It was a dream journey. A long and tiring journey, we have travelled thousands of kilometres altogether. My beloved readers, it was a journey of love. We travelled from East to West and South to North. We travelled the whole world.
We saw the Pyramid of Giza. This most ancient creation proudly holding the proof of dedication, skill and technique of the people of the then time. Our next destination was the Hanging Garden of Babylon. The excellence of creation just stopped us to utter anything. I felt here a smell of love of an emperor to his beloved empress. Her homesickness touched his heart and the emperor did a very special work for his better half. The hanging garden of Babylon was his brain-child to make his beloved wife to feel, she is living in her native land. Raising the curtain of history, I can see a young empress is looking through the window of a royal-palace and having the feel of her birthplace! The cool breeze is blowing from the hanging gardens to that pretty young lady and making her feel, the wind is bringing the message of that country which she dreams of.
It's really a creation of love, by love and for love. Now we are on the way to Machu Pichhu. It's a sleeping city where the golden treasury of history is waiting for us; the city in deep sleep like the princess who needs a golden stick to awake her from sleep. Machu Pichhu seems to me, a very big painted city upon a huge canvas of the Earth.
From Machu Pichhu in Peru, it's a very long journey to China. Now we are before the Great Wall of China. Amazing, surprising - this kind of words forget breathing properly, standing before the wall which stands as a great symbol of unity from the ancient period of China. Dynasty comes, dynasty goes, but the history only holds the creation. I touched the existing part of the wall and a flow of electricity ran through my body! I can remember somewhere I read millions of people died during the making of the wall in different times. It is not the fact which electrified me because I know it takes hundreds of years to make the wall; so many men may expire during this period but the fact which gives me terrible shock, most of them were buried in this wall! If it is true, and then this great wall is not only made by woods, bricks, sand, stones and soils! The human body is also a very important material of this great wall, one of the new seven wonders! Dynasty comes, dynasty goes, and time never cares for that. But our supreme Mother Earth holds the wall in her breast with huge love to show the people of the world, neither dynasty nor the emperors; sacrifice of common people is the last word behind every eye-catching and heart-touching creation. They work silently; they hide their misery, sorrow silently; so the Earth takes responsibility to tell the tearful tragic stories of unsung, unheard, unlamented people. With a heavy heart, now we are going to Rome. No, it is not today's Rome. It is ancient Rome where literature, science and technology reach to the extreme level of excellence. Where the proverb floating in the air - All roads lead to Rome. Now we are standing before a huge Amphitheatre or Colosseum. In ancient Rome, it was used for gladiatorial contests, animal hunts and execution, etc. Thousands of years ago it was a very enjoyable sport for royal family members as well as of common people. Standing in the middle of the Collosseum I can hear thousands of spectators are shouting with joy! Suddenly a scene comes before my closed eyes! I can see a huge roaring lion is attacking a man on the floor and that unfortunate man trying his best to save himself from that violent animal. Now the spectators are shouting frantically! How can it be so enjoyable when a helpless person is fighting? Actually, it is very true that in every man lives an animal! I am sure, the moaning of that dying man, the roaring of that blood-thirsty beast and jubilation of the auditorium, reaches to the Almighty; we call this Supreme Power as God, Allah or Iswar but this cruelty and inhuman activities must compel that power with eyes full of tears to think about the best creatures of the world! We were civilized animals at that time and we are civilized beasts at this time! Impatience, jealousy, hatred and loveless attitude ruling over us! With a heavy heart, we left Rome! Now we need mental relief!
So, let's go to Redeemer of Brazil! What a statue! What a creation! Sometimes hugeness begets happiness and peace! A light of love is coming out from the eyes of this statue! The smile of Jesus Christ conveys the message of forgiveness! There is a story - one day Jesus Christ saw some men are trying to kill a woman throwing stones at her! Jesus asks them why they are doing this. Those people tell him the woman is a sinner; so, we have decided to kill her throwing stones! She has no right to live! Jesus told them to stop for a while and said - you are doing the right thing but I have a request! He will be the first person to throw stones who never committed any sin in life! This verdict stopped those angry people and the woman's life was saved! Jesus gave them advice - hate the sin but not the sinner! It is a lesson for all of us; a few drops of kindness and forgiveness may wash the filthiness of sin! This statue gives me immense peace and joy! I feel the tears are rolling down and melting my grief and sorrow! It is an indescribable feeling!
