The sky at night

I have realised that spending time observing nature in daytime, and the endless sky at night, is a great way to reconnect with our true selves

Last weekend, I was at a getaway resort near Mumbai. It is located on the top of a small hill and offers a rare view of the sea and the sky that is breathtakingly beautiful.

In cities, the glare of the lights and the pollution makes it impossible to see the sky. So, I was not going to let go of the opportunity to be in the presence of the nighttime sky, which was inviting me with its vibrancy. The moon was flirting with the dark clouds that seemed to be moving across the sky with a definite purpose. The fierce summer breeze was making an otherwise hot summer pleasant.

The musical swaying of the tree leaves, and sounds of the  waves from the sea would have made for a perfectly peaceful night, except for one thing—the loud cacophony blaring from multiple speakers… from the late night weekend parties happening in and around the resort.

I could see sloshed people trying to forget their daytime worries. And I wondered about how different their idea of enjoyment was. How could they miss the grandness of this gorgeous night? Well, they were “enjoying” as they knew how to enjoy… but for me, the black sky was vibrant, with the moon, the stars, the clouds and the vastness.

moon_sky
The moonlit sky flirting with the clouds

The vastness of the nighttime sky never fails to trigger in me thoughts of our place in the universe. The seemingly endless space full of stars that look like little diamonds is inconceivably gigantic. The bigness of it all—where the Earth is nothing more than a speck of dust—cannot be grasped by our little minds that are limited by the sense perceptions.

Our lives seems so infinitesimal, so insignificant in the scheme of existence. And yet most of us go on living as if nothing else matters. We are oblivious to our virtually non-existent place in the Universe, living in the illusion that we are important.

No wonder our self-importance is the source of the misery in our lives. It reinforces our sense of separation and makes us forget that we are part of a grand scheme of things. But I have realised that spending time observing nature in daytime, and the endless sky at night, is a great way to reconnect with our true selves. Just noticing the effortless perfection of it all brings such peace, such joy.

We talk a lot about detoxifying our bodies. But getting away from the madness of the cities is like a detox for the spirit; just being under the open, endless sky soothed my being and refreshed me like nothing else could. I was in love with everything—the sky, the stars, the moon, the clouds, the vast sea, the breeze, the trees, the sound of the waves…and myself.

Manoj Khatri
Manoj Khatri has spent the last two decades learning, teaching and writing about wellbeing and mindful living. He has contributed over 1500 articles for several newspapers and magazines including The Times of India, The Economic Times, The Statesman, Mid-Day, Bombay Times, Femina, and more. He is a counseling therapist and the author of What a thought!, a critically acclaimed best-selling book on self-transformation. An award-winning editor, Manoj runs Complete Wellbeing and believes that "peace begins with me".