SHEDDING IS JOYFUL... SKINNING IS PAINFUL.

















A snake sheds its skin, time to time, in order to facilitate its constant growth… to make way for new skin. It has outgrown the old, doesn’t fit into it, any more… So, it knows that the time has come to discard its old robe… it rubs itself to a hard surface, starting from its nose till the skin comes off its tail… It is one of Nature’s incredibly amazing scenes to behold... And, yes, it is, also, one of Her most priceless lessons to us, the humans.

There is another reason why a snake sheds its old skin: to do away the parasites along the old skin. The parasites feast on snake’s body… drinking its blood, eating up its skin and flesh. So, if the snake is unwilling to let go of her old skin – however dear and beautiful it is - it should be prepared to bear the consequences: suffer and perish!

Now, imagine, someone is skinning this snake… The way a chicken or a goat is skinned by us, the humans, to eat!

Holding on, in our minds, to anything, which is not useful to us anymore… is akin to a snake adamantly holding on to its old, useless skin. It’s the surest way of inviting self-destruction…

Parasites will drink our blood… and eat our flesh…!

They say, “A blind snake is a dead snake.” When we are blind to our relentless holding on – to our harmful biases and beliefs, to our anger, hatred, envy and ill-intentions, to our attitude of fear and insecurity – it is the death of our soul…




Yes, holding on means living on, dead!
 

Letting go – the shedding of our old, useless, parasites-ridden skin – is beautiful, sublime! All that is needed to do this is the ability to see how important it is for our growth, and well-being…

When we are able to see it, we are able to shed it…

That’s how the Nature has planned for all of us:

That, unless the old goes, the new cannot come…

That, if we are too stubborn about it, then, She will send someone - or something - to perform the ‘skinning act’…

The painful one, that will be!










GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Malabika Ganguly
Video courtesy: YouTube

Comments

Numan Patel said…
What a wonderful way of teaching the importance of letting go! Thanks a ton, Gerry. Numan
March 12, 2013 at 3:33 PM
Lata Nair said…
Serenity Prayer in beautiful words as your post. Lovely.
Lata
March 12, 2013 at 3:35 PM
Reema Shenoy said…
Peace and holding on cannot walk together. Amazing writing.
- Reema Shenoy
March 12, 2013 at 5:09 PM
Savita N Kumar said…
Allowing yourself to let gpo is as Knowing when to let go is as important as knowing that its time to let go . thanks for the reminder sir
March 13, 2013 at 1:17 PM
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