Guiding Light: Life— A priceless opportunity

Guiding Light: Life— A priceless opportunity

Free Press JournalUpdated: Saturday, August 29, 2020, 02:31 AM IST
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- Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshbhai

A disciple once asked his Guru, “Am I alive?” The Guru joyously replied, “Aha! You are indeed fortunate that this question has occurred to you! Because to an ignorant person, such a question does not even arise. He does not even doubt whether he is dead or alive. He is certain that just because he can breathe, eat, desire and toil to fulfil his desires, he has to be alive.”

Inquire into the purpose of life

If merely breathing is living, then what is the difference between you and a cabbage or a cauliflower? They too can breathe. And if you say, ‘but I harbour desires and also work towards fulfilling my desires’, then what is the difference between you and the animals? Desires arise in them too, they too attempt to fulfil their instincts and get satisfaction in their own way. Merely breathing and eating cannot be human life. It can be a plant or an animal life but certainly not a human life. Human life is much more than this. In recognising the essence, the Consciousness that existed before birth and will exist even after death, lies the fulfilment of human life.

“Can the life I am leading really be called a human life?” This is the beginning of spirituality. This is the first ray of light, without which the sun of enlightenment cannot arise in your life. Until this question arises, you are unconscious, or not even born. With this question you have taken a new birth. This is the beginning of your true life. Blessed is the one to whom this question occurs, for once this question has arisen, he will not be able to remain in the slumber of ignorance for long.

Choice is yours

Life is merely an opportunity. What you do with it is for you to decide. Life is neither purposeful nor purposeless. It is like a blank paper. You have the freedom, the choice to write on it what you want. You can write abusive words or you can write a beautiful song. If you write rudely, how can you expect happiness? Striving for wealth and fulfilment of desires, how can you expect peace? If you want to make your life melodious, you will have to write poetry on it, that is, give it a higher purpose. Purpose will not come on its own. If you want to spend life in happiness, you will have to write the Divine on it. The choice is yours. You say that life seems meaningless. It definitely will seem so if you write the wrong things. Most people either choose to write abusive words on the paper or do not write anything at all. Their lives remain meaningless. Only a few, the aspirants, write songs and make their lives meaningful.

Human birth is an opportunity that has been given to you, while death is when that opportunity is taken away. Between birth and death is this field called life. You alone must cultivate it. Even if you don’t grow anything, weeds will certainly grow. But if you want beauty and fragrance, then you will have to plant roses. Roses, however, do not grow by themselves. They require an effort; they require sadhana.

If you want to harvest roses, you must bring supreme purpose to your life; you will have to take the path of meditation. Once meditation enters your life, your destination will no longer remain the tomb; it will be the everlasting Self. If you want to become happy, there is just one solution, go within. Today, your life is a statement of bankruptcy. The arrival of meditation will enrich it and turn it into a festival of lights!

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