From the Christ of Redeemer to Taj Mahal in India! A long long way I travel with readers- friends! In this journey, we become very good friends! Every moment we are exchanging our thoughts, our feeling, and our emotions! It's a life-time experience and I am so proud to achieve the friendship of such beautiful persons!
Taj Mahal, another two names seem to be the synonyms of Taj Mahal, name of Shah Jahan and his consort Mumtaz. The Soul of Bengal Rabindranath Thakur (Tagore) described the Taj Mahal as 'a drop of tear on the white crystal check of infinite time'. The beauty of the Taj Mahal changes from time to time! In the day time, when the sun is over head, the Taj Mahal looks like a very large white ship waiting calmly for anyone's instruction to glide in the Deep Ocean! The sunlight reflects from the Taj Mahal's milky white body and invites our eyes to see the wonder of the wonders existing on this planet! That is not enough! In full moon night, it seems like a very big, beautiful fairy wearing a white dress and ornaments of white pearls, are inviting to come closer, waving her milky-white hands! It is an irresistible call! I think, no one in this world can resist that mysterious and hypnotizing call! Millions of people from every corner of the Earth come to see the Taj Mahal, which stands as the paragon of love. This creation astonishes me like millions of people but another question comes to my heart, is there any difference between royal love and ordinary love? The answer is both yes and no! Yes - because love is such a mental state, such a feeling that never judge the worldly qualities like wealth, social - status and standard, etc. It is a boon from heaven! It is like a fountain which flows with innocent joy! Here is no difference between a royal - love and the love of a commoner! 'But, yes this is the word, very small in size, but sometimes sounds like thunder- clap! A very rich person expresses his love with very precious gifts and wants to wrap his love with priceless gems! It's like an advertisement - look, how much I love my beloved one! I feel the depth of love needs no publicity! Longing is there in everyone's heart but the question of ability makes the difference! One Shier (who writes a poem in Urdu) wrote a Shayri:-
By establishing this magnificent Taj Mahal
One of the Emperors (King of the Kings)
Mocked the love
Of the poor people
An emperor creates this Taj Mahal to establish it as the symbol of love but it's insulting for the ordinary people like us because our love is no less than an emperor! The only difference is, an emperor can exhibit his love by his power and wealth! Our only power is love that can envelop the whole beauty of the Taj Mahal! For thousands of years, the Taj Mahal remains as the paragon of love, beauty and joy but as the darkness remains beneath the light of the lamp, there is a story of tear and sorrow behind the ever-glamorous Taj Mahal. A story flies in the air that after the completion of the Taj Mahal, the chief architect Ustad Ahmad Lahouri ( as he was an inhabitant of Lahore) the emperor ordered to cut the thumbs of the chief architect designer Ustad Ahmad Lahouri, as the emperor was not ready to see another Taj Mahal in any corner of the Earth! If the other stories about the Taj Mahal are true, this is also a true story then! When I think about that unfortunate man, I also think about the greatness of the Mother Earth. She is the Supreme Mother. In her court, there is no injustice! So long Taj Mahal will remain on the Earth; the story of that unfortunate man will remain too! If the beauty of the Taj Mahal is true, if the love of Emperor Shah Jahan is true, then the millions of Shah Jahan and love to their beloved Mumtazs are equally true and pure! To the Earth, there is no difference between an emperor and a common people. She is the greatest equalizer and greatest leveler. Here, on the Earth, the beauty of a small rose is worth the beauty of the Taj Mahal. Besides, the smell of a rose attracts and wins the heart of everyone, even of the Supreme Power -the Supreme Creator! We may call Him Allah, God, Iswar or by any names but the supreme power never forgets to pay exactly which a human - being deserves!
My dearest Readers, every discussion and exchange of thoughts with you enrich me and enhance my energy to travel more and more, to know about the surprising hidden treasures of the Earth to share with you! In the 5th chapter of this book, we have discussed about a number of religious sites in the world. Actually, these discussions and thoughts are like a crystal clear mirror where the truth and honesty reflect so vividly.
