Follow Natural Lifestyle to Enjoy Long and Youthful Life
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any of us know that the average lifespan of a rabbit is about seven years; that of a goat or a cat is about eleven years. The expected duration of the lives of a pigeon and a horse are about eight years and 50 years, respectively. Snakes and tortoises generally survive for nearly 120 and 150 years. In the present times, the life expectancy of a human being is estimated to be around 80100 years on average. However, in normal circumstances, human-life traverses through the successive phases of variation in physical energy and health — childhood, youth, and old-age. In contrast, no such distinct stages are found among the wild animals. Barring some exceptions, that too among the pets, hardly any animal (including birds) would be found suffering from any disease or weakness due to old age. Most of them remain energetic and die in a youth-like active, and hearty state. They don’t even experience any fatigue or dullness, despite having no means of comfort, or ‘supplements for vigor’; they don’t even have intellect and other evolved faculties like humans. Then what is the secret of their youthful life? The answer is
quite simple — they live a stress-free life in complete harmony with Nature. Admiring the youthfulness of the creatures other than humans, Saint Francis used to say that they live in closed contact of Nature, near the heart of God. Naturalist Alan Devoe had spent most of his life in the study of birds and animals. He used to say, ‘what I have learned in 80 years of life from the company of these creatures cannot be found in any treatise of vast knowledge. These creatures silently teach us to enjoy every moment of life!’ He concludes that the secret of their unflinching energy and joy lies in the fact that they live an absolutely natural life. [1]
Writings of this Nature-lover generate a live panorama of the beauty of wildlife when he narrates his friendship with the rabbits, deer, white rodents, foxes, raccoons, skunks; the fearless jumping and ‘flying stunts’ of the squirrels even late in the evening; etc. At one place, he describes how an elderly deer, who was joyfully grazing soft green grass, was so alert in preventing the attack of a snake who had quietly come close to the former’s nose. Like a fearless warrior, the deer quickly caught the snake and forcefully pressed it under his hoof. Interestingly, moments after that, he coolly started enjoying the green grass again, as if nothing had happened! If we, the ‘intelligent-beings,’ learn from these wild creatures to naturally face every situation sans losing our mental peace and focus, sans any worries and tensions, then even at the age of 80 or so, we can also remain healthy and hearty like that deer. Every activity, every expression of Nature, is so inspiring!
Water, air, and cleanness are the chief articles in my pharmacy. - Napoleon Bonaparte Akhand Jyoti
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JULY-AUG. 2020
