Labour of love

The mighty Himalayas, the abode of the Gods, beckon those seeking meaning and salvation in life.

A parable from this divine region goes like this: A man, disenchanted by wealth and power, began his journey towards the Himalayas. As he trudged along the steep slopes, he notices a girl (about 10 years old) carrying her younger brother on her back climbing alongside him. Her brother was a ruddy-faced child and healthy as only the people of the hills can be. The girl was bent by the effort, full of sweat and grime and yet she smiled as she scaled the difficult path.

The man, patronisingly ruffled the little boy's hair, said; "He must be a huge burden to carry on this rough terrain". The girl stopped abruptly. She looked crestfallen. "Burden? How? He is my brother sir and I love him. Where there is love, there is no burden. I could carry him for miles and not get tired".

The man was stunned into silence. He understood that only love has the power to make such forbearance possible. Realisation dawned that the moments in his life when he felt the weight of the world upon his shoulders were only moments that manifested the absence of love.

When one is stirred by a great resolve, moved by love and passion, the obstacles in the path become cornerstones of a meaningful journey. Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Once it is touched by love, the work that you do is no longer a means to an end but fruition, relaxation and salvation all rolled into one. It is no longer something that you do but rather something that you are; something that you have potential to become.

You can either view yourself as someone who sweeps the dirty roads or as someone who presents the world with a benign fresh start every morning. You can see yourself as a banal teacher or a path-breaker who reveals numerous and wonderous trails to young, enthusiastic minds. When you find meaning in what you do the entire universe resolves the paradox for you; when there is love there is no labour!