Photography and "natura inconclusa"
Tiger Tiger, burning bright...
I am writing today’s post from Tadoba, a tiger reserve in western India. It is located in a beautiful dry deciduous forest with dense woodlands, bamboo thickets, and grasslands. I have managed to get away from the city for a short break and as always it feels good.
My days here have been filled with forest safaris and relaxing amidst nature. In between, I write, work a bit, photograph and dream of all the future escapes I can make from the city. I look around and am struck by the fact that nature has its own rhythm – one that is neither hurried nor delayed. For instance, the sun does not rush to rise or set and the call of the birds blend with the rhythm of the forest sounds. Everything is in perfect sync.
The magnificent tigers have a calm, unhurried grace and while they seem to be aware of our presence, they are indifferent to visitors and go about their own routine. I am reminded of Lao Tzu’s wise words: Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
The forest does not seek validation, nor does it seek to be anything other than itself. There is a quiet wisdom in the way trees stand still, in the way all the animals go about their ways in the forest. It makes me think that life is not something to be pursued but something to be lived, here and now.
I am reminded of a term I recently came across: natura inconclusa. It is a Latin word which means ‘unfinished nature’. It is also the name for an approach that seeks beauty and meaning not in a polished end-product but in the perpetual state of becoming. Being a part of a world obsessed with completion and perfection, thoughts around nature inconclusa give me hope and uplift my spirits.
The philosophy is inspired by the raw, evolving state of the natural world, where nothing is ever truly complete and every end is simply a transition; a circle of life where one moment dissolves into the next. Life is most vibrant when in it’s in a state of flux.
Tadoba feels like natura inconclusa, a place constantly reshaping itself through cycles of life and death, through fire and rain, heat and cold winters. The forest does not ask to be understood fully nor does it offer neat answers. It simply exists in its raw state and evolves with seasons.
Somewhere in all of this, there is perhaps a lesson and that is to accept life itself as an open-ended story.
Beautiful photos, Shital! The last two are simply perfect.
Love that quote from Lao Tzu. Here's another one from him that dovetails with your theme: “The flame that burns Twice as bright burns Half as long.”
Magnificent images and words to match, thank you so much for sharing 🙏