet smiling, replied,"I'll wait for the day when you see for yourself!" Then, with a gentle pat to the head he faded into darkness. Next moment, he woke up to find himself surprisingly motivated, and happy.
Having learned his limits, and the importance of people in life, he opened up a little in the years that followed and to everyone's surprise, including his own, even found the love of his life, although by sheer accident. Were it not for her uncontrollable urge to talk, and her comforting charm, he would never have been able to slip in a proposal as she was tirelessly relating an anecdote to him. It hit her a full two minutes later, but when it did, for once, she was at a loss of words, and he read yes in her eyes. With her, he made a perfect life for himself - a rewarding job, a loving wife and a home of his dreams. And soon enough they were expecting a small bundle of joy!
But life had other plans it seemed. During childbirth, his wife underwent severe complications and ultimately passed away, giving birth to a baby girl. As the OB-GYN, broke the news to him, he was shocked out of his wits. So numb was he, that even the cries of his new born daughter could not bring him back. And when the realization of being alone hit him again, it broke him. All these years, he had been fighting his desolation and just when he thought he had won, life delivered it's most cruel blow. He was alone again, and now as he heard the cries of his daughter, he steeled himself realizing the enormous responsibility that was now his alone. Getting a grip over himself, he made the arrangements for his wife's last rites and over the next few days, accepted and thanked his friends and relatives for their condolences, suffering in silence, secretly wishing to be left alone. So one night after all the relatives had gone, and his mother took his daughter with her to allow him a peaceful sleep, he was once again visited by the old Oriental man.
"Do you see it? Oh! It's never been this beautiful. You must see it now!"
"Go away you loon! There's nothing left for me to see! My life is barren, dark and desolate now, for my love, my light has been taken from me!"
(The old man disappeared for a moment and then reappeared with a mirror)
"Look here son! Now you will see it!"
(He looked into the mirror and saw a bright white light emanating from his entire being.)
"It's coming from me? This light? I don't understand!"
(The old man chuckles)
"I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in the darkness, the astonishing light of your own being."
"And today you did. When I was at my loneliest!"
"For it is redoubled. Now you see it!"
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