Life and Death

Life and death are two sides of a same coin.They are closely related to one another.Whether it is life or whether it is death they would not be as one want them to be.The gap between life and death is longevity. It is not same to everybody. It varies from person to person. Life begins with birth and ends with death. Birth of individual is arrival of that individual on this earth and death of individual is departure of individual from this earth. Birth is number one chapter in life and death is closing of a chapter of life. Birth and death are an everyday affair. There 's always a duel between life and death. Life and death are balanced on the edge of a razor. Certain situations which are precarious or where one's prestige is involved are considered as life and death situations. Death chases everyone right from birth.

There are no two opinions with regard to the fact that human life is the most precious among various lives that exist on this planet. One who is a human being is really fortunate. Life is really an opportunity.Everyone comes across numerous opportunities in their life. But,only a few make use of the opportunities that come on their way.The rest either miss or waste many of the opportunities which they come across. Opportunities are elusive. One certainly cannot make use of all the opportunities that they come across also. Besides, equal opportunities are not provided to everyone on this earth. Life is a mixture of sunshine and rain, Laughter and tear drops, pleasure and pain... Low tides and high tides, mountains and plains, ... Life is like a Hurdle Race. The life of every man is a continued chain of incidents, each link of which hangs upon the former. Life is a battlefield. It is a struggle for existence. Life is full of desires , ambitions, goals, disappointments and all kinds of characters.

What is life? There are innumerable opinions about what life is. Life is a book which hard to understand. Life means different to different people. Meaning of life depends on how one understands it. Life is a mystery. It is difficult to define it. Unfortunately, none of the definitions of life are fully convincing. Broadly speaking there are two kinds of life: one is the life of values and the other is the life of valuables. Life is what we live.Live and let live is life. Life is not same to everyone. It differs from person to person. Variety Is The Spice Of Life. Life is ever changing. It differs from generation to generation. To-day what it is and tomorrow what it would be nobody can prophesy. Life is full of uncertainties. What that one has not even dreamed take place in their life.

Life is not static. It is very difficult to explain what life is. Quest to know what life is has been going on since time immemorial. There is no experience that can excel an experience that one would have in their life. It is an experience which differs from one person to another. Hence, the question what is life? rears its head again and again. Some talk of spiritual life, renunciation, meditation, world inside, and world outside etc. I often recollect a song from a Hindi film.The hero in that movie was in terrible distress.He could not understand "What is life?” He subsequently realized that life is a pool of sorrows. According to him to live or die in this world is not at all in our hands. He feels that world is strange.

One can take a horse to the water, but they can't make him drink.One can at the most assist or inspire another to lead life. But ,nobody can lead life for another. One has to lead their life themselves. That is why Swami Vivekananda says" you are the maker of your Destiny".Whether one is born rich or born poor, life is not a smooth ride at all. Life does not progress at a stretch. Life cycle progresses stage by stage.There's no guarantee that one would pass through all the stages of life that a normal life has . Nobody knows the length of their life. Length of life is not at all fixed. Length of life of some people is long and length of life of some is short. Life of a man can come to an end at any stage. Our life has no significance in this world unless we contribute in one or another way to the world. In fact, our presence would not be felt at all. We just "come and go" on this earth.

Further, life does not run uniformly or smoothly to one and all. To every man the other man's life normally appears better. But every man's life has one or another hazards. At times problems make life so unbearable that one even tries to commit suicide. Life always moves forward to everyone at the same speed. Life is moving quickly or slowly are one's feelings only.During a tough time one normally feels that life is moving slowly whereas during happy times one would not have time even to notice how life moves.In fact, one remarks at that time how quickly those days were over. Life is full of experiences. It's a series of experiences. Experiences differ in life from one man to another man. It is better one shares their experiences with other in life.

If all is well,what is there in life? Life has ups and downs twist and turns. A few lead contented life. Many times life is compared to an ocean. Ocean is one where water from rivers, streams, gutter and everywhere mingle. There it does not matter whether water is pure or impure.Similarly in life, we come across all kind of people.

Life is adapting to everything. It is adaptation. Only the fittest will survive in life. Life is heaven, life is hell. Basavanna the founder of Veerashaiva philosophy says that there is no a separate hell or an heaven at all.

Mother Teresa describes life as under:-

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is bliss, taste it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.

Life and death are described in numerous ways in this manner.

