Guiding Light: Life Lessons From Alexander The Great

Guiding Light: Life Lessons From Alexander The Great

Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj jiUpdated: Wednesday, June 05, 2024, 10:14 PM IST
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Alexander, depicted with his horse Bucephalus, fighting Persian king Darius III, from the Alexander Mosaic of Pompeii (Naples National Archaeological Museum, Italy) | Wikimedia

Most of us have read and heard about the three important lessons taught by Alexander the Great through his last 3 wishes. Of the three wishes he made on his deathbed, the last one is most talked about, which says that: ‘I want my both hands to keep dangling out of my coffin because I want people to know that we came empty-handed in this world and we will go empty-handed.’ In spite of knowing about these kinds of moral lessons, one of the questions which cost millions their head, even though most of them were not the people who had raised it, is the question of belongingness.

It is a well-known fact that in 1946-47, it was this question which led to the political division of the great subcontinent of India and to the heinous massacre of innocent masses that uprooted millions from their soil. The question that agitated the mind of political leaders, then, was: “To whom does India belong, or which part of India belongs to whom?" Almost the same type of question, though in a changed context and in a different situation or circumstances in each case, is being asked again here, there or elsewhere: “To whom does so and so state belong, or who belongs to so and so state“

History is a witness to the truth that this question of belongingness cannot be settled the way; attempts were made to tackle it over the centuries. Such questions, as these, are not settled by bullets or bombs or by deployment of large posse of policemen or by ruthless application of hurtful law. The solution has to be found only in the spirit of understanding, accommodation and spiritual love which is without any bias, partiality or discrimination towards anyone. But how can such a love emerge? Only if each one of us asks ourselves the question, “Whom do our bodies belong?" The answer to this would be; “To our respective souls." Let us ask further; “To which abode on-high do our souls belong?" The answer now would be that, originally, we all belong to the Soul World, also called Highest Heaven, Param Dhãm or Alam al Arwah and that this whole planet earth, belongs to ONE Supreme and has been given to us all to live happily over here in unity and in the spirit of one family of mankind under the Fatherhood of Supreme. Further, if we remember the answer to the spiritual question: “To whom do we as souls belong”, we will certainly settle this question of belongingness amicably.

The writer is a spiritual educator and popular columnist for publications across India, Nepal and the UK, and has written more than 8,000 columns. He can be contacted at nikunjji@gmail.com / www.brahmakumaris.com

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