HINDUISM: The mature beauty of fall

One morning, as I opened my window, I was stunned. The beautiful green trees had suddenly donned a golden ochre. I couldn’t believe my eyes, their leaves danced with the breeze and shone

a brilliant gold in the slanting rays of the morning sun. It was fall, the season where the leaves in their maturity are ready to depart from the world. They suddenly burst into splendid golden beauty as if asking the world to always remember them thus. The final photograph to be remembered by. Or is there another message? Could they have let go the world already, having understood the transient nature of all matter? So, they covered themselves in the robes of monks and stood like sanyasis, tall and graceful in their maturity.

An afternoon of leisurely walk through the avenues of the neighbourhood saw another beauty. Incredible were the glorious colours of the trees that lined the pavements. Lime green with lime yellow, a rusty red already showing the familiar age spots that needed no beauty creams or concealers to make the skin lie.

They looked amazingly beautiful in age. The edges of the leaves had turned black already, signalling that the end was near, but how wonderful was the richness of colour. I stood for long under the trees, looking up at the guileless beauty of honesty, mature and dignified in the acceptance of natural laws. Suddenly I exclaimed, “Aah”, as I turned to look ahead. A whole row of flaming scarlet rustling in the breeze, with a flirting sunlight dancing through them. Could nature be reminding us that when fall is near just don on colours of splendour, of love and joy, filling every mind and soul with beauty that lasts and lasts long after you have departed from this earth?

Prarthna Saran, President Chinmaya Mission Delhi.