Come birthdays and wishes for a long life are showered upon you. And if that’s not enough, the ‘you’ll live a hundred years’ when you appear just when people are thinking or talking about you go on throughout the year. Come to think of it, is a long life really a blessing? There are two points which come to my mind.
To begin with, I would any day choose a good life over a long life. Whatever number of years I live, may those be happy and industrious. I’d choose a short but good life, over a long mediocre one. My spiritual teacher M once said, ‘If at the end of your life you have just four people vouching that their life has been better because of you, then your life is fulfilled.’ I don’t know if I have four people who would vouch for me at this moment, but I sure do make a conscious attempt at it in my everyday living. When the moment of departure does arrive, I hope I can say that life has been worth it.
Secondly, at the alarming rate that environmental destruction and climatic changes are occurring I dread to think of a long, long life. This year I experienced the most unbearable of all summers! My body just couldn’t handle it. I’m sure many would agree with me. During my recent trip to Uttarkashi I didn’t get a chance to even take the light sweater out of my suitcase. It was alarming! Just five years back when I visited Uttarkashi in the month of May the weather was such that we were all wearing light woollens. And now, just five years down the line, it was late September and blazing hot! If this is how it is now, what do we have in store for us? The environmentalists are prophesying lack of water, unbearably high temperatures with their resulting illnesses, unhealthy changes in the weather and what not…a deadly future indeed! And you want me to live long? No way!
Bless me do, but for a healthy, happy and fruitful life. The longevity I can surely do without.
1 comment:
Wishing a person a long life, on birthdays or other ocassions shows that the person is very special to them. And ideally, we'd want to live a good and a long life as we owe our elders our lives, and our respect for gifting us with those lives.
Although longevity is determined by too many factors, as long as we are healthy and can reason, and engaged, and happy and at peace it certainly won't hurt to live those hundred years. Or more! Unlike longevity, if we are responsible, honest and thorough human beings, and kind and helpful towards others and live life in harmony and balance by avoiding excess living a good life is certainly well with our reach.
As far as global warming and environmental destruction and degradation go there are several proposed policy responses to these issues and countries are working hard to cut greenhouse gases, and everyone can help by by taking some kind of action whether it's reducing the usage of appliances, choosing energy efficient bulbs, avoiding use of plastic bags, planting trees, or recycling just to name a few... Working together to help our environment in a meaningful way gives us hope for the future.
So may you live a long and a good life..!!
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