Vekupa Rhakho George
Papal seminary, Pune
Everything in the universe is swiftly passing away. So is the glory one often tends to hunt through the means the world offers. I wonder sometimes whether we think of this seriously. The life we live as unexamined is a life worth not living. We often tend to identify ourselves with the things around us and fail to see the true nature of our deep selves. Nothing will remain except the memory we create for the people who knows us, as long as they hold breath. With it, most of us will remain unknown. And we work for this glory! Some people like their names in script so that they may be honoured for whatever they have achieved. Humanly speaking, who does not like to be honoured? To have denied it would be the biggest lie we can commit. But the greatest of glory can be achieved through a life of humility alone. No leader is honoured genuinely who takes on the glory for himself. We have classical examples around us of the people who employ pressure to retain the highest of honour. People respect them out of fear and curse them in their hearts. Their down fall creates rejoicing. The recent downfall of the presidents like Muhammad Morsi, President, Pervez Musharraf, Saddam Hussein etc. are some of the examples of our time. We have people living in our society pursuing similar glory. Is this glory so enchanting that we ought to pursue one? If yes! I bet you wrong.
In our society today, we have varieties of people who make appearances on various platforms. People asserting their identity, wanting recognition for everything and anything are some of the manifestations of wrong identity. What is this life after all? What gives satisfaction to us? Nothing, but our deep true selves alone! The latest technology that we have come to possess will in no way enhance our status though often mistaken and abused by a large section of the populace.
The journey into one’s own deep self is the best journey. It brings fulfilment. We see violence in the society around us every moment of our life. We turn our heads around to see the world of chaos most often. This is due to the lack of respect for oneself. People who take pleasure in killing try to project themselves as heroes are nothing but lacking respect. But we must never side line the fact that we also reap what we sow. The law of the universe bounces back to the thrower. If we sow violence, we reap violence. If we sow compassion, we reap compassion. People around us, killing, are nothing but asserting their identity, wanting to be recognised, to be loved, to be appreciated. They lack respect for self, what else! If we do not respect ourselves, we do not respect others. Therefore, people who form the elite in the society and try to segregate the lowly, who comprise the bulk of the society are nothing but people who have failed to respect themselves.
Our society is in need of love. People are fighting for recognition, honour and position. The very chaos that surrounds us in some way expresses the need for love. Some people are born and others are dying, some are crying and others are rejoicing, some people are rising up in life and others continue to live in the ash heaps, some people are wasting out of abundance and others are begging for survival etc. Nagas have become very selfish today. Many people unfortunately are accumulating the things for ages to come, that they will never enjoy. It is wrong to keep an unprivileged admiring the structures we have put up not for our use but for show. A sad fact! This is the momentum which we are at home with. The crazy society filled with crazy ideas. But after all, what is all these? They are but a passing reality. They will be destroyed and return to its original entity.
The life span of a human person is just a twinkling of an eye. So, why not wake up from the sleep of ignorance and start doing the things that we wish to see. We need to build heaven in the here and now and not talk of the invisible heaven. We do not need to console others by saying, if you suffer now, you will rejoice after your death. It is high time to stop preaching this kind of sermons but rather do the contrary. Start helping and sharing and help the other to celebrate life. We are all called to celebrate life regardless of who we are!
What are we parading about? What is there in us that we can boast of? Nothing….and nothing else! We are but just a passing being, journeying into the unknown, returning back to the soil. I am not denying the soul. The life that we have to boast about is short lived. Can we wake up and see the chaos and contribute our share in building the society. We can do no great thing but definitely small act with great love. Glory and honour is not attained, it is given to the one who deserves. Popularity is earned through one’s way of life. If it is bought through force and power, it leads to downfall sooner or later.