Jerusalem! One of the holiest cities in the world! Everywhere on the Earth, there are a huge number of religions! There are thousands and thousands of churches, Mandir, Moth, Mosque, and Gurudwara, etc. are situated everywhere in the world! Every religious site has a great significance to every people who belong to that particular religion! Jerusalem is a city in the Middle East. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, and is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority claim Jerusalem is now a major pilgrimage site for Christians from around the world. For Muslims, Jerusalem is a site of key events in the life of Jesus and other important figures. It's also the spot where, according to traditional interpretations of the Quran and other texts, Muhammad ascended to heaven.
A question comes from the core of my heart, the Jerusalem city is regarded as the key religious site for the three prominent religions. Like this, there are millions of holy religious places in every corner of this world. All those are very important and holy places to the people who believe in that particular religion. As the Earth is holiest of all, so every inch of the Earth is holiest too. When everything on this Earth is holiest, I think there is no need to specify any particular place as the holy one. The Earth is the optimum level of purity, love, holiness and totality in the truest sense. There is a saying - charity begins at home. It is time to acknowledge that if we treat our Mother Earth with utmost sincerity and act accordingly, that will be the best charity towards mankind. The Earth is our only shelter and we have absolutely nowhere to go. The word 'Religion' seems as an iron-grip. History witnessed thousands of battles from ancient times. Many of them were fought in the name of Religion. Bible, Quran, Bhagavad Gita or Granth sahib all these Holy books teach us to love, patience, non-violence and merciful. The basic morals and lessons of every religion are identical. They always lead to the right path. Misinterpretation of religious texts and proclamation invites dispute and blood-shedding battles over thousands of years. Love, patience, non-violence, mercy and responsibility - all these holy qualities can be learned only from Mother Earth. She has no anger, no expectation. Patience is her other name. She is indifferent towards all of her children. She is the paragon of purity and holiness. It is not just a few lines I am writing. It is my homage to the Earth. Every morning when we leave our bed and every night when we go to sleep, we pray to Iswar, Allah or God, by which name we call the Supreme Power, at that time we never think about the Earth and her kindness. At first, we should understand, if there is no Earth, there shall be no existence of us. Every good thing we achieve is achieved here on the Earth using the resources available to us. There is no need to fight amongst us for establishing the superiority of any particular religion. We pray to the Almighty in times of any crisis. Today a WhatsApp message came to me. The sender is a good friend of mine. The message said - call Him thousand times, he never reacts harshly. Undoubtedly a good message to be hopeful about life. We always pray to the Almighty in any critical time of our life.
Sometimes the Almighty hears our prayer, grants our wish. Or else he refuses and keeps it on his waiting list. Only one person among the millions of the world prays saying- O, Almighty, the Earth, our Supreme Mother is our first and last shelter. Mountain, forest, river, natural resources - all her golden treasuries are wide open for us. She gives us everything demanding nothing in return. From the stone - age to this modern age, what we are today, it is absolutely her gift! O, Almighty, Kneeling down before you, as the representative of mankind I confess our sin. Our foolishness, our ignorance, our greed are hurting her every moment so brutally. She cries in pain but she never takes revenge. In return for all the hatred she receives, she gives us love and only love! Now I pray to you, keep her well, keep her beautiful as always. Forgive us you Almighty!
I am quite sure this appeal will not be neglected. This appeal will make our Mother Earth is immensely happy and our Almighty will grant my appeal with utmost urgency because this appeal will be referred and recommended by our Supreme Mother, Our Mother Earth.
Our long journey started from my garden. Now we have become friends. Now we can feel the emotion, joy and sorrows of each other. We are travelling around the world for a long time. It is none the less a unique experience, but my birth place is calling me now. It's an irresistible call. I can not afford to ignore this call. The river flowing beside our village, the shadow of my childhood reflecting on the sun is calling me. The green playground where I used to play football on rainy days is calling me. The narrow brick-laden shadowy roads full of dry leaves, bent bamboo trees on the both side makes the atmosphere mysterious and charming too. I can see the small fishing boats, swinging on the bank of the river. Let's go to that sweetest village. It's like just another ordinary village of West Bengal, at the same time very special because I was born here. The world-famous poet Robert Frost wrote a poem named "Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening", which we used to read in our childhood. I can still recall a phrase from the poem. Actually, these lines charmed me by the selection of words, rhythm and spontaneity but now I think I can realize the inner meaning of those lines.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep, and
Miles to go before, I sleep.
