Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction. Human beings go through the cycle of life and death. So does the plants that bloom and wither. The common life force which supports the life is called consciousness.

It is the universal force which pumps blood to every cell of the body, adjust the sugar levels, maintain the heart beat day and night, and flush out toxins from the body without any intervention from our end. The life sustaining processes take place inside the plants as well. The new leaves grow and the old ones wither and die out.

It means plants, animals and humans are all under the control of a fundamental life sustaining force. This force is present as innate intelligence among not only in humans but also in plants. We can say that consciousness or awareness is present in plants, animals and humans. Then is it wrong to say that we are living in an aware Universe!

What differentiates humans from nature is that apart from this higher intelligence or consciousness, they have highly evolved brains. Brains generate thoughts one after another. So we have to deal with a thinking mind as well. Humans have an innate intelligence or what we call “gut feeling” or the “inner voice” and at the same time, they have an ever blabbering mind. We are always told to listen to our heart while we are in indecision. This is the inner voice or our consciousness what people are referring to here. But over the years, humans have highly subdued their innate intelligence as they have indulged themselves in over thinking, cleverness and shrewdness. They have even started using their brain in the matters where heart is needed.

Humans have largely veiled their inner voice owing to the ever talking monkey minds. It makes them feel that they are that particular thought or that particular voice in the head. But we are neither the thoughts nor the sound in our heads.

As nature is devoid of brain, so why don’t we look towards it to separate our innate intelligence and chattering mind. It is like separating oil from water. We can look onto them to see the universal order. We can align our self to the true self. Nature can teach us how to spend our lives.

We do not need to look for wisdom in books. Everything around us is full of life lessons. What is needed is our perspective. Let us see the cardinal and indispensable lessons which nature has to offer.

Wisdom from Rivers and Lakes

They flow effortlessly no matter what comes their way. They change their course if there is obstruction but they keep on flowing. It quenches thirst of anyone who is thirsty even the one has littered it before. There is no place for ego. Small streams join lakes, lakes then join rivers and rivers culminate in the ocean. Once a river reaches the ocean, it is no longer a river. It is the ocean now. Every drop of water which was once a lake or a river is ocean now. Why is the ocean king of a hundred streams? Because it lies below them. Humility gives it its power. We as humans have our own journey which will culminate into an ocean of supreme consciousness.

Only the flowing water reaches the ocean, the standing water becomes a ditch plagued with mosquitoes and bacteria of all forms. That may be the reason why it is said, “Go with the flow.”

A river is never empty no matter how much water one takes away from it. A giver is always full. Be a giver.

The rivers and lakes always flow from higher altitude to lower altitudes. This is the natural flow. If it has to move the other way around, tremendous pressure is required through an electric motor. Thus the natural course of everything in universe is from top to bottom. A constant effort is required to sustain things at zenith or they follow their natural way to bottom. It is even true for relationships. If they are not constantly nurtured with tender love and continuous understanding, they reach their lowest lows in no time.

All that is garbage in the ocean comes to the shore by its own, ocean does not have to plan and plot to take it out. Similarly, in our lives, what will be deemed unnecessary will itself be eliminated from our lives. Be it any person, any relationship or any job, if they no longer serve you, they automatically will be disposed off. This is the fundamental law of nature. So, next time you really do not have to burden yourself with making the decision of calling off the relationship with your best friend when you found her bitching about you at your back. Life follows an order. If she is not needed in your life, she will be automatically deleted.

Wisdom from Birds

Somebody asked me, “What is the right time to sleep and at what time should one wake up.” I said sleep when the birds sleep and wake up when the birds do. There can be no better parameter to see what a good morning routine should be. After all, birds do have an innate intelligence. Sing like birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think. Be carefree.

Wisdom from flowers

Flowers bloom in the morning and go to sleep at night. Look at the daffodils, tulip, roses or whichever bud you prefer. Even though the seeds of these flowers are rough and ugly, the flowers are colorful and delicate. Have you ever seen a jasmine or a dandelion toiling and slogging to be what they are? They do not work hard to emit their scents. It is their very essence to be fragrant. They just “BE”. They are deeply rooted in their being. Nature doesn’t hurry yet everything is accomplished. “DOING” is not important. “BEING” is important. Just Be. And our essential true nature will bloom itself.

Wisdom from Sun

It shines for all wide worlds’ joy. It does not discriminate to give its sunlight to few privileged. It shines on a beautiful canopy of flowers and also on a can full of garbage. It just shines. It does what its true nature is. If nature does not discriminate then who are we to discriminate between rich or the poor, black or white, good or the bad?

Wisdom from trees

If we see the structure of a nerve cell, it resembles a tree. It has a long trunk, a nucleus and long branches called dendrites. One nerve cell is connected to other cells and they communicate with each other. Nerve cells resemble a tree so much that you cannot find a real difference between them. As scientists are still working on it, there might be some evidences of trees communicating between themselves as well. They are conscious too. We can sit under a tree to feel its positive energy.

If you closely see a whirlpool in a sink or swirling of a tornado then you can see that swirl of our galaxy resembles these whirlpools. It means they are following the path of our galaxy. We live in a connected Universe where one thing is casting its shadow on the other. Let us cast our egos away which believe in separateness.

Let us recourse our path, rediscover ourselves and realign to the fundamental force of Universe.

Namaste.

Navkiran Brar

Thinker, Mind Body healer, Writer

Bank officer by profession