It Is Not a Museum
of the Mute!
In this world, one rarely ponders on the signs of God that are spread out all through the universe. However, this is the root cause of every form of evil in the human world.
A train journey can be full of myriad experiences. The train rushes ahead, carrying scores of people heading to different destinations. It passes through the countryside, through changing terrain. The train, thus, becomes a symbol of life’s journey, a life full of signs and indications. However, just as the passengers in the train are unaware of the passing scenes outside, being engrossed in activities that delight them, so, too, in this world, an individual passes his time, rarely if ever pondering on the signs of God that are spread out all through the universe.
The sun rises, its face beaming, and it shines on us as if conveying a message. However, before it can speak, it sets. A tree bursts forth with branches richly laden with leaves. The sea moves ceaselessly, cradling wave after wave. All of these want to say something. However, a human being walks past them without listening to their call. The sky’s loftiness and the earth’s beauty are dimensions of this universal programme. They have so much to convey but do not lend their ear. But man thinks them to be inert.
Is this glorious universe a museum of mute entities? No, not at all! All these things have a message of God, which they continue to broadcast in an eternal, timeless language. However, a person is so lost in other sounds that he does not hear the silent voice of the universe.
Once on a journey, I got off the train at a mid-way stop to offer my prayers. I asked some people on the platform where the west was to determine the proper direction for prayers. However, no one had an answer to that simple question! So, I thought to myself, “The sun dawns here every day—that is a shining truth. However, these people are so lost that they do not know the east or west! How will they know what message the sun and other stars and planets convey in their silent language every day of their lives?”
The train halted at another station, and I got off and stood on the platform. The sun had just set. It was a beautiful scene—tall trees silhouetted against the pale red sky streaked with clouds. “The beauty of all these comes from their loftiness!” I mused. “But a human being is not prepared to scale such heights. He does not live at the heights of the trees, sun, or clouds. Instead, he wallows in superficialities, personal interests, false friendships, and petty enmities. Instead of journeying with the rest of the universe, he prefers to remain closeted in his little shell. He forces himself to live in Hell in a world where a heavenly environment awaits him. It is the root cause of every form of evil in the human world. If an individual lived at the lofty level of the rest of the beautiful scenes of nature, he would also reflect on this beauty and listen to God’s message in their silent language.
