Life and Death: Life Is Too Precious To Be Squandered

By CYRUS H MERCHANT

This morning, work took me to a place where little children and old people were lying on the floor - an unreal heat, an unreal poverty, but very real people. Three little children like little broken Christs or broken Krishnas (I couldn't tell their religion) condemned to a life that the old around them were probably waiting to end.

And this evening as I stood in the Fire Temple, I wondered, would they ever know the privilege of finishing a good day with a good bath and a good hour of worship? All prosperity, like all joy, is a gift of God. But people take these blessings for granted. Worse, they squander them throughout their lives. You don't know when life will end; yet, you are unwilling to live life truthfully, in the company of God. You have God's blessings - you have a home, a happy heart, health.

From the Torah down to every other holy book, a way of life has been prescribed - not just a way of life, but the way of life, for, ultimately, there is only one way. But not everyone prays every day. I would really like to know, how many adults even thank the elements - Earth, Water, Air, Fire - or the Provider?

If you are one of the blessed, ask yourself, are you leading your life the way God would want you to? Your heart will give you the answer in a second. If you were one of those for whom a kitchen sink, leave alone a kitchen, is an unattainable luxury, what would you be doing with your life? Pretty much nothing.

Poverty, illiteracy and misery are iron chains. Forget doing something, you can't even dream. Even a day is far from being perfect. But for the rest of us life is near perfect, we have more than we need to have. But does this stir or inspire you to take that leap towards a perfect life? If you don't begin today, then when will you begin? Are you allowing your life to fool you? Your mind will play tricks, it will let you believe what you want, but when you go to your heart it will tell you what an illness, tragedy, upheaval usually does - it will tell you that you aren't happy.

There is an abnormal amount of apathy towards real living. What a waste of life! All the small things have become attractive, the big things are cast aside, as if they belong only to the scriptures or some forgotten time when people worshipped a God who gave openly. You have it all but you squander it all.

Worse, you hanker after things that are transitory; things which won't last. In our cities, people's lifestyles have become like a gravy that has congealed. It makes me physically ill. The definition of what works for those following this sick lifestyle is so much at variance with that of those aspiring to a life lived by God's definition. I am unable to be around people or places where the beauty of blessings - and their benevolent Provider - is not present, or welcome.

I have an inner reluctance towards anything that departs from the simple and special things of life. I am compelled to withdraw. Never mind who or what it might be - if he/it doesn't put a gleam in God's eye, he/it is mere dust. From dust, of dust, belonging to dust.

Success is no measure, because these days just about anything is successful. Neither is happiness a measure, because these days even the most twisted things make people happy. Things are far from being perfect.

Therefore, sometimes you do go down; but at least, go down fighting for what is right. And, for what is really lasting.

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See also: Life and Death, Life and Beyond, Death and Dying, Body Mind and Soul)