The Place Where I Belong

Picture Courtesy- Akash Anand

It is the vastness of the ocean, the expanse of the clouds, the enormousness of the mountains, the unending flow of the river and the eternity of soul that make you realise your true existence. The existence of the true being, in coherence with nature, born from nothingness and which then perishes into the unknown. 

We are part of this soil, the trees, the clouds, the water, the sun, and the moon, as mentioned in the ancient scriptures of India as the panchtatva. The five elements from which our body is made: Akash, Jal, Vayu, Agni and Prithvi. These five elements exist within us and a part of our soul exists within these elements. 

Each element symbolises the strength and depth we have within us, the power our mind can harness, the eternal love that exists within us and the resilience our spirit has. All of these elements are in tune with each other and strive to reach the state of balance which aligns our mind, body and spirit. Our whole existence is aimed at achieving this state of balance. 

A recent journey back to my native place, a small district Jashpur in the state of Chhattisgarh, made me realise this timeless truth. Surrounded by the endless greenery, beautiful terracotta houses, a quaint village nestled amidst the mist-covered mountains, I found myself returning to a place which reminded me of my own being. It was a profoundly grounding experience, waking up to the songs of birds instead of the traffic, watching rain pouring in the kitchen garden, the strong smell of earthiness, watching the clouds embrace the hills, walking through the fields nourished by generations and witnessing life unfold at a pace set by nature instead of the clock. 

In those moments, I realised that nature doesn't simply surround us, it reflects us. We are the part of same soil we were born into, the trees, the clouds, the sun, the moon are the fundamental elements of our existence. To be disconnected from your roots in many ways disconnects you from your inner self.

Nothing exists in isolation. It is instead a coherent existence of each and every element existing in this physical realm, unitedly striving to achieve the greater consciousness.  

Every tree, every stream, every gust of wind carrying the fragrance is an intricate part of our existence. perhaps that is why returning to your native place feels so deeply restorative. It is not merely the beauty of the green landscape and the serenity of hills, it is the interconnectedness of everything- people, nature, culture, food that heals something within you. It is the quiet reminder that we belong to something greater than ourselves and our lives. 

We are reminded that we are not separate from the creation, we are creation itself, continuously seeking meaning and balance.  

"The same stream of life that runs
through my veins night and day runs
through the world and dances in
rhythmic measures.
    It is the same life that shoots in joy
through the dust of the earth in
numberless blades of grass and breaks
into tumultuous waves of leaves and
flowers.
    It is the same life that is rocked in
the ocean-cradle of birth and of death,
in ebb and in flow.
    I feel my limbs are made glorious by
the touch of this world of life. And my
pride is from the life-throb of ages
dancing in my blood this moment"

      -RabindranathTagore, Gitanjali (Macmillan and Company, 1916)