It was in the emptiness of these dunes that I found true comfort in.

As you stand surrounded by these vast stretches of empty land, you come to understand that everything is fleeting. Not one thing will remain forever, because even if it stays existent, it will change. A sand dune may rise to towering heights one day and be gone the next and its in this constant shifting of the earth that we’re taught nothing in life is permanent. Yet even in this impermanence, there is beauty.

That fleetness is something we usually prefer to avoid facing, because we live dependent on the the security of knowing who we are and what’s next, that when we fall in love, we will stay in love, when we find success, that success will remain… But as the Buddha said, impermanence is the nature of the human condition. Change happens all around us, all the time, yet we long for the predictable, the consistent, the known. We want the reassurance that comes from things remaining the same.

In the yogic philosophy, impermanence is called “Anitya” – अनित्य

And as I began reading more about Anitya, I stumbled across a zen story called “This Too Shall Pass.” It really showed me how we’re all so moved by the smallest things, the silliest events, other peoples’ action which can really turn us miserable in a flick of a switch. Because, truth is, the moment we realize that all will pass, we will approach life so much gentler. We won’t be as attached to the results, our reactions will be less intense, and I called it my “it’s not that deep” approach. Anyways, here it is:

According to an ancient story, there once lived a king in a Middle Eastern land. The king was continuously torn between happiness and agony. The smallest things could make him really upset or give him an intense emotional reaction, so his happiness easily turned into disappointment and despair.

One day the king got tired of himself and started seeking a way out. He sent for a wiseman living in his kingdom. The wiseman was reputed for being enlightened. When he arrived, the king said to him, “I want to be like you. Can you bring me something that gives balance, peace and serenity in my life? I will pay whatever price you like.” The wiseman replied, “I may be able to help you, but the price is so great that not even your kingdom would be enough payment for it. Therefore I will give it to you as a gift, if you will honor it.” The king gave his assurances, and the wiseman left.

A few weeks later he returned, and handed the king an ornate box carved in jade. The king opened the box, and found a simple gold ring inside. The inscription on the ring read, “This, too, shall pass.” “What is the meaning of this?” asked the king. The wiseman replied, “Wear this ring always. Whatever happens, before you call it good or bad, touch the ring and read the inscription. That way, you will always be at peace.”

The desert holds more stories than we can imagine. For many ancient civilisations, it even represented a place of spiritual awakening and enlightenment, where its vastness and isolation provided a space for introspection, meditation, and a deep connection with nature. It shows how much beauty there is in the untold, in the undiscovered…

So I think what is so special about its endlessness is exactly that; the space it holds for discovering, or perhaps rediscovering who you truly are, seeing yourself through nature’s mirror, be true…