Cruising Through the Rain

The nature itself seemed a little unhappy with the world. The sky was enveloped in the shadow of dark clouds, granting beings a fear of loneliness and poverty. The rain was patterning hard on the ground. The thundering and lightning marked the day more fearful. I could find the creatures disordered in their thoughts, not knowing where to run to.

I was going back to my hostel in the evening in an auto. In the cruelty of the rain, our auto (vehicle) broke down and it wouldn’t budge. It could move no more when we were not even half a mile from the town. The cabman got out, saw to it that he mended the wrong but it still didn’t work. He was all drenched by now. The rain dripped down his back. Even we were starting to get wet, the rain splattering our face with the full force of wind.

Finally the man won and we were going again. It wasn’t at all beautiful. Excuse me if you think it was fun. It was scene that makes you hold your breath, think for a while and then tightens your heart with a nag of being left out of the world. I felt so uneasy and unfair to be sitting comfortably (comparatively) at the back. He was so cold. He could barely drive at an average speed. His hands were shivering. The man was almost numb. I knew how uncomfortable it was for him to sit with his clothes all wet. With a tearful heart, I was myself encountered with so many questions. Why does he have to struggle so much in the scorching sun and rain? Why can’t he stay at home warm? Why does he have to earn money? He has a family to feed and himself to keep alive! But that thought was barely satisfactory answer. I was thinking of how we people go on suffering this way, snailing through the marsh of samsara. Why can’t we all be aware of our own being? It is in our hand to choose what to do and to opt for happiness, peace, sorrow and suffering. Yet all we do is keep living in a world of expanding suffering. We don’t even look beyond the view our senses hold.

By the time I was at the hostel I was myself drenched in the thoughts of why that man had to cruise through the rain and why he had to speed through with life in that manner. And like wise, what you and I are doing here? Are we doing any better? Are we doing anything worthwhile?
As I took off for the day, I knew I could never forget that day. A man in the rain. The world in the rage of nature. The sufferer alone and lonely. I opened my eyes wide to the world. I could be the next or you could be the one to run through the rain…