1. Have an Interesting Snippet to Share : Click Here
    Dismiss Notice

Death and its ramifications

Discussion in 'Cheeniya's Senile Ramblings' started by Cheeniya, Jun 27, 2007.

  1. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    12,627
    Likes Received:
    16,903
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear Vidya
    It occurs to me that instead of stressing on the need to live a virtuous life because death is a certainty, if we are told that another hundred years can be added to our life span if we lived a virtuous life, it would appeal to everyone more.

    Who would not love to find a place in Guinness as the oldest person on earth like those Japanese Thatha and Patti though of course not in their pitiful state but with rippling muscles and dark hair if it is a male and whatever if female! Telling it the way that our Scriptures do might make people raise their eyebrows in this Kaliyuga. They argue that if death is all that certain, why not live our life on our own terms because it is bound to catch up with us no matter we lived a virtuous life or not!

    There is a woman in Chennai called Aavi Amuda who was a celebrity a few years back. She is reported to have the special ability to communicate with the dead ranging from Blade Pakkiri to Saddam Hussein!. Magazines covered her forays into the world of the Dead in great detail. My own brother tried to communicate with his wife but soon gave it up as a futile exercise. My own take on this is why do we have to keep disturbing them after bidding their souls to rest in peace? How can they rest in peace if we summon them more frequently than when they were alive?

    Having said all this, I can not but agree that tales of our communion with the dead and stories of people remembering their previous birth do fascinate us. Tibetans are the greatest believers in life after death and they dont mourn their dead because they believe they can communicate with them at will!
    Sri
     
  2. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    12,627
    Likes Received:
    16,903
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear Sri
    Your statement that since the fear of death brings out the good in us, it only shows that there is something good in everyone of us deep inside is indeed very profound. Who can ever dispute that? The problem in most of us is that the goodness lies buried under heavy layers of badness and in most cases it never gets a chance to see the daylight!

    It's also an irony that we hear of a 'bad' person's acts of goodness only in obituarial references to him that we never hear of them when he is alive! Therefore, the problem lies with us too that we never attempt to highlight the goodness of a man and reserve a reference to it until his passing away. It is my belief that the more we talk of the goodness of a really bad man, the chances are that it may have not only a sobering effect on him but may even cause him to turn around!
    Sri
     
    2 people like this.
  3. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    12,627
    Likes Received:
    16,903
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear Manju
    Whenever Death claims a life, I recall the famous words of Khalil Gibran-
    “For what is it to die, but to stand in the sun and melt into the wind?
    And when the Earth has claimed our limbs, then we shall truly dance”

    Someone said that each departed friend was a magnet that attracted us to the next world!
    When Death is thus eulogised, it does allay our fear of it to some extent particularly when we see that there can be people who love the life after death!

    Unfortunately, most of the references to death in our Scriptures are scarry in order that we may ponder over that awful subject and lead a virtuous life. But the fact remains that a majority of us would prefer a torture free mortal life to the fear of torturous life in hell if we pursued immoral acts to lead a comfortable life here. Maybe in the previous yugas, people lived a virtuous life in constant fear of Hell but in this modern world, Garuda Purana does not seem to have any effect whatsoever. How many of us desist from immoral acts on account of what we may go through in Hell?

    All the literature relating to death and beyond is indeed fascinating because of our earnest wish to be told that the life beyond is extremely a peaceful one! But there is a catch though. If we are able to talk to Saddam Hussein or Hitler's Spirit and are told that they are having a whale of a time up there, will it promote virtuous living here on earth? I very strongly feel that the dead should be left undisturbed!
    Sri
     
  4. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    12,627
    Likes Received:
    16,903
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear Sowmini
    The behaviour of your grandma towards her second son and his wife was a very common thing those days and descrbed as 'Ora Vanjanai'. It was a time when they had numerous children and it was not possible for them to be equitable in their treatment of their children. They had some favourite children on whom they showered all their love and care and not so favourite children who could enjoy the status of only a second class citizen! My old mum had told me several stories of her mother-in -law ill treating some of her own daughters! The irony is that the beneficiaries of such love and affection invariably ill treated their parents when they became bread-winners and the neglected children only came to their rescue!

    Sowmini! I believe in Namesis. No one goes scotfree if he indulged in such unfairness.
    Sri
     
    1 person likes this.
  5. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    12,627
    Likes Received:
    16,903
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear Sudha
    You must have heard that Visveswaran husband of the dancer Chitra died of a massive cardiac arrest yesterday and he was two years younger to me! Does it make me more apprehensive of death? No way!