A man is trying to return to his native land after a very long and strenuous journey. These immortal lines make me immensely happy and fill tears of joy in my eyes.
Now, I must talk about the most favorite place - the Love Island. I cannot give you the address of love - Island. We shall eventually reach there. This place is filled with love. The love - paradise is waiting for us. In winter, the green grassy ground rises from the breast of the river. Grasshoppers are hoping joyfully asking Mother Earth - how are you Mother? We are grateful to you for giving us the chance to be born here, in the lap of nature. Though the life is very short but it's so enjoyable. The river touches the land of love with a sense of affection, making a very sweet sound native to the ears of the people of Bengal. I sleep on that soft green natural carpet, looking to the night sky as I saw clouds staring at me. The green grass embraces me so tenderly that I can barely keep my eyes open. I can see a lonely bird perched in a tree, probably searching for a soul mate or food. Many times, we proclaim a beautiful place as the heaven of the Earth. I have no intention to disrespect those famous and charming places but I strongly believe that Heaven is an imaginary concept made in our minds. It is so very astonishing, we are born here, we live here, we love here, we dream here but we don't love her, speak of her. There is a proverb, saying-
Where ignorance is bliss
It is folly to be wise.
My dear readers, I here beg to differ with that proverb. Ignorance about the role of the Earth in our life and mankind is such a crime that future generations will hate us from the core of their hearts. This ignorance will cost us our very existence. A bit of love and affection towards the Mother Earth can save us from that tragic ending. We will feel the essence of heaven here, right on the Earth. It will not be just an imagination but a reality. This small field is the miniature of heavenly Earth to me. I can feel the divinity of this land in my heart and even in my every drop of blood. I open my eyes sluggishly to watch the scenario created by the greatest creator- Nature. A butterfly is flying softly touching the grasses around me. What a lovely creation. The smell of green grass and wet soil is filling me right now. I can see that living creation of nature and the beloved child of the Earth from a very close distance. Yellow-colored wings are so glossy that the sun rays are reflected from it. Black borders on both the wings enhance the beauty more. Its wings are trembling in the gentle breeze. Trees around me are welcoming me with their leaves constantly falling. I can hear someone singing on a boat. Numbness is slowly embracing my whole existence. It's a revolution, the Revolution of Art. I must celebrate the birthday of our beautiful Mother Earth. Yes, and why not? Every day, every moment we are celebrating the birthdays of millions of people around the world. If we can celebrate our birthday, then we should celebrate the birthday of our beloved Mother Earth. She is the paragon of impartiality and deserves the crown of honour. We will be truly honoured to celebrate her birthday. Okay, the decision has been taken. We will celebrate the birthday of our Mother Earth. I decided to celebrate the birthday of our beloved Mother Earth on 15th January and the day will be observed as the "Earth and Art Revolution Day". I feel there is someone controlling me from behind. I certainly know who she is. Now I am completely under her control. I am just executing exactly what she wants. Now the question arises, where should we celebrate the birthday of our beloved Mother Earth on the auspicious "Earth and Art Revolution Day"? Within a second the venue was fixed. It's none other than my birthplace-Natshal!
Yes, it was the ideal place to celebrate the first birthday of our beautiful Mother Earth. I think my birthplace is the holiest place and the idea of celebration came in my mind when I was sleeping in a green field of Natshal. It is absolutely our supreme mother's discretion. She has chosen me as her spokesperson among the millions of people in the world. She has also chosen the perfect place to celebrate her first birthday.
The day is coming nearer and as an innocent child of Mother Earth, I am watching how smoothly she is arranging everything. I am watching the reactions of thousands of people seating idly in tea-stalls, on the ground, in market places, everywhere. It is an amazing feeling. They are hearing something like this for the first time in their life but they became so excited and assured me that they will join the program. Though it was a completely new and different idea, it seemed very impressive to them.
