Winter - A Philosophy of Inner Wisdom: An Article

Winter: A Philosophy of Inner Wisdom

O Winter! You are a time when your Spirit, the Winter Spirit, adorns the Earth with white pearls of snow. He darkens her complexion with dense mist and brightens it with a touch of frost. To witness humankind's workings during the cold, he embarks on a winter-long journey to inspire humanity to prioritise true growth.

As the Winter Spirit graces all lands, he carries with himself the overlooked essence of Winter. Like a stoic master, he pushes people indoors to liberate them of their self-imposed shackles of greed and soaring-ambition. He gifts them time, something they always yearn for but never get. Time, for what? Time, to introspect the deeper themes of life and arrive closer to reality.

"Am I living life in its truest spirit by only accumulating bags of wealth?",

"Will my run to achieve monetary success ever come to an end?",

"Am I truly joyful?",

"What is my purpose here?",

"Is there something beyond this world, something beyond its tangible structures that my eyes perceive, something that transcends the barriers of time and space?",

are questions that arise in people's mental realms. The Winter Spirit provokes humanity to ask such questions, questions that truly matter, and find answers to them within themselves.

What makes people arouse such philosophical temperaments in the core of their hearts? It's the Winter Spirit's prowess of being able to spread quietude that fosters an environment of reflection and contemplation. Just as he pushes people indoors, he exactly knows when to draw them out in his classroom of nature, where he teaches humankind the art of embracing solitude. The art of appreciating beauty all around. The skill of observing nature's white canvas, where everything seems motionless. Rather, slowed down. The Winter Spirit points towards the slowness of life to teach humanity the significance of slowing down, to walk more and run less. Slow down to absorb the little things that make life beautiful and openly miss the fast train that runs to various stations of daily monotony. Slow down to pull dear memories to your bosom - a simple walk, a simple meal with your loved ones. Quite contrary to the gloom and the chills we attribute to Winter, the Winter Spirit sparks warmth in attitude, belief, and lifestyle.

In his nature class, he growls when we think of summer and spring as the only seasons essential for nature's bairn - her flora, to thrive! He makes us dig deep underground to look for ourselves, how plants, during Winter, gnaw the soil stronger to acquire a steady hold of earth. During spring, while plant shoots may shoot towards the sky, buds may bloom into flowers of every colour emanating exotic scents, unless they strengthen their hold of earth, they are destined to fall. He preaches that how for any plant to successfully grow into a tree is impossible without its roots firmly rooted in the soil. Metaphorically, he conveys that we are mere uprooted shoots if we don't remain rooted in humility, our virtues, beliefs, and principles that shape us into abled-trees.

The Winter Spirit fails to fathom why people think of Winter as a dull period in nature's timeline, a period of mourning, and suffering when illnesses reign the human empire. He pities us for our forgetfulness of his teachings of resilience and endurance that are armours when illnesses strike. He thinks of Winter as a time of celebration, a celebration quite distinct when compared to the revelry heralded by summer, spring, autumn or the rains. To culminate his journey over Earth, he sings to himself the glory of Winter as he glides away to welcome spring.

Winter, a celebration,

A celebration of solitude over voice,

Of peace over noise.

Of patience over panic,

Of endurance over tonic.

Of reality over falsity,

Of bliss over misery.

Of the old over the new,

Of bare tree trunks over flowers of every hue.

Lastly, and most importantly, of inner wisdom over short-lived material success.

Gaurav Chandra Tuli