Giving Meaning to Life

Dr. Rajesh Bhola
India
Jun 15, 2012

A couple of months ago one of my very dear colleagues lost his young son in a road accident. The family had already fixed his marriage, which was just a few weeks away. For my colleague the whole world has now turned upside down; and the adjustment he has to make is a great challenge to his spirit. This is the period when the mood swings from one extremity to the other in the wake of a serious disruption in our life. The loss is a pain that cannot be undone. My colleague cannot bring his son back. When we suffer the loss of any one near and dear to us, we experience such pain.

This friend of mine has devoted his whole life to imparting free education to thousands of children; and runs two schools for poor children. Some years back, due to his compassionate disposition, he was assigned the job of rehabilitation of millions of poor people in Bihar, when they were rendered homeless due to floods caused by the swirling waters of the Brahmaputra. Why has a tragedy of such a big magnitude struck this person, who has spread love and warmth to so many people? Probably, it is not possible to find an answer to this question. Even the most spiritual and enlightened people come across such moments of loss in their lives. 

We are living on a very beautiful planet, and the basic conditions in which we live are heavenly. We are surrounded by many beautiful things. There are peacocks that dance, and birds that sing; there is snowfall, rain and sunshine; there are apples and cherries, mangoes and grapes. The galaxies of stars are constantly realigning, and creating awesome constellations. The oceans and glaciers are ever changing their colours. There are fur and pine trees, there are the Himalayas and the Alpines, Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyons. In these beautiful surroundings we are born as homo sapiens, the most talented of all the wonderful creatures that inhabit this world. We are capable of love and happiness. Yet all this happiness seems so fragile, and can be so easily lost. So easily, it can all be swept away or shattered, by events that are beyond our control. A stone can fall into the beautiful placid pond of our life, to blur the surface – and even the inside. At such times we are prone to losing touch with our happiness. We immediately forget that the pond has the capacity to absorb the stone, and to return to its original calm surface. We start thinking that the stone landing in our pond is the reason for our unhappiness. We cannot avoid natural calamities happening. We cannot help responding. We do not always remember that all the stones that fall into the pond of our life have the potential to be experiences of learning and growth, from which we may emerge stronger and richer.

The dear son of my colleague was cremated at the main cremation ground of Gurgaon. At the entrance of that cremation ground, it is engraved on a stone that this is the Last Destination. We need to remember, every moment, that the last destination of this journey called life, is death. We need to demonstrate, by our actions, that a good life is possible, which can lift us out of our little selves, and give meaning to our life. All the energy generated by all the pain in the world, should be turned towards creating a path for the good of the many, for the happiness and well-being of all beings. υ

Dr. Rajesh Bhola is President of Spastic Society of Gurgaon and is working for the cause of children with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities for more than 20 years.