The Old Man and the River

That morning, the old man was on the top of the hill again. Day after day, month after month and year after year he was there in the morning. He never missed a day. Such a thought never occurred to him. It was a small hill, overlooking a bend in the river, throwing open its long stretch on either side of the bend, from eternity to eternity. Yet he felt its  presence right next to him. There he sat, gazing at the bend, as he did every day. Every drop of the river water passing through bend met his eye. There he sat waiting for the sun to rise, graze the water and fill his eye, until something told him it was enough. But, it was enough for only a day, drawing him from the depth of his sleep next morning. Just as he needed to gaze at the river bend, it needed his gaze.

Today, though, was not going to be another day. The old man felt the unusual as he climbed up the hill. The flow of the river was not intense but  not gentle either. He felt an inviting pattern in the flow of the river. The wind was way too gentle. As usual, he climbed up the hill. But the sunlight today seem to create a different form on the river. The old man could not stay there for long. He ended his traditional gaze early and climbed down the hill. He sat close to the water stream on the bank looking into the river. But this time he forgot about the graze of the sunlight. Instead, he was listening to the flow of the river. The pattern of the flow slowly became deeper, eventually became music, filling the old man's ears, body and mind,  holding him  still in its enchant. 

He did not know how long he sat there. He woke up only when he found himself enveloped by a heavenly voice. "Old man, who are you"? The Divinity in the voice was compelling. He opened his eyes to see a goddess like lady. "Why do you come to see me, day after day, year after year". The old man was taken aback. He had never asked this question to himself. Recovering after a while, he stood up. "What did you say? Am I coming here to see you?". The lady smiled. "Yes, old man. I am the goddess river". The old man was now in disbelief. He had never ascribed any purpose to his daily visit to the hill and the river gaze, much less an appearance of the river goddess herself. There was absolute silence everywhere around except the music of the flowing pattern of the river, He noticed that the music was now more pronounced after the appearance of the lady. The old man mustered enough courage and looked into her eyes. He saw the same smile in her eyes as the pleasant flow of the river he saw everyday. Her face had the same energy and peace that he everyday felt gazing at the river. Yes, the same moving peace.

Collecting his senses, he asked the goddess "What can I do for you, Oh Mother?". The river goddess could not help a big smile. She asked "I thought I was the one asking a question. Tell me - why do you come here to see me everyday". The old man now spoke with a readiness that surprised him. "Mother, when lord sun grazes you and touches my eyes on your bend I feel my ancestors and my future generations". Saying so he became silent. He had found the answer to the question - why he climbed up the hill to see the river day after day. Just that he had never asked this question to himself. A simple question by the goddess river found him the answer. He asked "Why is that so mother? Why do I feel my ancestors and my future generations in you? I have seen none of them. I was an abandoned child - I have not seen my parents."

The goddess river gently lowered her eyes. Her smile gave way to thoughtfulness. She looked at the old man and wondered if he was the person she was looking for all the while. Her gentle gaze encouraged him sit at her feet. The goddess gently moved her hands on his head and said "There is somebody else who can help you find the answer". Saying so that goddess stopped. The old man immediately stood up. "Who that is, Oh Mother. I am eager to know the truth behind". The goddess was now convinced. She said "Its the Mother Earth. She is the one who holds me and shows me to enjoy my flow."

The old man did not wait for the goddess to go away. At once, he went up the hill and found a place where his eyes could hold the vast stretch of land and fill its still in his heart. At last he felt a hand on his shoulders with a shelter that he felt for the first time. With tears in his eyes, he turned around and at once fell at her feet. He was now determined in his quest but also had a question in addition. "Why is all this happening?". Goddess Earth sat along. "I am just here to guide you. You will find your answer but you have to go further. There is somebody else who knows this better. Go and meet the Lord Mountain. It is he who guides the river to flow through me".

At once he set upon his journey with firm steps, face looking ahead, eyes looking far and high, and heart filled with certainty. He kept walking ahead until he reached the foot of the Mountain. There he he set his gaze on the tip of the mountain.  Many days went by. Eventually, the Mountain could not remain unmoved by the gaze. The Old man's gaze was disturbed by the slow movement at the tip of the mountain. Different parts of the mountain began to move and slowly formed the eyes, eye brows, nose and the mouth of the Mountain Lord. A deep loud voice came from the depth of the earth and the sky. His gaze went deep inside the old man's eyes. "Why do you want an answer to this question".

"I do not know" said the old man, he was not thinking much. "I just know this much that I am slowly being filled with this question. After sometime I may become the question myself". The Mountain Lord dismantled his stiffness. He realized that the old man was the right person and almost there. "I can only tell you half the answer. When I touch the Clouds it showers as rain on Earth and flows as a river. The Cloud knows a bigger secret". No sooner had the Mountain paused than the old man vanished.

The old man started climbing up the mountain. At the top his gaze set on the sky waiting for the Rain Cloud to appear. The monsoon arrived. The Rain Clouds now could not hide from the Old Man. The Rain Cloud slowly formed itself in front of him and a drop woke up the gazing old man. The Rain Cloud was looking at him with a frown. "What do you want? You should not disturb us like this. We have a lot of work." The old man by now knew that his question was more important than everything else. "I want an answer to my question. Why am I seeing what I see in the river".

The Rain Cloud looked at him sternly. But the old man would have none of it. After a long time, the Rain Cloud relaxed and said "you see what you see because I am there in the river". The old man was not taking any more puzzles. "If you are there in the river why should I see my ancestors and my future generations".

The Rain Cloud said "You see those ancestors who gazed at the river in the same bend. You see your future generations who will do the same. The river holds your gaze and carries you along. They reach the ocean and come to me".

The Old man was not satisfied. "Why does the river hold my gaze?". The Rain Cloud smiled. "Because of me". "I am the mother pregnant of rain. I am the father showering rain on earth. What I receive as mother, I give away as father. My children bring to me everybody who can find this in me".

At once the Sun shone behind and the Old man saw light. He came back and continued his daily gaze of the river. He never told this secret but taught his children and grand children the same practice until his death.