On life and death and what have you?

Learning Point No 337

Many would not even think of death even if they may be near death. This is simply because it is not a pleasant thought. This does not mean it is wrong not to be bothered by death. Most would not want to even think of death

But it is sometimes a good thing to have death as our backdrop in life, even if not in the fore. The more we are aware of death, the more we value life and we will obviously not deny life, wasting it, and we will not live up to the nines and act as though there is no tomorrow. 

Death as backdrop is a moderator of awareness of our approach to our day to day life - a wake-up call of the reality of life both at the individual and group level. 

If we are aware that death is inevitable, we would value life and not go for personal or group gratification or glory but for satisfaction that last beyond gratification. We go for peace and invest in life so that we reap the peace of life here and now and beyond life - never mind if what we get will be what we will have to give up in time.

Whilst the true nature of life, that is, the raft or doctrine  of life is important, it as doctrine should not be merely admired and adored as academic but we must and should live in grasp of doctrine and internalize it in our life as integral to our soul or spirit. It would be futile to admire the doctrine like a raft and not use it to cross the river of life. 

The doctrine or raft too is useful for us to fish in the river of life, the worldly life that is. This is not withstanding that we think we are far removed from and have yet to reach the end shore of life which is death or end of life. The end of life is ironically the beginning of another life, hopefully a better life. 

Even if we view the end as bleak and as the snubbing out of life, we should not run away from this future event. But the reverse too is no better. We should not look back in life, relishing in past glory, gone and no more or suffering in past pain when that suffering is no more there. 

We must not let our spirit or drive for and in life disintegrate but pull the spirit together to be whole so as to live snugly in the now and look forward ever positively to the future. This strong forward looking stance is necessary in the journey of life as emphasized by all saints. Ji Gong kept reminding all on this axiom. 

Ji Gong wanted us to have zest for life. Let peace prevail at every nook and corner of life. Look forward and move on and do not look back.

Even unto the end or when death looms and is inevitable, there must be this indomitable spirit. Never must there be gloom even in the face of death. 

Death is just part of journey in life. Death is no joy but it will not doom us. So let there be no gloom. Let the zest for peace and life prevail. 

The portrait of Ji Gong below aptly portrays this drive or spirit in life - the drive for that indomitable inner peace coming from the core, emanating and effusing from the heart and unruffled and unaffected by everything else around, not even gain or pain, not even death or end. 

We should not fear the end but be calm and collected and let the inner wish for peace be the primary driver for life, come what may. Never let peace elude us and peace must always prevail. 

We should be mindful that the future is beyond the here and now and certainly beyond death as well. Death is no issue or impediment for us if we have that indomitable peace emanating from the heart.

Lest we forget, we should not be blind to the future and see only the glory of the now. The glory of the now would wow us and unsettle the peace that we so painstakingly tried to cultivate. 

This would undoubtedly be perhaps wasteful of all past efforts and would be making mockery of and undermining the inner divine calling of our soul for more peace. 

That would effectively be cheating life - our own very life. Those who go for glory of wealth and status forget that they are in the journey of life and that death or the end shore awaits them. 

The other shore is not the end but opens up a vast land - the many other options. Death is not the end but the beginning of other options

At the mission or group level, myopic men would mistake the mission as to help others so as to glorify themselves. They forget that there is need to move on and not be drowned in the river of life - the woes of self glory for name and form. 

That would be submerging in the water of vanity of worldly greatness and burying themselves in more of woes and throes of life, even if they are wooed by the wows of human vanity. 

They forget that they have to cross the river and save themselves. They forget to be on the raft and use it to cross the water of life. The raft or religion or temple become a source of pride to boast about, to boost their image in eyes of fellow men and to bring them closer to the body politic  

They not only forget to save themselves but they also forget that they must save those who are stranded in the water and place them on the raft of life. Thereafter they have to help them use the raft to cross to the other shore.  

The doctrine, temple or religion like the raft is only useful if used but once we cross the river of life, it is no longer useful and on land, we need other more elaborate doctrines or vehicles to move. 

The apparent teachings and institutions of religions provide the different types of rafts and all types can help. It matters not if one looks better than the other. A raft is a raft. Whatever raft we use, all we need to do is to cross the river and reach the other shore without fear or trepidation, never mind if it is make shift and not at all elaborate. What matters is the functionality 

The other shore looks daunting remote, unreal and far. But if we harbor fear and distaste and we don't dare set our eyes on it, we will just move around in circles in the river of human life, blind our eyes to it and never want to reach it - which of course is wishful thinking. 

We may be drowned and not make it at all in life. For some they may be lucky to start all over again. For the many others, mind you,  they  may well become creatures of the water in sub terrain caves of hell before they can be in the river of human life.