Face of a Black-breasted Buzzard

 In Birds

Caught this beautiful face of a Black-breasted Buzzard in Australia. These large raptors are endemic to Australia and are related to the family of hawks and eagles.

Every time I look behind those eyes, there is something unexplainable that connects me and all the living things in our world. Unexplainable as in referring to something truly neutral that no words can describe. That neutrality is the life-force that animates you and me and everything alive. You cannot describe this life-force in the same way as you cannot describe life itself. It is hard to imagine what force is flowing all those blood through our veins and pumping our hearts.

When we talk about life, we are only projecting an impression using words we have learned. The way we picked up words is a funny thing. It is taught to us by someone who might have a different understanding of the same word at the time of our learning. It is like asking a child whether he loves us. He has no idea what love means but we assume he knows what we know. The word “love” can mean different things to different people. It differs so much that we have to come out with a distinctive word called “infatuation”. Who is to decide what is love and what is infatuation? Can infatuation become love and vice versa? There comes a point where the line is blurred.

With words there is always a grey area, misunderstanding is bound to be inevitable. There is always a slight variation to our understanding of the same word. Sometimes this slight misunderstanding is all it takes to turn the whole meaning around.

The reason we take words so seriously is that we assume all of us understand and mean the same thing when we say it. This assumption gives words so much power that it controls our whole life. Wars, grief, anger, hatred and all emotions are easily stirred by the influence of words. It can bring us ecstasy and also cause utter devastation. We have never questioned the reliance on words because we depend so much on it for understanding each other.

There is a rule that says communication is only 7 percent verbal and 93 percent non-verbal. The non-verbal parts consist of 55 percent body language and 38 percent tone of voice.

Words are like marks on the sand, easily laid but soon forgotten as the wind carries them away. Being free from the bondage of words makes it easier to see what remains behind—the truth that connects us all.

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