Life And Death – Divergent Views

With regard to life and death, there are divergent views.

People in the Western world believe in the philosophy of hedonism.
The purpose of life, according to them, is eating, drinking and mating.

In the West, death is considered as a tragedy.
An “untimely” death, before the age of 80 or 90 years, is a grave tragedy!
Westerners are not able to easily overcome grief over the death of their loved ones. Generally they continue to suffer interminably.

However in the Eastern World, especially India, people believe that life is something which has to be endured for one’s “karmas” (physical or mental actions) in one’s previous births.
In the Eastern philosophy, life is nothing but अज़ाब (divine punishment for the sins committed in the previous births).

Unlike Western philosophy, Eastern philosophy opines that the sole and ultimate objective of human life is to get freedom from the cycle of life and death.
To eternally merge oneself with the Supersoul and attain bliss.

In Srimad Bhagavadgeeta, Lord Krishna has clearly stated that one should never grieve over the death of one’s loved ones as death only means destruction of old, worn out clothes (bodies).
As a soul is eternal, it acquires new clothes (body).
A soul cannot be burnt by fire, wet by water, dried by the leaves or cut with swords.

Eastern philosophy accepts death rather nonchalantly as “God’s Wish”.

In Sri Ramcharitmanas, Goswami Tulsidas ji has aptly written :

होइहि सोइ जो राम रचि राखा।
को करि तर्क बढ़ावै साखा॥

Whatever Lord Rama has destined, only that shall happen.
There’s no use applying one’s so called wisdom and arguing.

~ Sanjay Gargish ~