Once upon a time, in a dense forest, there was a large tree named Root. Root had lived in the forest for many years and had seen generations of animals come and go. One day, a group of young animals came to Root seeking his wisdom and guidance on the concepts of birth and death.
Root listened patiently to their questions and began to explain the concept of dharma and karma. He said, “Dear young animals, for the soul, there is never birth nor death. The soul is eternal, ever-existing, and undying. It is not slain when the body is slain.”
The animals were curious and asked Root to explain further. So, Root began to tell them a story of a little caterpillar named Cate.
Cate was a small and curious caterpillar who lived in a leafy tree. She spent her days munching on leaves and dreaming of what life would be like once she turned into a butterfly. Cate couldn’t wait to experience the freedom of flying and the beauty of the world from above.
One day, as Cate was resting on a leaf, a wise old butterfly landed next to her. “Hello, little one,” said the butterfly. “I see you’re excited about turning into a butterfly. But, do you know that you were a butterfly all along?”
Cate was confused and asked the butterfly to explain. The butterfly continued, “You see, dear Cate, your soul is like a butterfly. It is eternal and ever-existing. Just like a butterfly goes through a transformation from a caterpillar to a butterfly, your body goes through a transformation from a caterpillar to a butterfly. But, your soul remains the same.”
Cate was stunned and couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She had always thought that her body and soul were the same. The wise butterfly continued, “When your body dies, your soul lives on. It is not born nor does it ever die. It is eternal and undying.”
Cate was enlightened and realized that her true nature was like that of a butterfly. She began to embrace her inner soul and the freedom that came with it. Her happiness returned, and she felt at peace with herself.
Root finished his story and explained that just like Cate, we should remember that our true nature is like that of a soul, eternal and undying. Our bodies may go through transformations, but our soul remains the same. We should focus on living a life of dharma, doing good deeds, and treating others with kindness and respect. We should follow the path of karma, embracing our true nature, and spreading joy and happiness in the world.
The young animals of the forest were impressed with Root’s wise words and promised to remember the story of Cate and follow the path of dharma and karma. They left Root feeling enlightened and content, embracing their true nature like that of a soul.
From that day on, the animals of the forest lived in harmony, following the path of dharma and karma, and embracing their true nature. They realized that their body was like a caterpillar, going through transformations, but their soul was eternal and undying like that of a butterfly. And, Root the wise old tree, continued to guide and inspire them with his wisdom and knowledge of dharma and karma.
Bhagavad Gita: 2.20
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
na—never; jāyate—takes birth; mriyate—never dies; vā—either; kadācit—at any time (past, present or future); na—never; ayam—this; bhūtvā—came into being; bhavitā—will come to be; vā—or; na—not; bhūyaḥ—or has come to be; ajaḥ—unborn; nityaḥ—eternal;śāśvataḥ—permanent;ayam—this; purāṇaḥ—the oldest; na—never; hanyate—is killed; hanyamāne—being killed; śarīre—by the body.
For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.
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