WHO'S CUSTARD APPLE WAS IT?

Watching the plants growing in the backyard of my rented apartment had become my daily routine. 

The backyard is a small patch of ground with few plants. There was a mango tree, two custard apple trees apart from three flowering plants.

The trees were still young but one of them was bearing two custard apples that were quite big in size. This tree was planted by the apartment owner and I used to water it occasionally.

I was watching the growth of these fruits and wondering when I should pluck them and keep it for ripening at home.

One day I noticed that one of the fruits had disappeared!

This incident made me think – whose custard apple was it?

When did the idea of ‘mine’, my custard apple begin to take shape? Was it really mine? Does it not belong to the tree first? Or does it belong to the soil where it was rooted?

The sun, air and water which helped nurture the plant can also claim the fruit as theirs?

Now, the person who has plucked and taken away the fruit also will have the feeling of ‘mine’ about that fruit. Isn’t it?

Who feels more betrayed?  Is it the soil, Sun, air, water, the Owner, the tree itself or me?

By extension, can anything become mine? Solely mine?

The awareness of that which is truly mine is nothing but meditation!

This  article is from the book MY FIRE WITHIN! authored by me.