Outrunning Death

 It is always been a fashion to heap blessings for a long life upon people, but in reality, it manifests itself as a curse. A curse on the individual, the family, on society and on Creation itself. If we harbour any doubts, ask the elderly.

People may try to avoid but they cannot ignore the elderly, for they are everywhere.

All these old people struggling to reconcile their desire for living long and the reality of their feeble and meaningless lives.  

These old people simply trying to make it through each day at the mercy of others, nothing to do and nowhere to go. Ask them what they wish for? And one will be shocked by the reply, many of them will with sincerity usually reply, 'waiting, for death'.

No one is indispensable. The world was running beautifully before we arrived and will continue to do so long after we leave this world.  

As the Guru has taught us, "All that is created, will one day perish." 

Neither science nor religion can help us outrun death. The question is why are we trying to outrun death?

Why do we seek to postpone the inevitable?

Imagine the end of our physical lives is like reaching the edge of a great river.  Whether we accept it or not, we know that have to cross the river from this bank to the other, where some great unknowns await us. Fearfully we cling precariously to this shore, but as our bodies decay we often fall into the river, then repeatedly struggling back to the shore until we become so enfeebled that we can struggle no more.

Each day is difficult, I suppose they believe a known existence is better than an unknown heaven or hell. 

When the god of death and order 'Yama' will come to take our souls across,  we fight and we struggle in vain. Trying to outrun death we try to buy just a little bit more time. 

We turn to science and medicine to keep the body somehow and somewhat going and we lean on religion to keep the spirit seemingly alive.

Death is certain, we cannot outrun death. Neither with prayers, science, medicine, yoga, meditation or anything else. Fear of death is itself death. All we can do is live, a meaningful, healthy life made possible by a healthy diet of food and thoughts, a stimulating lifestyle to keep us stimulated and feeling alive, a work-style that provides us income, dignity, and meaning, be part of a community that nurtures and whose members supports one another, materially, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.

There is more to life than merely increasing its length.

Say the things that ought to be said, do the things that we wish to do, show our gratitude and love to those that matter, all this while we can before it is too late. 

After all, a person who lives his or her life fully and meaningfully is always ready to embrace death at any time.