I am The leaf that knows its impermanence

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I am The leaf that knows its impermanence 

Dr B.S.Chakravarthy 

I see myself as a leaf among many leaves on a tree.

I know my role.

Like every other leaf, I prepare glucose for the tree—

with sunlight from the sun,

air from the space around me,

and water drawn from the soil and supplied by the tree itself.

I am doing my work.

As time passes, I begin to notice something.

Around me, leaves fall.

Some fall when their season is complete.

Some fall early—diseased, eaten by worms.

All of them eventually dry, return to the soil,

and become nourishment for the very tree they once served.

This awareness awakens a quiet understanding.

My fate is no different.

My existence as a leaf is temporary.

So a question arises within me:

Do I spend my time worrying about *when* my fall will come?

Or do I simply serve my purpose fully—

as a leaf among leaves—

contributing to the life of the tree while I am here?

As this settles, my view widens.

I see that there are many trees around me.

Together they form a forest.

Many forests spread across the earth.

And then, something shifts.

I realize that this entire scene—

the leaf, the tree, the forest, the earth—

is a picture.

And that picture is being drawn by someone.

When I turn to look at that someone,

I see that it is me.

I have been dreaming it all along.

The leaves, the trees, the forests, the earth—

all are expressions of a single dream

arising within me.

In that moment, relief appears.

When I look only at leaves, trees, or forests,

my existence feels fragile and temporary.

But when I look beyond form,

I see the truth:

It is me appearing as many.

Dreaming myself into countless forms,

changing roles, shapes, and lifespans.

Yet I remain unchanged.

Always one.

And then something even quieter is seen.

Clarity does not arrive from somewhere else.

It emerges naturally when confusion fades away.

Confusion was never an enemy.

It was a mist—

dissolving as understanding dawned.

When confusion fades, nothing new is added.

No answer is imported.

No belief is acquired.

What remains is what was always here.

Just as the leaf does not need to understand the tree

to perform its work in sunlight,

I do not need to solve life

to live it clearly.

Clarity is not loud.

It does not argue or rush.

It is silent, spacious, self-evident.

Confusion belongs to the mind.

Clarity belongs to awareness.

When the mind rests,

awareness shines—effortlessly.

The dream continues.

Forms appear and disappear.

Leaves fall and nourish the soil.

And through it all,

the dreamer remains untouched.

In that seeing,

peace is not created.

It is remembered.

In love,

nobody 🌿