My granny used to have a mango tree on her lawn. One evening strolling around her garden, I saw a chameleon sitting on the mango tree. The chameleon had just jumped from the creeper and its colour was slowly changing from green to brown. Suddenly a thought pumped in my mind, “It is a chameleon,” as my lips curled downwards in disdain.
Grandma was watching me. She walked slowly to me and asked, “Isn’t it amazing how it changes its color?” I looked at her and replied, “But, it’s ugly. It is a chameleon.” Grandma just smiled.
A few days later we walked to the market and grandma accidentally got in the way of a lorry. To avoid hitting her, the lorry driver swerved dangerously close to a scooter that was being driven by a young man. He lost his balance and crashed into a bucket of tomatoes. A bunch of young boys cracked up. Looking around angrily, the scooter driver yelled, “You ugly, old woman, look what you have done!”
Those words pinched my heart. Later that night I asked mom, “Ma is grandma ugly?”
“Who told you that?” Ma asked gently.
“The guy at the market said she was old and ugly.”
“But, she is the most beautiful women I have ever met. That means you have not noticed her properly.” Ma replied.
I went to my Grandma’s room. She was sleeping. I looked at her face. That was the most beautiful face I had ever seen: a face filled with compassion, love and grace.
She was beautiful because I was ready to see the selflessness and depth that had shaped her over the years. I could feel it because I wanted to feel her. Since then I have never seen an ugly thing in this world. Even today I can tell you that old is beautiful and chameleons are fascinating.
See without judgment, hear without prejudice and feel without inhibitions; heaven is here, here is heaven. All is beautiful.
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Gautama Buddha (
very nice:)