    But I do admit that I never fail to read the obituary column of The Hindu every day. That paper is very reassuring as most of the cases reported are over 80 and make you feel as if you are a kid!

    I wonder if pondering over death has any stabilising effect on us but the awareness of it will certainly have a great effect as I have seen in many cases. More than anything, it prepares the surviving relatives to plan better for a life without the person facing death and also to mentally equip themselves to face the calamity when it happens.

    I mention this after seeing how Chitra looked shattered yesterday being totally unprepared for this great calamity in her life.
    Sri
     
  6. sudhavnarasimhan

    sudhavnarasimhan Silver IL'ite

    Messages:
    1,310
    Likes Received:
    20
    Trophy Points:
    70
    Gender:
    Female
    Oh no, Cheeniya, .....that is really bad and sad news. I knew them quite well personally. Mr. Visveswaran was such a wonderful person and used to accompany Chitra also so well. I myself feel so upset, i can imagine the plight of Chitra.....and as i remember, she did not even have any children. It is going to be very difficult for her.....:icon_frown: it really is sudden...and these heart attacks.....they are so sudden and puts an end so quickly!
     
  7. Kamla

    Kamla IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    8,454
    Likes Received:
    5,103
    Trophy Points:
    440
    Gender:
    Female
    Hello Cheeniya sir...

    Thought I'd catch up on your posts that I missed and this one about Death was what I had to read. Wrong post at the wrong time of the day :( Half past midnight!
    Another shock was to read about Mr V's demise. Even I have met them when they came to Hamburg. He was a really nice and a friendly man. Sad ..
    No matter what we say, learn and try to be rational, one thing is sure...Nothing is as final as death. Talk about Karma, Jnana and Bhakthi are all nothing but our armour to prepare ourselves to the eventuality, which is sooner or later. At this time of the night/day, I prefer not to dwell on it.
    I have unfortunately seen death's reach at pretty close quarters.
    Hence, I prefer to concentrate on Anniyan, Shivaji, Shankar's ability to make films with mass attraction, Rajanikant's blond wig................

    L, Kamla
     
    1 person likes this.
  8. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    12,627
    Likes Received:
    16,903
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear Kamla
    Sorry to have shocked you with a disturbing thread !
    Why dont you add to your list of mind-soothers Cheeniya's Senile Ramblings too?!! :)
    Sri
     
  9. Tamildownunder

    Tamildownunder Bronze IL'ite

    Messages:
    921
    Likes Received:
    30
    Trophy Points:
    48
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear Cheeniya,

    Reading 'Death and its ramifications', I am reminded of the answer Yudhister gives in Mahabharath to the question, 'What is the starngest thing in the world?'. 'The starngest thing is people see others dying but they think that they are immortal'. In Mumbai my friend used to say philosophically, 'jub bhulava aathahai hai tho jaana hi padega' (when the call comes one has to go).

    I have read of accounts given by race car drivers who after sustaining severe injuries in the track and lying in virtual death bed have narrated of seeing death as a tunnel with bright light at the end and the whole experience of passing through the tunnel very pleasant. I myself had experienced a near death when I almost got drowned in our village well. But, that experience is a nightmare to me.

    In my opinion, all religions and religious leaders will be out of business if there is no fear of death and fear over life after death. The hindu faith of many rebirths after death is somewhat a comforting thought.

    Kumaresan like characters have come in quite a few Tamil movies. The one that comes to mind immediately is Mahendran's 'Uthiri Pookal'.

    Regards,

    TDU
     
    1 person likes this.
  10. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    12,627
    Likes Received:
    16,903
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear TDU
    One of the most profound statements ever uttered by any character in Mahabharata is the one quoted by you. When we attend a funeral we emote as appropriately as our upbringing permits. Some enter beating their chests crying at decibel levels that are beyond humans. Some express such pathos in their face that can earn them a key role in a tear jerker if they can do it at will. Some wear a deadpan expression like Marlon Brando in Godfather! One thing common to all of them is their ability to switch to normal mode the moment they are out of the vicinity of the dead body. This is what Yudhistra has summed up so well.
    None of us want to think that some day we'll ourselves play a lead role in this drama as the body in the center! Yes, your Maharashtrian friend's philosophy is the best. Let it come when it comes!
    Sri
     

Share This Page