Their enthusiasm enhances my spirit a lot. It is the day, 15th January! My beloved readers, you know I do not hide anything from you because I believe you are the mirror where the truth of my heart reflects transparently. Last night I could not sleep. Something was brewing in my mind. No, it's certainly not out of fear. I was thinking about the excessive responsibility that the Mother Earth gave me; what if I can't fulfill her only wish! After a few minutes, someone speaks from within - it is not you, it is "She", who gives you the responsibility, she is the sole authority to fulfill it. She guides me through all of my ups and downs. This thought gives me huge confidence and immense joy. It was a cold and foggy morning of January. Nature was quietly waiting for that ultimate moment and keeping a watch on what Michael does. Wet brick-laden roads, the trees, the melancholic river, everyone was waiting for that moment.
The programme began on the open stage in "Natshal High School Playground" and I was standing in front of thousands of people in front of me, some known and some unknown, but all are my friends and relatives; because we are Earth-related, Earth-connected, Earth-tied and our first and foremost identity is that we are the citizens of the Earth. I started an Earth-related quiz programme. Surprisingly both children and adults became equally interested to take part in the quiz. The programme continued with Earth-related dance, songs, and recitations. The performers gave their best and I was just so happy watching their utmost dedication towards Mother Earth. It is the platform from where they were paying homage to our supreme mother. There was no rivalry or a sense of defeat. It was the day to show love and honour towards Mother Earth and to take oath in the "Earth and Art Revolution Day" to keep our Mother Earth clean, green, vibrant and beautiful.
After the programme, stretching - hands of the people enhances my confidence and finally, I find myself cordoned by the love of the audience. The success of the programme makes my feeling stronger and stronger. I realized my ideas are going through the right path. One of my friends, novelist and poet Ridendick Mitro says - Mother Earth's wait for someone's arrival ends as Michael is here to wipe her tears forever!'' Friends, please correct me if I am wrong! 'Guard of Honour' is a very special and rare honour which is given to the person of any particular country for dedication and noble service to the country. If it is the criterion to give anyone the true guard of honour then our Mother Earth gives us everything as a free gift to make our living very comfortable and smooth. In return, we give her continuous pain, endless cruelty. As far as I know, even an ant takes revenge if we disturb that tiniest creature, it bites, makes us to feel the pain and teaches us - if you throw brick-bat then be prepared to be injured by a stone. But what about the supreme power who is the owner of everything in the world? It is the paragon of exception. It is the greatest example of patience and love. She bleeds silently but loves us unconditionally. Her smile gets reflected in nature, in the mountains, in forests, in springs, rivers, oceans, everywhere - all are her beloved companions and they learn from Mother Earth to sacrifice their lives unconditionally. When a person receives the guard of honour for remarkable activities then the Earth should receive the guard of honour everywhere in this world.
We have statues of eminent personalities in almost every country in the world. People show their respect and pay homage to those statues. Mother Earth provides us with all the resources that we need in our lifetime, from shelters to food and every necessary thing. She never leaves us. But no one thinks about the fact that there is no statute of Mother Earth that can attract all the citizens of Mother Earth. The mankind is in dire need of such a Statue. We are already late. In the year 2016, we arranged a promotional programme in Sydney, Australia to discuss this huge initiative. I worked in Sydney for a few years and I had a number of friends there who cordially accepted my ideas, appreciated me and their moral support and enthusiasm made the programme a heart-touching one.
Now we will discuss about the two eminent statues in the world. The first one is The Statue of Liberty and the other one is the Eiffel Tower. In 1886, at the time of the Revolution in America, the people of France gifted the statue to the people of America as the symbol of brotherhood and fraternity to honour their battle. For more than hundreds of years the statue stands as the symbol of democracy and independence of the United States of America.
The Eiffel Tower is a Parisian landmark that is also a technological masterpiece in building-construction history. It arouses amazement, skepticism, and no little opposition on the aesthetic ground. Nothing remotely like the Eiffel tower had ever been built. The Tower is 324 metres high and was the tallest structure in the world until the topping off of the Chrysler building in New York City in 1929.
