An intermingling of life and death

Scrolling down I found this enigmatic and a strange picture of the graveyard and how the beams of light seem to penetrate engulfing the shades with a silvery shine. And the place considered as dead paradoxically seems to be brimming with joy and life. In fact, the golden bowl appears to bestow an incredible charm which living creatures don’t usually attain. This picture grabbed my attention and I felt so puzzled and a dilemma pervaded over the question, ‘Should I take a screenshot and save it in my gallery or not’? A peculiar fear of saving such a picture ensued upon me, maybe the reason is the graveyard which symbolizes the death of mortal being. And who wants to think about ceased existence?

And it is funny how we keep running away from something which is inevitable and inescapable. We all know the fact that sooner or later we have to leave this world. Perhaps it is this realization that made me pen down my thoughts. Despite the privileges and hardships, every single flesh is going to diminish. Some may turn into ashes, many might be buried, few may become the victim of atrocities while others of tragedy but they all will get vanished for ‘Nature does not discriminate’. So why should not we remember this fact all time rather than running away? It is through confrontation, one acknowledges the truth accompanying that specific fear.

It’s in these moments of contemplation and writing process that I realized, Death needs to be embraced in order to live. Without the culmination of this truth, one can not strive to reach the best version of one’s self. Maybe, that’s what Prophet Mohammad(saw) tried to preach and is still preaching, ‘Die before you die’. Life and death are interwoven in the intrinsic web beyond space and time. To entangle this mystery is one of the biggest achievements in the trajectory of human civilization. It is this secret that gives meaning to our life and life without meaning is not worth living unless you are a nihilist, in that case, nothing makes sense, even his own existence is insignificant but if we look deep, it is an escapist tendency to avoid any kind of responsibility. Contrary to this view, there is another paradigm, which is profound and fundamental in its approach and does make a difference. It says, we are significant and insignificant at the same time and it is death that helps us to make a distinction between Substantial and Irrelevant precepts. Death brings clarity to our minds. It gives rise to a sense of shakiness and impermanence of everything. And it this actualization that implies the limited time we have been allotted to fulfil our purpose in life.

Remembering death is definitely going to bring a shift in our perspective whenever we get entangled in the trivial issues of life. This is a powerful force that actually pushes us to go the extra mile in order to realize our full potential. Ironically, a death that is supposed to be an end, can fuel our life instinct and channelize our energy toward the direction of higher consciousness.

I will conclude my thoughts with the verse of Mary Oliver ;

“Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?”