As the sun cast its warm glow upon the ancient Gurukul, a passerby paused, drawn by the sight of a young child surrounded by a group of eager listeners. Intrigued, the man lingered, observing the scene unfolding before him.
After the younger children dispersed, the man approached the ten-year-old who had been holding court. Curiosity tugging at him, he inquired about the nature of the lesson.
"What were you teaching them?" the man asked, his curiosity piqued.
With a serene demeanor, the child responded, "I was teaching them how to breathe."
Perplexed, the man pressed further, "But why focus on something so basic?"
Inquisitively, the child turned the question back to him, "What did you learn in your first class?"
Reflecting for a moment, the man replied, "I learned to read alphabets and numbers."
Undeterred, the child continued, "And what did you teach them?"
Curiosity mingled with confusion, the man awaited the child's response.
With wisdom far beyond his years, the young guru explained, "I taught them the art of breath."
As the man struggled to grasp the significance, the child patiently elucidated, "Consider this: when you are stressed, what changes?"
Pondering the question, the man replied, "Your breath."
Nodding in agreement, the child continued, "And what about when you are angry?"
Again, the man acknowledged, "Your breath changes."
With gentle conviction, the young guru imparted a profound truth, "Indeed. Every emotion manifests in the rhythm of our breath. From the moment we draw our first breath to the moment we exhale our last, it remains our constant companion."
In that simple act of breathing, the child revealed a profound insight into the essence of existence. "When we learn to master our breath," he concluded, "we gain mastery over every facet of our lives."
With newfound clarity, the man departed from the Gurukul, carrying with him the timeless wisdom of a young guru who had illuminated the path to a better way of living—one breath at a time.