Inside that ‘nothing’ is the secret of everything – The magic of life

Under a big banyan tree, there was a father named Uddhalaka and his son, Shvetaketu. One day, Uddhalaka had a special lesson for his son.

Uddhalaka: “Shvetaketu, could you get me a fruit from this tree?”
Shvetaketu: “Sure, Dad.” (He quickly grabbed a fruit and brought it back.)
Uddhalaka: “Now, break it open.”
Shvetaketu: (He broke it.) “Done, Dad.”
Uddhalaka: “What’s inside?”
Shvetaketu: “Some tiny seeds.”
Uddhalaka: “Break one seed open. What do you see?”
Shvetaketu: (After breaking a seed, he looked puzzled.) “Nothing, really.”
Uddhalaka: “Exactly, my son. But inside that ‘nothing’ is the secret of everything. This big tree comes from something so small we can’t even see it. Everything big starts from something tiny, something we might not notice. That’s the magic of life.”
Shvetaketu listened, amazed. He looked at the seed, the tree, and then at his father.
Shvetaketu: “So, everything big starts with something small?”
Uddhalaka: “Yes. Just like this big tree starts from a tiny, invisible part of the seed. Always remember, the smallest things can hold the biggest truths.”

That day, under the banyan tree, Shvetaketu learned a valuable lesson about life’s subtle secrets.