THERE GOES WITH THAT SILLY FISH, ALL MY MISERY!






Pic.: Malabika Ganguly

“All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.”
Havelock Ellis 
Once, the fishermen in a village had just returned after their daily catch. As they were busy sorting out the fishes, a Kite swooped down from the blue sky, caught a small fish by the beak, and shot up into the skies. Immediately, a hundred crows appeared from nowhere and began to chase the Kite, making a crazy commotion in the sky... To whichever direction the Kite flew, the crows followed it.... Kite flew West, crows did, too... Kite flew East, the crows did, too... Kite zoomed high up, the crows did, too... The Kite dived deep, the crows did, too...
Finally, the Kite, tired and frustrated, could fly no more... So, it decided to drop the fish...
The moment the fish was dropped, the crows left the Kite alone, and went after the falling fish!
The Kite quietly settled down on the branch of a nearby tree... From there, watching the insane spectacle, it concluded: “There goes with that silly fish, all my misery!”

I am very fond of this story. I have narrated it, countless times, during our PD sessions, and, I have seen everyone enjoying it...
There is nothing wrong in Kite picking up a fish and flying up into the skies. There is, also, nothing wrong in crows wanting that fish... But, the crows are stupid, crazy: they are not able to see the boat-load of fish near the seashore... They are after this one tiny-fish... Yes, they are after it like mad!
On the other hand, the Kite, who rightfully deserves the fish, tries to hold on to it as long and as tightly as possible... But, that simple wisdom easily doesn’t come its mind, too: that, holding on to that little fish - and the consequent tension and misery - are not worth it... It has to run out of all its strength, it has to feel the frustration... and, only through such pain and anguish, can it realize the importance of ‘dropping the fish’ – the letting go!
I do that, time and time again!
Because, as long as I live here, on this earth, I can not survive without ‘picking my daily fish’... I try my best to hold on to it as long and as best as possible. Then, only when I realize in my heart, that holding on to it is not worth it, I decide to ‘drop the fish’... Let go!
True: “All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.”
GERALD D’CUNHA

Comments

Akshay Mehra said…
Beautiful post!
.. Akshay Mehra
June 27, 2014 at 3:21 PM
Pritesh D said…
Letting go is not easy. Great story and well-connected. Pritesh D
June 27, 2014 at 5:02 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MUTHU KODI KAWARI HADA

Image
Pic.; Ashwin Mohta M y Hindi was always bad. It still is. One reason for this was, that they introduced Hindi for us only in 6 th standard. Or, was it in 8 th ? I don’t remember… I only remember struggling to write and read… leave alone speak! But, I loved Hindi movies, and, strangely, I could understand the dialogues and the lyrics of the songs… I used to sing those songs (of course when no one was around me!) as if I was the lyricist… One of the songs was a very funny one. ‘Muthu Kodi Kawari Hada’. It was from Mehmood’s super-hit comedy – ‘Do Phool’. I was a 15-year-old high-school boy when I had heard that song (not watched the movie). I could grasp the meaning of two words – ‘Muthu Kodi’… which meant ‘Give kiss’… But, what ‘Kawari Hada’ meant, I have no clue till date! It was just like ‘Why this kolaveri di’... Yes, why ask? Simply enjoy the beats… And, the beats are great… The rest... Who cares? Really! So, whatever bit of Hi
Read more

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER IS NOT A FAIRY-TALE... IT IS A CHOICE"

Image
“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone… It has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.” – Ursula K. Le Guin,  The Lathe of Heaven T welve years ago, when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got married, the world began to hail the couple as ‘Brangelina’. It became a fashion for couples around us to call themselves so… Norbert and Teresa renamed them as ‘Noresa’…  Amol and Vishaka baptized their relationship as ‘Amoshka’… and, Salman and Nargis became ‘Salgis’! I and my wife, too, got tempted to re-christian our matrimonial relationship as ‘Germa’... That is, Gerald and Anima, to be precise! B efore I proceed any further, let me make it very clear, here… that, I have no business to judge on the break-up of Brad Pitt and Angelina’ Jolie’s marriage. I have no inclination to go into why, how, what when etc behind it… The couple ‘chose’ to split. And, it’s their choice… Only they know how good or bad… how joyful or painful that
Read more

SELLING MIRRORS IN THE CITY OF THE BLIND

Image
“I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty. I laugh when I hear that people go on pilgrimage to find God.” - Kabir T here is a universal human weakness – and it dates back to the days of fallen civilizations – and it is: to place people on pedestal and trying to be smothered by them, feel loved and protected in their company… worship them as mentors, heroes,  gurus, Mahagurus and Satgurus… Make these mortals larger-than-life cut-outs, worship them as flawless, pure and give one’s all… And, then, ‘take’ everything from them blindly as divine… Give everything to them blindly… Eventually, what happens is:  one more dangerous bondage… What was supposed to free you now becomes a new prison… It’s sad to see this happen! T his room, where I am writing this Post, has no image of any deity. I have no image of any Guru or Master around me… My question is: “Am I not able to feel close to Almighty God?  How does it matter
Read more
THE WILD, WAYSIDE FLOWERS
There is, always, something extra-ordinary in the wild, wayside flowers...