Evening at Zambezi River, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, May 2015
and so does everything around... the situation, the people, the perspective, the needs.... and we too change.... the wise and courageous seek change.. because only change is constant!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

159. Not Enough

When I entered Mumbai office, the first thing I noticed was that poster. Nobody remembered from where it came from, but it was there.

A young man was jumping from a hilltop into the deep sea and the poster said, 'One Life is Enough.’


I liked the poster.

People around me thought that the poster gave a contradictory message to what the organization and everybody around stood for. They wanted to remove it and I stood for it.

My teammates believed in re-birth. My team argued with me about this ‘One Life’ concept. Well, I don’t mind dreaming that in next birth I would be this and that. But I know: then I won’t remember this birth. So logically, in each life there is only one life. We should live this life fully as if it is never going to come again and that is why I liked that ‘One Life’ approach.

Moreover, I do not know anything about ‘Life after Death’ or that ultimate ‘Truth’. Many scriptures and saints have said so much about that ultimate Truth – I do respect them. However it is their knowledge and experience they are talking about; until I have that experience, I cannot talk about Ultimate Truth and series of life etc. – though I know many theories.  I am not ashamed of declaring that ‘I do not Know’.

We kept on arguing. Once when I returned from a week long tour, I found that the poster was removed and was replaced by something else.

Well, majority wins – almost always wins.  In democratic set up, one can argue and one can try to convince others, but one can’t always win. Fair enough.

Days, months, years passed by.

Now-a-days I feel that life is moving too fast. There are many things which I need to do and need to learn, but there is no time.

I would like to study Mathematics again. If time permits, I would like to spend some time on excavation site. If I get some time, I would resume my association with flute and/or harmonium. If I have some spare time, I would like to read many books. There are places to visit and there are people to converse with.  

I have an ever-growing ‘to do list’ and somewhere deep within I know that I won’t be able to all that in this one life.

Indeed; One Life is not Enough!


(Delhi) 

12 comments:

  1. I really like the way u think and the fact it is straight from heart.. we shud talk some time..:)

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  2. Sharika, sure, any time is conversation time. I am at aativas@gmail.com

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  3. wonderful perspective !
    typical blogger :)
    keep writing :)

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  4. ....I agree, this poster must be good! Something one should see everyday, just in case they forget how to live their "one life"
    Re-birth or no re-birth, what is the point of next life if you waste the one in hand already?!
    And if the so-called democracy was so certain of itself, they should have removed the poster in your presence.... definitely not democracy, this is "fattu"cracy!
    Never mind the pros and cons of "people rule", point being "one life is not enough!" Really it is not! The more you catch up with your "to do list" more it extends...like marutichi sheput! It would be comforting if we had multiple lifetimes and remembrance of each! How else could we completely appreciate the divine in so many forms?!

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  5. DeEpAK, thanks for your comment. Did not understand what you mean by 'typical blogger?'

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  6. Anu, even in this one life we tend to forget more things than we actually remember. So, there would be no point in remembering multiple lives simultaneously (if that is possible at all!!). As it is our mind is in constant chaos .. just imagine what would happen with burden of more thoughts and ideas?

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  7. Hi! You have veen awarded and tagged. Pls check my blog. Thanks :)

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  8. I want to learn Bengali, Urdu, Persian and chinese. I would like to join university for a degree in history or may be anthroplogy or archeology. I wish I can overcome my fear of closed spaces, skating and skiiing and deep sea diving (this last one came from Zindagi na milegi dobara).. the more I think the more things I want to do .. and the more time I spend on internet, the less things I will do!

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  9. << the more time I spend on internet, the less things, the less things I will do.>>
    Very true.
    But even if Internet was not there, I think this would happen as we become old. It takes some time to know that 'we don't know' .. is't it?

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  10. one life is not enough
    and there is no rebirth.

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