Compassion

This afternoon, as we were riding the motorcycle on the little road that serpent through the banana trees and the rubber trees, at the border of the jungle, we saw on the side of the road a young dog laying down. Here, often you would see dogs resting on the road, sometimes just on the middle, half asleep. There is not much traffic, the drivers usually avoid them, or the dog just get up and move to another place if he perceives the vehicle too close.
But what attracted our attention was the, somewhat odd, posture of his small body. We stopped and walked to see him. But three meters from him we understood, by noticing the great number of flies around, that he had already passed away. Another dog who was not far came to us barking, but not aggressive, even a bit shy. It was the mother, you could see the same colors and traits, and she was trying to keep away this intruder. The young dog probably had been bumped by a car.

Later in the evening, we returned home via the same road. The sun had already set and now there was a clear night, and on this deserted road, you could stop and look at the stars. There were so many of them in the indigo/black velvet of the sky. So bright, and some of them so close that you could have tried to touch them. Alone, there, in this quiet night, with many crickets filling the silence with their noise, the air scented with the many wild flowers and plants releasing their natural fragrance, after a hot day, you would feel like a guest among the tall trees standing still and silent, since there was no breeze. Feel like a guest only if you could keep quiet, tune to the spirit of the woods, immerse yourself in this harmony that you didn't create, and which was not created for you.
Just be quietly part of it. You are not more important than the firefly with its green blinking light or the old tamarind tree on the side of the road.
He has been there long before you came, and it will be after you leave. Even the black scorpion crossing slowly the road is the host, there. You can't kill him. If you are scared, leave this place and find somewhere more comfortable and secure. Go to the town, to the noise, to the dirt, to the world of entertainment and pleasure . Here, none of these. Here, you can stay if you accept to be part of all. Nothing else is required. Just to not invade the space and the silence of each creature. Because here, each one has his own life, his own business.
Far away, there were the sound of dogs barking.

As we returned on the place were we had stopped in the afternoon, everything was the same, like a déja vu. The mother dog was there, looking, sniffing at her dead child on the road.
Was she expecting that he would get up and play again with her?
Nevertheless it was so evident that she was missing him so much. She barked again to this stranger, as we stopped for few minutes, wishing that she could understand that we were not here, in the night, to harm her or take her child. We felt really sorry for her. We felt her loneliness and the void left in her heart. She would have to forget, to let go, and live her life the new way. After a while, she seemed to feel that we were not a danger for her, but still waited for us to leave. So we did.
And returned home, with these mixed feelings that we share now.
Have we ever seen a living creature that doesn't mind to be hurt, or killed?
Each creature, animal, vegetal - or in between -, will avoid the dangers of life. Each creature has to learn to detect what can be dangerous or harmless, to remain alive. No creature accept blindly death.

This morning, all the birds were singing in the sunshine. They were so excited, flying, jumping from one branch to another. An intense life was animating these little creatures. A big black crow came on the banana leaf and the small birds disappeared for a while.
Tonight, they are silent, sleeping probably, and you can feel their absence.


Compassion: a passion that encompass all the creatures sharing life, like you and me do.






L'homme d'Art