We
do not know the meaning of life but pretend to do. The various phases in man’s life
from birth to death namely being born, growing up, getting educated, taking up a job or
undertaking a business and earning money, getting married, raising family are a non-stop
job till the very end. We have mistaken this long journey to be the real image of life.
People around us are also having similar views. If a person with one leg in the grave, is
asked this question as to what is life, he’ll also reply that he has done the same
what his fore-fathers did in the past and people around him are doing now.
In
other words, we are all accepting this argument from the majority of the people and are in
agreement with it. Our approach to the whole question appears to be democratic in nature
where the majority opinion has the last say. In other words, we are determining the aim of
life through the ballot box and have accepted the majority verdict.
Being
born is a natural event and it is not of much consequence. The only importance which can
be attached to the event of being born is that we get an opportunity to shape our life in
a particular manner. Being born is like getting a musical
instrument on which we can play any type of music.
What
majority considers as life does not go beyond earning our living. To get up in the
morning, to go to office or a shop, return home in the evening, have our food, go to sleep
and get up again in the morning to start the same routine, is like, carrying the musical
instrument on our shoulders till our death without playing any tune. In other words to
curse life and find thousands of faults with it is like dying before actual death.
Even
if we obtain many qualifications and degrees, also learn by rote many scriptures and our
name is considered amongst the educated elite, we have not really understood the real
meaning of life. Despite having acquired unlimited wealth and having our name included
amongst the richest people in the world, we will still remain in the dark about the real
purpose of life because worldly knowledge and wealth are of not much consequence towards
understanding the real meaning of life.
To
go to a temple, offer our prayers, recite verses and give the offerings of coconuts and
other objects as also observing various rituals will not help us in understanding the real
purpose of life. The question now arises as to where to look for the answer to this
complicated riddle of life. Till such time certain fundamental questions like, Who am I ?
What am I ? do not arise in our mind, we cannot move a single step towards knowing the
real purpose of life. The search for answer to these questions
is essential for reaching the ultimate truth. But most of us leave these questions
unanswered and abandon them as being useless or keep on postponing these questions for a
later date. We are afraid to face these questions squarely because, they are likely to
upset our continuing journey along the beaten track being used by our contemporaries.
Supposing we were to question our wisdom in collecting wealth, our efforts towards gaining
wealth will be thwarted. Our efforts will come to a grinding halt and our mind will be
diverted towards different direction. The interesting thing is if such questions do arise
in our mind, we deliberately alter their original shape and start asking instead: Is there
a God? Who has made this world? Is there a Heaven or Hell? If so what one can expect at
those places? These sort of questions have no relevance in real life. To study the cause
of creation is a subject for the scientists to investigate. Persons who are indulging in
deadly sins should worry about heaven and hell. But for an ordinary person leading
a normal life, these questions do not merit attention.
When
we are thirsty, we crave for water, when we are hungry, our mind and brain become
restless. We need similar craving for knowing the Truth and purpose of life. Even though
the path is arduous, this craving is very meaningful for attaining the Truth. This feeling
will make us realize that there is far more to know than we already know. There is plenty
to be experienced, to be seen and to be heard besides what we have done so far. We shall
be able to come to the conclusion that life is sending signals
and news in many forms but so far we have neglected signals and news. If these questions
become an obsession with us, soon we shall reach at the door of Truth and the real meaning
of life will become clear. Those who seek have known, have found the answer but if we do
not ask these questions, we are unlikely to get the answers. God is always ready to give
answers to these questions. In this context this quotation from Holy Bible is relevant:
“Knock and the door shall be Opened.”
There
was an old lady be name of Rabia, who used to participate in the congregations of Jesus
Christ. Once she stood up in the congregation and said, “This is enough, I am tired
of hearing this sermon of yours ‘knock and the door shall be opened', the door is
always open and was never closed. Raise your eyes and see for yourself the opened
door”. This incident proves that a searching eye can always find the answer at some
moment of the life. Any body experiencing this revelation gets a jolt and shock.
The
Truth reveals itself. When this happens, we know the true meaning of life and experience
the same like the air in our lungs and blood in our veins. When we are face to face with
life, we can feel it like we are standing on the banks of holy Ganges and experiencing its
silent flow. We also experience pure love in our heart, as if we are amidst freshly blossomed flowers and experiencing the
fragrance. In short we become a changed personality and are reborn afresh.