Sudden Birth

Sudden Death

We all are clueless about it.

Life in-between spent in constant unrest, fear, pursuing unfulfilled desires, and accumulation of material things.

In the process we earn grudges, animosity, indulging in process dishonesty, selfishness, and insensitive living.

By pursuing the endless agenda of the mortal body, our Immortal Soul adds bundles of New karmas.

When the death comes, all our material accumulation will remain here, all our hate & love relationship end, but karmas accumulated to acquire material things, achieve professional/social/career heights with wrong means, passion, maintain worldly relations, and breeding of likes and dislikes will go with the Soul.  This will prolong our cycle of life and death.

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It is worth knowing what Alexander, the great has to say at the time of his death.

Alexander, after conquering many kingdoms, was returning home. On the way, he fell ill and it took him to his death bed. With death staring him in his face, Alexander realized how his conquests, his great army, his sharp sword, and all his wealth were of no consequence.

He now longed to reach home to see his mother’s face and bid her his last adieu. But he had to accept the fact that his sinking health would not permit him to reach his distant homeland. So, the mighty conqueror lay prostrate and pale, helplessly waiting to breathe his last.

He called his generals and said, “I will depart from this world soon, I have three wishes, please carry them out without fail.”

With tears flowing down their cheeks, the generals agreed to abide by their king’s last wishes.

• “My physicians alone must” carry my coffin.”
• “Secondly, I desire that when my coffin is being carried to the grave, the path leading to the graveyard be strewn with gold, silver, and precious stones which I have collected in my treasury”.
• “My third and last wish is that both my hands be kept dangling out of my coffin”.

The people who had gathered there wondered at the king’s strange wishes. But no one dared bring the question to their lips. Alexander’s favourite general asked,” O king, we assure you that all your wishes will be fulfilled. But tell us why do you make such strange wishes?”

At this Alexander took a deep breath and said, “I would like the world to know of the three lessons I have just learned. I want my physicians to carry my coffin because people should realize that no doctor on this earth can really cure anybody. They are powerless and cannot save a person from the clutches of death. So, let not people take life for granted.

The second wish of strewing gold, silver, and other riches on the path to the graveyard is to tell people that not even a fraction of gold will come with me. I spent all my life Greed of Power, earning riches but cannot take anything with me. Let people realize that it is a sheer waste of time to chase wealth.

About my third wish of having my hands dangling out of the coffin, I wish people to know that I came empty-handed into this world and empty-handed I go out of this world”.

With these words, the king closed his eyes. Soon he let death conquer him and breathed his last.

In times like this when death news is all around us, it’s time to take stock of our world view and purpose as a human being. People are thinking to change their economic activities, work from home options, online opportunities, and many more ways to live beyond Corona.

But it’s time to pause and rethink the purpose of our human life.  The present pandemic has offered us a golden opportunity to introspect about human life going beyond the body.

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