When there is nothing left to give…

.. yet one is still willing to share that’s when humanity begins.

I visited Rishikesh last winters to learn about Yoga, the way of living and little did I expect that I was signing up for yet another life lessons outside the school.

During a random stroll in the Laxman-jhula market I stopped to buy some fish-food on our way towards the holy Ganga. The vendor seemed to be in a jolly mood and told us that this food is for Lord Vishnu, who had to once take an incarnation to save the Earth from an aquatic devil and hence when we feed the fish we indirectly pray to the Lord. His pious intentions and the religious aura of Rishikesh made me want to believe in the mythological correlation.

He asked us what we did for a living and if we were into writing and he encouraged us to do so. I asked him what he thought we should write about and he fondly said we should write about Nature. I was gladly surprised at this peculiar suggestion. Being in the centre of one of the most spiritual cities in India I expected he would suggest something religious.
He has even written several poems and passionately recited one for us.

He later told us about his youth. He was a teacher somewhere in Nainital and once owned 3 schools there, though now he has relinquished it all. He in his late 70s is selling 10 Rs nibbles for the fish. We could tell that he was a very inspiring teacher in his time because just few minutes of conversation with him left us in complete awe and we were left thinking about it.

I don’t know if I am going to write something on the Himalaya anytime soon but I am surely writing about you, Sir and am still touched by your positive and energy reverberating demeanor. Encounters like these are very rare and for the keeps. You are a living example of how as humans we always have something to give and that is a smile, positivity, hope and inspiration. This is something the world today is in dire need of amongst wars, nuclear threats, religious unrest and climatic crisis to name a few.

Being human is certainly way more than endorsing a brand :)