Life seeks to be immortal - to exist always. It seems to be its most important imperative.
We humans share with all other living creatures, the drive to continue our species/lineage - the best attempt that life can come up with as an approximation to living beyond a single lifetime. However, we seem to have an added and unique(?) motive force driving us in our lives - a striving for 'individual immortality'.
We exhibit awareness of our limitations in one single human body and yet seek to live beyond it. It is all too apparent to what extremes we will go to try and keep this body living as long as possible. Medical sciences and its practioners have always held a special and favoured place in society. Beyond this physical approach, we try other devious methods - to live in the hearts and memories of those who will outlive us in human form. We strive to be exceptional fathers, brothers, husbands, lovers and leaders. We gift love, material wealth and power to those we favour in our wills as we face the inevitable exit. We build monuments to ourselves or statues. We fund scholarships, park benches and hospital beds in our wills. We desperately hope to live as fond memories for a period beyond our body.
Often, we try approaches other than simply pleasing others - we try to acquire name and fame or even notoriety in the hope that we will be remembered, even if not fondly. Some like the thought of annoying others even after they are no longer in this body! Some aspire to spiritual perfection and not being born again so that they will not die again - one way to be immortal!
Yet others seek to conquer countries, the highest mountains, the steepest slopes, the wildest waves, spine-chilling dangers from the depths of the oceans to outer space, frontiers of knowledge, pinnacles of art, music, skills from archery to sculpting. All, so that some moments in their life can have an added meaning, which might carry on for a little longer after their lifetime. Is this not an instinctive reach towards a small semblence of immortality?
I write. So what do you do?
Copyright (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2014
All rights reserved
We humans share with all other living creatures, the drive to continue our species/lineage - the best attempt that life can come up with as an approximation to living beyond a single lifetime. However, we seem to have an added and unique(?) motive force driving us in our lives - a striving for 'individual immortality'.
We exhibit awareness of our limitations in one single human body and yet seek to live beyond it. It is all too apparent to what extremes we will go to try and keep this body living as long as possible. Medical sciences and its practioners have always held a special and favoured place in society. Beyond this physical approach, we try other devious methods - to live in the hearts and memories of those who will outlive us in human form. We strive to be exceptional fathers, brothers, husbands, lovers and leaders. We gift love, material wealth and power to those we favour in our wills as we face the inevitable exit. We build monuments to ourselves or statues. We fund scholarships, park benches and hospital beds in our wills. We desperately hope to live as fond memories for a period beyond our body.
Often, we try approaches other than simply pleasing others - we try to acquire name and fame or even notoriety in the hope that we will be remembered, even if not fondly. Some like the thought of annoying others even after they are no longer in this body! Some aspire to spiritual perfection and not being born again so that they will not die again - one way to be immortal!
Yet others seek to conquer countries, the highest mountains, the steepest slopes, the wildest waves, spine-chilling dangers from the depths of the oceans to outer space, frontiers of knowledge, pinnacles of art, music, skills from archery to sculpting. All, so that some moments in their life can have an added meaning, which might carry on for a little longer after their lifetime. Is this not an instinctive reach towards a small semblence of immortality?
I write. So what do you do?
Copyright (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2014
All rights reserved