The Statue of Liberty and The Eiffel Tower deserve special mention. We are lucky to witness these two towers only because the Earth is bearing the huge weight of the towers without any complaint. The existence of the towers depends upon her greatness. My proposed statue of Mother Earth will be the pride of mankind. People from every corner of the world would visit the statue of Mother Earth. We will pay our homage with eyes full of tears and with a broad smile on our cheeks. The statue will be adored and worshiped by love because the Earth is the paragon of love and she wants only love from us, nothing else. This statue will protect the mankind and will teach us that we are the citizens of the Earth and it is our first duty to save the Earth as the Earth is the saviour of the mankind and all living- being.
The statue of Mother Earth will be the most sacred destination in the world. But someone insisted me from inside to do something more. At last an epoch-making idea emerged from my heart. This thought made me so excited that I took my diary and started writing:-
1. Earth is above all
2. Love is the only way ……..
3. We should feel proud; we are the citizens of the Earth
4. A person, who serves Mother Earth, serves God.
5. Let's salute our beautiful Mother Earth.
I was holding my pen without any intention and it felt like someone was writing on behalf of me. It is hard to believe that these five truths are written by me. It is Mother Earth who is slowly but firmly pushing me from behind and I am crossing the hurdles one after another! I know it is impossible for me to do such a robust job all by myself. I need moral support, participation and enthusiasm from each and every one of you. I wrote letters to many world-famous personalities stating my thoughts and activities, praying for their blessings. Honorable Dalai Lama, whom I think as the Angel of Peace, blessed me with a letter. The letter reads-
Dear Michael Tarun,
This is to acknowledge the receipt of your book. We appreciate your concerns for global peace and the activities that you have been conducting in this respect.
His Holiness believes that real peace begins within oneself, through proper education on compassion and a sense of concern for others. His Holiness has also advocated education on 'Secular Ethics', based on a non-religious position by using common sense, common experience and scientific evidence.
With the education of the heart alongside the mind, people can change.
Introduction of education and compassion from kindergarten up until the university level is what he encourages.
We wish you all the luck in your activities towards bringing a sense of oneness among fellow human beings.
With warm wishes,
Geshe Ngawang Sonam
Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
I have also received letters from the president of the United Nations and from the Prime ministers of Australia, New Zealand and Canada. I am highly grateful to all of them.
A question arises often in my mind; how can an ordinary people like me adopt this kind of thoughts and ideas? How the very ordinary village Natshal is chosen as the place to celebrate the first birthday of our beautiful Mother Earth? Day after day I thought deeply and at last, I have got what I was looking for. Lots of people thought about different problems and crisis on the Earth partly; may be they could not hear the sad symphony of the Earth! May be this is the basic difference between me and them. I think about the whole Earth. My thoughts revolve around the wellness of the whole Earth. Mother Earth has chosen me as her spokesperson and also chosen this land to celebrate the first birthday of our beautiful Mother Earth on the "Earth and Art Revolution Day".
I thought Mother Earth chose Natshal as the holiest piece of land. So it is chosen for the first celebration of her birthday but a second thought comes immediately after that; we know a very common proverb, the human body is the temple of living God. If our whole body is the temple of God then every organ of our body is the auspicious possession of the temple. Totality is nothing but a collection of individuality! As the exception defines normalcy, individuality exactly defines the vastness and greatness of its entirety. I hope someday my thoughts will be echoed in the heart of every citizen of Mother Earth and they will happily acknowledge my thoughts and ideas from the core of their heart. Only then every inch of the Earth will be the holiest place. By the grace of Mother Earth, this unsung, unheard Natshal will be the pioneer of the holiest and purest revolution and someday the whole Earth will be the extended part of this village, Natshal.
The land is holiest
We must call
The land is purest
We must call
It may large
Or it may small
The Earth is one
And the Earth is all
It is the long-cherished vision of Michael and this dream is to be transcended all around the world. Our most critical adversities will be removed or eradicated with much ease by the grace of Mother Earth. It is the ultimate wish of Michael and he desires nothing else.