Bhoori And Meeni!

Our father Justice M.M. Punchhi, would often tell us stories about his childhood of which he had very vivid memories. He loved cows and always kept some, so we got cow’s milk all through our growing years. He once told us of a particular pair of cows, in his village in Pakpattan (now in Pakistan), called Bhoori and Meeni, who were always together. They were placed in the cow shed next to each other, they were milked one after the other, they grazed together, drank water together … Strangely a thin rope of about eight metres was tied such that one of its ends was tied to the necks of each of them.

Watching them grazing, he asked the cowherd, why he had tied the rope, in such a way. The cowherd asked him to watch the pair as they grazed. It seems that Bhoori always walked a step ahead and Meeni followed. If Bhoori strayed towards the left, Meeni would do so too. When Bhoori strayed further away, Meeni followed instinctively. Later Bhoori sat down to rest in the shade and so did Meeni. The communication was perfect. Was there any language?

The cowherd said, “Watch closely Madan. Meeni is blind. It follows the smell of Bhoori and is further guided by rope.” “Doesn’t the rope ever break? Doesn’t either of them tug at it?” asked Madan, wide eyed. “No,” said the cowherd. “Bhoori understands that if she tugs at the rope and it breaks, Meeni would be left helpless. There is an instinctive sense of responsibility in Bhoori. We have never had to change the rope.” “And what about, Meeni? Doesn’t she ever want to run off?” “No,” smiled the cowherd, “Meeni knows her limitations, she never tugs. She knows that if she breaks away, she will be alone like an orphan.”

Madan asked, “How do you know this? Do you know the language of the cows?” The cowherd put his arm around little Madan’s shoulders and said, “Yes and No!” Seeing the questioning look on Madan’s face, he continued, “Yes, because, there is only one language – the language of the heart. We can all learn it; if only we want to. No, because I’m not a cow, so I don’t know their alphabet!” he said grinning.

There is goodness and kindness in the animals too, for those who are in need of help. Wonder why man, sometimes seems to forget, that he too has a heart that beats. As Mark Twain said, “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”

Bhagwan Baba tells us, “The world is one vast society. Every individual in it is part of this society, bound to it by the love that draws an individual to another, to be kith and kin. This love is there, deep in the heart of every individual. Only, it is unrecognised, ignored, doubted, denied, and argued away. It is the secret source of all empathy and service; it creates the urge to live in and for society. It is Universal Love (Vishwa-Prema) that flows from one spark of the Divine to all sparks. When the eyes shine illumined by the highest wisdom, Jnana, they see all as One. Then the individual realises – Sarvam Brahmamayam Jagath (All is pervaded by Divinity in this apparently changing and transforming world).”