Imagine a world where there are no deaths. Is it not like allowing the waste to accumulate? In such a world we find more of undesired, disabled and non performing people than those who are active, hale and healthy and performing people. Further majority of those non performing people are a burden to this universe in one way or other and most of them in fact invite or welcome death on their own. Existence of even harmless non performing people in large number adds to the vexed problems that mankind has. It does not provide any kind of solution to the problems that exist in the world in any way. In this context, it is better to recall what Malthusian Theory of population. It prophesies destruction if population is allowed to grow beyond a limit. It forecasts catastrophes. We feel death is necessary .Many a times death brings in changes. It is the beginning of a new and better life. It is old order changeth yielding place to new. A death makes one philosophical. Death makes one realize many facts. A death is generally mourned.It is coupled with sorrow and sympathy. A death causes depression and disgust in near and dear of a deceased. However there are instances where death is rejoiced too. Whenever a wicked departs public heave a sigh of relief. A death of a wicked is rejoiced by public. Death is always a departure and one would never come back in this departure at all.Death is the end of a life. No doubt it arrives one day. It would not arrive as and when we want it . It arrives only when it wants to arrive. It is unpredictable.

There are instances when one is remembered more after their death than when they were alive. Many times value of a person we come to know not when they are alive but only after their death. In case of persons who sacrifice their life for a good cause,death generally brings in fame and name to them. In fact soldiers who lay down life in battle field after exhibiting extraordinary courage and valour are honoured posthumously.This is only an instance. There are numerous such instances where one's deeds bring one glory after their death.

When we have an ordinary bout of fever due to cold or bad weather, it is generally diagnosed as flu. How much we have to suffer on account of that ailment. We cannot breathe properly, our throat, nose have congestion, we have cough, we have weakness, our appetite goes off, our tongue cannot taste anything. We come across people suffering from dreaded diseases like cancer etc. Death does not approach them suddenly. They have to undergo immense pain and suffering .When one comes across such instances the question Is death very horrible? confronts them.

A clock reminds us that life is slipping away second by second. Every breath takes us nearer and nearer to death. It reminds us just how short life is. Death is a process rather than an event.More than death, it is fear that it would befall on us that kills us more. That is why it is said that one who fears dies every moment. A poet asks death not to be proud of. Once death arrives everything is peaceful. There is no pain or anything. Death is a relief or a solution many a times. One can escape from anything but not from death. If not today one has to die tomorrow. There is no other go at all. Death is imminent to every human being. Nobody can imagine what a death is. Death is an experience which varies from person to person. The experience cannot be shared with others completely. Similarly life is an experience too. Life and Death are two sides of a same coin. They are just like a day and a night. We come across every day a number of births and deaths. Death is generally a loss in many ways to a family or to a society or to a country or to the world at large depending upon the personality, which departs. On the contrary, birth is generally associated with gain. Everybody's life has to come to an end one day or another. Death is inevitable. Nobody is immortal in this world. Much to humanity's collective dismay, there is no way to defy death. Due to inventions of medicines, transplant of heart, kidney and other organs and complicated surgeries etc longevity might have increased. But people have not become immortal. When a human body becomes cold and organs stop functioning, then it is the end of life. This is called death. Here it is believed that only the body gets destroyed and not the soul. Further, it is stated the soul enters another body and the process of birth and death continue. Bhagvad –Gita says “For one, who has taken birth, death is certain and who one is dead, birth is certain. They are inevitable. Just like a man giving up old worn out garments accepts other new apparel, in the same way the embodied soul giving up old and worn out bodies verily accepts new bodies.”Death is nothing but a transfer of a soul from one body to another. Generally people sing a praise of a person at least at the time of death. We may die but our deeds may become immortal.

Death is a routine affair. Death means one is no more amongst us physically. After death one is only a memory. Death is a permanent sleep from which one would never wake at all. Death is the ultimate pilgrimage.Some say death is an end of a life. Some say death is not an end of a life. Death is inevitable. There is no family on this earth in which death has not taken place. The learned neither laments for the dead nor for the living. Death comes dancing to wise men. Despite being aware of all these facts, to majority of human beings death is always awe some. They are afraid of facing death.Once one loses their body,their presence is not at all felt in this universe.One’s presence is felt only on account of body that one possesses.It is the body that only enables others to identify him or her. Majority of people on this planet do not welcome death. Even those who are sentenced to gallows for their crime beg for pardon and try to evade death. Those who are suffering from grave diseases , or those who need open heart surgeries,or those whose kidneys are not functioning and who are sure of their death ,want fresh lease of life and do not welcome death .A good doctor always assures survival. In short those who have interest in life do not invite death whatever may be the difficulties or suffering that they have undergone or still that might have to undergo. Those who are depressed and who have lost interest in life try to commit suicide or invite death. Even such people may fail in their attempt too. Nobody takes death with ease. Majority of people are afraid of facing it. By and large nobody knows when the death beckons whom, when and how. Sometimes death is just like a bolt from the blue does not give even the slightest clue. In that way, it is uncertain. Death does not wait for our convenience. Death would never wait for anybody that too not even for a second. It is none of its concern whether our task is half way through, just attempted, or nearing completion Death is an ultimatum .Death is also called destiny. Nobody can escape from the clutches of death.

