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BUTTERFLIES IN A VACUUM - REMEMBERING A FRIEND THAT PASSED ON YESTERDAY

Submitted by Leonard on Wed, 2014-08-20 02:31

"Nothing short of total and absolute humility will suffice to make the world a better place to live in"

Most of us are fools, living in a fool's paradise. We never learn.

People die around us all the time - some of them, our near and dear ones. We go to their funerals, condole the bereaved but are we ever really and truly aware of our mortality because, if we are, we would be much better people.

When I speak of awareness, I mean a sustained awareness that will bring about a mellow humility that will guide us and make us more benign in our attitude towards others.

On the contrary, we may acknowledge or remember our mortality for a few moments and then, in no time at all, revert to our mean ways of trying to prove how superior we are to others.

Scepter and crown
must tumble down
and in the dust
be equal made
one with the poor
crooked
scythe and spade

James Shirley - "Death Leveler"

Our time on this earth is just a blink of the cosmic eye - a meteoric flash in time's celestial rosary and then the dimming and eventually the fading of the setting sun.

All we leave behind is a void - a void that can radiate warm memories of a humble human being or cold memories a selfish egotistical monster.
That's the choice we must make; that's the choice that has been imposed on us. This is the disconcerting truth we have to live with.

Through acknowledgement and realisation of this truth, our consciousness comes to a full circle. It is this revolution in consciousness that will make us empathetic and compassionate to other fellow beings.

The very fact of our mortality; the very fact of our transience and temporariness is to teach us humility. This is the greatest lesson that life strives to teach us.

All we have to do is open our consciousness and allow the light of this practical wisdom to infuse us. Let us imbibe it; let us soak ourselves in it so that we are constantly reminded of and guided by it.

Dust thou art
and unto dust
thou shall return

Genesis 3:19

Comments

raj

Thu, 2014-08-21 00:03

Thanks for posting this Blog which throws some light on our existence, its purpose, the guiding principles for making most of our time during this journey in life by making the right choices about our deeds, living responsibly and so on, in the context that we are an element of Society. Being humble, empathetic and compassionate is the least one can do while pursuing their chosen path without needing to compromise much with religious beliefs and /or the profession. Without sounding philosophical and knowing that it may not be realistic to be a perfect human being, personally I feel that, if not completely, one should at least try to the best possible extent one can. It is also my experience that, more often than not, only when we lose a loved one and gather at the funeral, one realizes the larger picture in life.

Regards,

raj (sublime_ocean)

Leonard

Thu, 2014-08-21 00:41

Leonard's picture

for your very discerning comment. I do appreciate your appreciation.

Cheers

Leonard Daranjo

"When the waiting stops, the living begins"

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