In "Planet Earth III, Episode 4 - Freshwater" on BBC Earth, Sir David Attenborough and his team bring us sitting in the comfort of our homes to realize the power of nature. It makes you wonder who these scientists, biologist, film crew, producers and of course Sir David Attenborough is? They have made immense sacrifices. There are those who enter danger zones risking their lives to cover stories just so that we know what takes place behind the wall. There are scientist who spend their entire lives studying just one particular species of animal. Would we do that? There are trackers who scale the dizzy heights of mountains just to bring us the sights and sounds of these amazing places. Then there is this film crew that films an active volcano from merely some distance away. And here we sit and watch them in the comfort of our homes. At least I do. My granddaughter surprised me the other day when I made up a story based on the popular story from the Puranas where Lord Ganesa and Lord Muruga compete for a whole fruit. I included Lord Krishna too in my story. Dissatisfied with the outcome, Lord Muruga eventually leaves on his peacock while Lord Ganesa who earns the fruit stays at home. I told her that Lord Ganesa rather than follow Lord Muruga into the skies or Lord Krishna into the depths of the ocean preferred to stay home and watch the sights shown through documentaries. She answered, "But it would not be fresh!" I understood what she meant. It would not be the same as being there on the ground or in this case in the skies or under the ocean. We will miss the sights and sounds and the smell and ambience. We will miss the perspiration and struggle and the dangers out there. She should know for her parents bring her and her siblings on the slightest opportunity and every possible moment to the parks, the farms, the jungles and the waterfalls to be one with nature.
"The extraordinary power of flowing water makes it our planets greatest architect," says Sir David Attenborough. “Freshwater not only shapes the land, but life itself – it is the most precious ingredient for life on Earth. A resource for humans, and a home for countless species that simply cannot survive without it. Freshwater is the lifeblood for all planet Earth.”
(Source: https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/mediapacks/planet-earth-three-episode-4-freshwater)
We realize that nature is in no way inferior to man for it shows all the traits that man has. Crows' intelligence is astounding as told by science and even in the fables. A friend told us of how it picked up pebbles from his neighbor's garden and dropped them into the pool of water that had ponded on his flat roof so that the water level rose, and it could drink the water. And this crow was not schooled. It did not enroll in a college. Schools of fish do marvelous things. And they never schooled. It has all the wits and brains to trick and cheat to survive as in the ‘play dead fish’, a master of deception that tricks other fish into thinking it’s dead!" When a bird is away for a brief moment after building a wonderful nest to lure a female into his nest, another neighboring bird steps in and destroys his newly built home. Gliding tree frogs compete for a mate hanging on precariously to leaves and tiny branches of a tree on the riverbank. One among them begins to kick the rests and arrest the female that then lays its eggs on these leaves. I guess it's might that rule in nature. It is a test of strength and speed too. It might decide who lives and who shall leave. It can show us who is the boss if it wants. Nature dances and displays its talents. Watching nature in action subdues our pride and ego. It in fact determines man's life span on earth and his quality of life. The Siddhas lived in harmony with nature often studying its habits and adapting them. Many of the Yoga poses are said to have derived in this manner.
Man's strength these days is in who he knows, I guess, what we term as having a cable or an insider. Having a cable or insider speeds up things that otherwise would take time to resolve. Can having the Siddhas by our side be considered as having cables too? Well, it pretty well seems so. Things get done in a jiffy, all right. But know that they only come to our aid in matters that do not jeopardize others wellbeing or done in ill faith. In defining who is eligible to receive Gnanam, does that amount to discrimination? If the guru openly endorses it those not eligible would feel hurt, right? But he then knows that he has to work harder. Can the guru favor some students and ignore the others? Why are we causing a partition here? Those pointed out publicly shall then have their ego blown up too thinking that they are better than the rests, right? Should not the guru instead sow it to all and let those interested pursue the way? But sad to say nobody picks up these teachings. I guess this is the reason many saints traveled alone on this mystical journey. When gurus like Tavayogi sent the cart to pick us up and offered their teachings freely, yet people hesitated to come. They preferred to remain as the festive crowd turning up only during festivities. Tavayogi never tied us down. He never lay codes or rules to adhere to. We were given total freedom to pursue the course in our good time. A good disciple would definitely follow the guru's teachings although he doesn't report to the guru daily or is elsewhere. The guru and his teachings are kept alive in him. He treasures both as his eyes. Even if the guru has left his physical form, he knows that his guru is around in the subtle form looking in on him. The guru disciple relationship and bond can never be broken. And so was our bond with both my guru Supramania Swami and Tavayogi and of course Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal. Though we have stopped worship in any form, they live in us and in our thoughts and actions. Bliss prevails at the mere mention of their names. The sweet nectar and ambrosia flow through us at the mere thought of them. This is love. This is devotion. This is obedience. This is surrender. This is oneness.