Death is merciless. It is cruel. It spares nobody. It does not make any compromise at all. One may have several unfinished tasks, unfulfilled wishes and responsibilities like children are very young and yet to be educated, daughter has to be married, wife has not even completed twenty five years and the child’s breast feeding has not yet been discontinued but death does not show any mercy at all. It has no dilemma also. Death snatches from an innocent child, who has just opened its eyes only a few days back and hardly any time has elapsed, its parents and other kith and kin. It should have had all luxuries love and affection but unfortunately becomes an orphan. Death is responsible for numerous such incidents that could move even rocks but not the death. Death kindles one's feelings. Sometimes death tames an individual. Sometimes one becomes angry at one who is responsible for death. Death is unpredictable. When death is untimely human beings become furious at Him.

Nobody can play with death. Whatever gimmicks that one has, they cannot play with death. Those gimmicks are useless as far as death is concerned. Death is invincible. Death has no consideration or emotions. Death does not care for fame, name that one may have or good deeds or bad deeds that one does. That is why it is called cruel. Even if we have lost all interest in life, even if we are aged, and disgusted, death does not beckon us. It has its own schedule. But in a way, it is impartial too. It does not differentiate between rich and poor strong and weak, intelligent and dull herds, beautiful and ugly or between young and old. The partialities observed with regard to death are that it allows some people to live longer whereas it cuts short the period of life of others. Similarly partiality is observed when some people breathe their last after suffering a lot due to prolonged illness whereas some say adieu to this world only after a brief illness. Bias is also shown to those who succumb to injuries on the spot during accidents and who have heart failures, strokes etc which cause instantaneous death. Sometimes, death is described as undisturbed, uninterrupted, continuous peaceful sleep from which one would not wake up for ever. It doesn’t matter that we shed any amount of tears. Generally children who are known for their innocence believe that elders who have departed have become stars in the celestial sphere or they are told by their parents that departed have gone to meet God and would never come back. Death is also known as a journey to another world. It is generally believed that death leads us to either heaven or hell based on good or bad deeds, which we render during our lifetime. There is also a belief that mode of death is related to our deeds in life. Those who do always well to others during their lifetime, will have a peaceful and less painful end whereas those who do much harm to the society, will have distressful and miserable painful end. This belief may not be entirely true for sometimes practically we find diametrically opposite type of deaths. Sometimes death turns out to be a solution to a problem or many problems. Death is end to all problems to the departed soul only. Can person who was always struggling and agitated through out the life find peace in death?

There are so many doubts like this regarding death for which we do not find correct, satisfactory, clarification. Some even believe that there is rebirth after death. That is why they say death is not an end. They believe that we take birth either as a human being or as an animal in accordance with good or bad deeds rendered by us during our lifetime. Nobody has returned alive after death. So it is hard to believe that there is heaven or hell, or whether there is life after death? One thing is certain that the concept of heaven and hell and rebirth etc has restrained many people from leading life according to their whims and fancies. The punishment in the hands of God often dissuades human beings from doing anything wrong or harmful. It is body that gets destroyed on death and not the soul. Soul enters some other body. It is just change of garbs. That is how many learned people have described death. Thus it is obvious death does not approach everybody in the same manner as noticed above. The reasons for death may not be same from person to person except in case of epidemics when people die in large number on account of same disease. However there would be some reason or cause for any death. Broadly, we can divide death into two categories namely natural deaths and unnatural deaths. Deaths due to ailments, heart failure, sunstroke, kidney failure, paralytic stroke etc that are quite but natural are natural deaths. Deaths due to accidents, murders suicides calamities, catastrophes etc are not natural deaths and are called unnatural deaths. There is one more category of deaths, which may be termed as untimely deaths. These deaths cause more hardships to dependents of deceased and the family of deceased can be compared to a ship without a captain. The untimely departure of an only son of parents is an unbearable loss to them. Sometimes entire family will be wiped out due to calamities or catastrophes leaving a member or two. Definitely life would be horrible to them, yet they have to live despite fate being very unkind to them. However, sometimes we come across people who have been suffering for a long time from dreaded diseases like cancer, tuberculosis, asthma etc yet they do not invite the death. Life is strange. Life is not certainly a bed of roses. It is not important how long you lived but how you lived. The best epitaphs for one are not their riches but their good deeds. To-day or tomorrow the wealth perishes but not the good deeds. The good deeds remain for a long time. Life and death are very well described by a poet who has drawn parallel of life to a cart driven by a horse where we are the horse and destiny is the master and we should gallop as per the directions of destiny. As soon as our legs get tired we would fall to the ground.

10 ways to live longer: - 1. Don’t over sleep 2.Be optimistic 3.Have more sex 4.Get a pet 5.Get a VAP 6.Be rich 7.Stop smoking 8 Chill out 9 Eat your antioxidants 10. Marry well