Inanimate World
As I am growing older, though only 23 now, I am becoming more and more convinced about the folly of existence. Why do we actually take birth? Many would argue that it’s the law of nature. Entities come and entities go but life goes on. And what about the life itself? What if there was no life in whatsoever form – no bacteria, no animals, no homo sapiens i.e. what if there was an Inanimate World?
Daily millions of workers rich and poor alike mechanically get up in the morning and go to their workplaces. They work hard and if they are not egotists and are charitable enough, make others also work hard. They all work for that ultimate reward – recognition and money. I could have also said recognition or money, but that would have been meaningless. Why do you need money? – to get recognition among your peers, in your society and the scope is endless. Now, why one does want recognition? – to earn and multiply his/her income. This sequence of events is interminable.
Man’s thirst for making big bucks can never be quenched. Who doesn’t want to be a millionaire and if possible a billionaire? I would love to be one and every day if I have a twinkle in my eyes when I go to work that is actually a dream sparkling inside me, which urges me every moment to go that extra mile. And this is nothing but hope!! The world moves on hope. Hope is certainly not bad but what if your hopes are never realized? What if you spend your whole life doing nothing but work and only work and still in the end you are not yet a millionaire? You are still living that lowly and miserable life that you were living 50 years ago. Would you then say that your life was well lived and was actually worth living? Would you be having that gratification at your deathbed of knowing that if you were asked to once again re-live your life, you would gladly accept it?Making money and becoming a millionaire was just one of myriad billions of hopes and ambitions, dreams and desires. But I can safely say that this would come out on top :)
Daily millions of workers rich and poor alike mechanically get up in the morning and go to their workplaces. They work hard and if they are not egotists and are charitable enough, make others also work hard. They all work for that ultimate reward – recognition and money. I could have also said recognition or money, but that would have been meaningless. Why do you need money? – to get recognition among your peers, in your society and the scope is endless. Now, why one does want recognition? – to earn and multiply his/her income. This sequence of events is interminable.
Man’s thirst for making big bucks can never be quenched. Who doesn’t want to be a millionaire and if possible a billionaire? I would love to be one and every day if I have a twinkle in my eyes when I go to work that is actually a dream sparkling inside me, which urges me every moment to go that extra mile. And this is nothing but hope!! The world moves on hope. Hope is certainly not bad but what if your hopes are never realized? What if you spend your whole life doing nothing but work and only work and still in the end you are not yet a millionaire? You are still living that lowly and miserable life that you were living 50 years ago. Would you then say that your life was well lived and was actually worth living? Would you be having that gratification at your deathbed of knowing that if you were asked to once again re-live your life, you would gladly accept it?Making money and becoming a millionaire was just one of myriad billions of hopes and ambitions, dreams and desires. But I can safely say that this would come out on top :)
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I recently read a book – ‘The Power And The Glory’ by Graham Greene. It’s about a whisky priest who was running from the law, for it was illegal for any priest to stay in that particular country. The name whisky priest implies a dishonest priest. Every priest in the country had already fled, except the two. One had married and stayed back but was stripped of his capacity as a priest. Another also married but he did not abandon his profession. He was an outcast in his own land. For 6 years he kept running from the law, always living on charity and often with an empty stomach. For 6 years he kept baptizing the new born and holding seminars, all clandestinely. In the beginning, wherever he went he was always welcome. Children and elders alike respected him. They would provide him with food and bare essentials. But when the police started the real hunt, things went sour for him. A hostage would be picked up from every village and in case of any intelligence that the whisky priest had ever set his foot there and helped by the villagers, the hostage would be shot dead. Naturally, the priest lost all respect from the people. Towards the end, as the priest started his journey to the eternal safety of the adjoining country, somehow he was lured into the trap set by the police and was caught. The priest had a daughter.
The priest had died discontented. Before he was shot dead by the firing squad, he had only one remorse. He could not do anything for his daughter.
The priest had died discontented. Before he was shot dead by the firing squad, he had only one remorse. He could not do anything for his daughter.
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The book is certainly a good read.
The point I am trying to drive home is that the priest was not disconsolate and distraught for he was unable to make his confessions to another priest but because he was deserting his daughter when she most needed him. He was leaving her to be a vagabond. And he too died without any gratification.
So, at your deathbed, if you have a feeling of underachievement, was your life really worth living? Coming back to where I started from, surely this world would be a better place if it were inanimate.
Then of course, there would be nobody to witness that but at least there would also be nobody to suffer, to live a life of misery interspersed with momentary happiness and carrying an air of farcical hope.
Au Revoir
The point I am trying to drive home is that the priest was not disconsolate and distraught for he was unable to make his confessions to another priest but because he was deserting his daughter when she most needed him. He was leaving her to be a vagabond. And he too died without any gratification.
So, at your deathbed, if you have a feeling of underachievement, was your life really worth living? Coming back to where I started from, surely this world would be a better place if it were inanimate.
Then of course, there would be nobody to witness that but at least there would also be nobody to suffer, to live a life of misery interspersed with momentary happiness and carrying an air of farcical hope.
Au Revoir
posted by Ankur Shanker @ 7:12 PM
3 Comments:
i always wondered what kind of people form policies like those of Delhi gov., when a rape happens on the streets then what do they do...instead of civilizing those that dare do so,they say that its because women dress provocatively and they should dress conservatively !
well you say something like that; underachievers repent for a life that could have been made to go some other way...so the world should be inanimate! well leaves be puzzled?
@ Anonymous
First of all, I would like to tell you that over/underachievement is a very contentious issue. It all depends on your perspective. I always look at the bigger picture. So, what might be a big accomplishment for you may be only an insignificant achievement for me!! And I hate hypocrites who even shy away from revealing their identities and then they talk about underacheivement...haha!!
well you don't know me....so even if i tell you my name it wouldn't make an iota of difference to either you or me. and i was not in any way trying to bring the under/over achievers issue in focus...as you rightly said it is a perception...but you don't tackle these kind of feelings by saying that what if their were no feelings, it is a question of whether materialistic pursuits are worth running after??
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