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Caterpillar or butterfly?

'Caught in a strange land in a net with other butterflies, I'm a caterpillar yet undecided to remain a caterpillar and perish or turn into a beautiful butterfly and live a life full of joy.'
Readers don't laugh. But I came up with this one night recently when I was travelling in a train. I tossed and turned, not being able to sleep, upset over unexplainable things and frustrated over events not in my control. Then it occurred to me that our life and its usefulness depends on our decisions -- whether to remain a crawling caterpillar whose existence otherwise is either ignored by all and sundry or who is cursed for just being there and thrown out with a stick, or to develop wings of life and metamorphose into a beautiful butterfly whom everybody adores for its beauty and colour, for its flitting liveliness, for its service to the flower's pollination... I thought that I should be a butterfly, of service to others, but then again I thought, anyway, who really cares? 

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 4, 2012 at 11:47 PM

    ... will a caterpillar, once aware of its own potential to turn into a beautiful, lovely, lively butterfly, think twice?

    ... caterpillar just naturally metamorphoses into a butterfly to live its own life to the fullest - never for others to care!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Vishwas KrishnaJanuary 13, 2012 at 6:50 PM

    @anonymous take a bow. Especially, for the last line.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJanuary 24, 2012 at 8:18 PM

    thanks! ever wondered what stops human-caterpillars by naturally metamorphosing into lovely butterflies and live their life to the fullest?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Snippet ThoughtsJanuary 31, 2012 at 10:32 AM

    Yes. Fear of society and what people think.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vishwas KrishnaFebruary 2, 2012 at 1:16 PM

      Both quite unnecessary.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousFebruary 11, 2012 at 7:38 PM

      so, the civilized societies as they are seem to be the monsters that suppress & kill human spirit by & for which they evolved!

      the singular quest of the Buddhas in all societies has been to liberate individuals from the monstrosities of the societies ... not for nothing societies/people are scared of, do anything to stop, and crucify anyone on the path of liberation ...

      No one can liberate one except oneself - "be a light unto yourself" !

      Delete
    3. AnonymousFebruary 12, 2012 at 7:31 PM

      Apart from external excuses like society & people, ever wondered the role of Ego in making ones own destiny?

      Isn't the suppressive power of the Society/People simply the collective Ego?

      Delete
  5. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2012 at 8:36 AM

    And, the singular quest of the Buddhas is actually about liberating each individual from their own Egos - for the monstrosities of the society/people at large is just the reflection & collection of the individual Egos!

    If each individual can't liberate oneself from ones own Ego, how could the individual liberate oneself from the society, let alone liberating the society from its own monstrous instincts?

    ReplyDelete

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