The Butterfly as Teacher
| Ruminations for Life
On Why Metamorphosis is Important for You
Well, this evening I had shared a 45-second video on my WhatsApp, of a beautiful butterfly that sits so soft and majestic on a bunch of lovely flowers [in the garden of our International Guest House, MCC].
I had captioned it thus –
‘Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly’.
[The quote is by Chuang Tzu, one of the most influential Chinese philosophers of ages past!]
So yes! Metamorphosis is not an event! It is a journey! It is a process!
Our famous literary delights from across the world bespeak to those adventurous journeys that celebrate the importance of metamorphosis in the traveller’s life!
The 1957 novel titled, On the Road by Jack Kerouac – the principal avatar of the ‘beats’, - documents his journey across the USA, resulting in a range of amazing, mind-blowing experiences for the two main characters - the narrator, Sal Paradise, and his friend Dean Moriarty – known for their carefree attitude and their sense of adventure!
Eat, Pray, Love (2006) by Elizabeth Gilbert, records ‘One woman's search for everything across Italy, India and Indonesia’, even as its 32-year-old Elizabeth Gilbert experiences the world in her own unique ways - discovering pasta and pizza in Italy, finding spirituality in India and falling in love in Indonesia!
A range of reads with journeys as their prime motif, seek to celebrate the great transformations that happen in the protagonist’s life – thanks to their journeys, including the likes of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho!
On 19th July 2022, one of my lovely cousins had sent me a video of a caterpillar - a caterpillar that she was so sincerely fending for!
She had named it Zing!
This particular caterpillar-stage video that she had sent me, made me wonder and ponder much on the metamorphosis that happens in like fashion in a human being’s life as well.
Right from birth, we as human beings undergo a beautiful metamorphosis, ain’t we?
In short - we evolve!
Although like Peter Pan, we might not always want to grow up, reality catches up with us in no time, and soon we have the Hobson’s choice staring right ahead of us – nudging us to embrace change!
Of course, change is always accompanied by a little bit of discomfort as well! A little bit of unease! A little bit of aches and sighs and groans!
But if we could - just for a moment - compare this ‘unease’ in metamorphosis or transformation, with the experience of flying in an airplane –
An airplane – when it is about to take off, it shakes! It wobbles! Our ears go thumping and twitching! We feel really really tingly and dizzy all the way!
But soon-o-soon, the airplane beautifully stabilizes itself up there in the skies and from then on, we really begin to enjoy the awesome, breath-taking scenery around us – among the clouds, on top of the seas, and rivers, and lakes, and forests!
But but but… wait… The airplane then has to come down, ain’t it?
And that’s when you hear the thud, the twitching, the thumping and the rocking yet again – until the landing happens, and from then on, there’s a great relief, and soon all is well!
That’s hence yet again the famous quote by Chuang Tzu, one of the most influential Chinese philosophers -
Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a beautiful butterfly.
Today in my II MA English class, when we were having a lively discussion on a question by Ms Angela, [a report of the same has been promised by Ganesh, II MA English, by tomorrow – btw, Ganesh… hope you are reading this da 😉] one particular student shared from her lived-experiences, and I responded thus, quoting George Herbert -
Storms make the oak grow deeper roots!
How true!
Change helps you embrace some of the most beautiful things in life that’s in store for you! That’s so specially reserved and preserved for you! Only for you! Ketto!
Memories of your past - caterpillar stage – are sure to remain as vestiges or as traces enlivening and elevating your spirits each passing day!
But remember, the move is on!
Well, and that’s because this ‘metamorphosis,’ is sure gonna be very rewarding for you – to transform you into the most beautiful, the most adorable and the most colourful butterfly that’s gonna be a great source of love, delight and happiness to the beautiful world out there!
Now tell me, dear reader!
Ain’t your metamorphosis really-truly good for you?
[PS: This post is dedicated to my lovely-bubbly II MA English class kids, who made today’s class so memorable and meaningful for all of us, making all our eyes moist, big-time, in the process!]
You may want to read a similar past read on our blog, titled, The Move is On, HERE.
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