Yes, isn’t it surprising?
I know it’s too good to believe. Your reaction might be one of these ‘HOLY Cow……..are you serious'…..'So what’s the catch huh’….'There ain’t any free lunches mate…what’s the deal'……..'How can I cut my cake and eat it too’………'So what’s the trick behind this’…….'So what do I have to do in return’….These are a couple of queries you might have once you know you actually have the power to carry your accumulations.
Here is a story of a lady who is around 60 and has lived a good life. Lets just say that she is in the semi conscious state and is living her last few minutes and God himself glides down to the earth to make sure her soul has a leisurely and comfortable journey to heaven (We need our comforts boss……..whether we are alive or dead) and God is assembling our checklist on what needs to be carried along with our soul and we are all set and ready with our list.
Here is an excerpt of a conversation between the 60 yr old lady and God….
Lady : “Money : Black, white or any other colour we don’t mind, under table, above the table, in the pockets or in the underwear, in boxes, banks, cans, tins, stuffed in old shoes, in commodes, uhmmmm in the secret box which is hidden behind the grandpa’s photo frame, clandestine library chamber like the one they have in movies, a pooja room which is actually a store room to store money, below the Lakshmiji’s sculpture and uhhhhhhhhh actually everywhere around, in and out in the house will do. It’s a huge list you understand ….Right.”
Silence for two seconds…..then it begins again
Lady: “Property: My property consists of (Small little houses. You know right…..The Hill Road one, carter road , uhhu Malbar Hill, I think we picked up in Panvel too…..Uhmm do farmhouses also come under the category of ‘House’????
Rattles on without a pause
“Jewellery : My Kundan neck piece, my great-great-great-great grandmother’s pearl is a must. It’s sentimental. It’s has traditional value kind off
GOD: “UGGGGGGHHHHHHHH uhhhhhhh Lady I get the point, I will look into my little black diary….uhhhhh the human database one….Will take all the details. Not to worry”<>
Lady: “OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG”
“How can I forget, How can I forget…..Holy Cow…………This one is really important….
C-L-O-T-H-E-S ……You know, there is Armani, Benetton, Chanel, Christian Dior, DKNY, D&G, Ed Hardy, Gianna Versace, next…..”
GOD: Waving his hand frantically at the lady….”.uhhhhhhh got it again. All the designers under the English alphabet from A to Z …. I have the black book….database…remember…..got it all”.
GOD: “Is that all?
Lady: “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO………..that’s not even the beginning. You know there is Bags -day time, afternoon, evening and for night outs, with different colours, style, fabrics and sizes. Then there are Shoes you know like day, night, matching Indian outfits or westerner wear there are many varieties as in Mojris, gladiator kind, heels with 1, 2 , 3, 4, 5 inches, sneakers, casual, stilettos, peep-toes, slips on, oshos and uhh you can refer to black diary……..Now Accessories ……….”
Yawn,Yawn. Snore, Snore………..
The list is never ending here.
Now this is not what I am talking about here when I say you can carry along with your hard earned accumulation which you have worked for throughout your life after you die.
I say it’s what one gives back to this world is what one carries with him.
And that according to me is contentment/ tranquil satisfaction of giving back something to this world. It may not be necessary to give it only to your loved and dear ones. There are many people who could do with a small helping hand. It can be a simple smile, understanding, a shoulder to cry or lean on, children who are orphans, an ear to listen to their woes and difficulties of aged parents who are left alone in this world to fight their battles in old age homes, a helping hand to hold those who cant stand on their feet, food to fill those empty stomachs who haven’t had meals since days, clothes to cover their body since they too need it to protect themselves from heat, rain and cold, chapals to cover their feet from cigarettes burns, heat and rains, medicines to those who are battling with illness, funding books, pencils, pens, school uniforms, slates and stationery's to those who want be counted among being literate, just plain understanding and love to the disabled or under developed children and many small gestures from your end can definitely earn you contentment which no money, property, jewellary or clothes can buy you.
When I say small, it can start with a simple smile and understanding on ones part. It can always be in the form of volunteering at old age homes, orphanages, hospices, schools for under developed kids etc and if you are earning you can always contribute according to ones power. It’s not necessary that everyone has to donate a huge sum but even a sum of Rs XX saved every month can make a difference to people who are not as fortunate as we are. When I say contribute it can be in any form of donating money, clothes, household items, one’s time to spend with them, second hand useable items, food, medicines etc….. (People might find this paragraph a bit or lot preachy……but I just could not edit it and no I am not a saint or a priest or hypocrite person nor is this an exaggerate version with little masala)
But all of this giving needs to be done because you believe in yourself and your actions and because you want to do it. Its not a social compulsion, it’s not because you want a better life after you die, because you believe in Moksh or Karma, or believe in ‘What goes around comes around’ nor is it a social necessity or obligations.
If you can’t do any do any of these or just don’t think you feel enough to do it then it’s completely fine. Seriously, you don’t need to justify your decision or action to anybody. It’s your decision and if you don’t feel for it then I strongly believe that you shouldn't do what you don’t believe in.
You should do it out of love and because you want to make a difference to the place where you live. When one does contribute it does not matter whether it’s big or small, what matters is that your participation or you’re attempt will make someone smile and live a better life.
When I say this I don’t mean we give up our clothes, food, money, property or other materialistic assets to people. I do not mean we give up on our social life and live like saints in Himalayas with just two piece of cloth, rudraksh mala all around your body and with little or more charas or ganja in and all over you (that’s what is always depicted in Bollywood films).
No we are humans and we do need basic requirements and some of us do need our comfort and leisure life and there is nothing wrong with it. I don’t say it’s wrong to own a property in Venice or Dharavi, nor do I say we don’t need Armani or Biba; I need Jimmy Choo shoes and Oshos from Bandra Linking road.
All I am saying is that when you respect someone they respect you back. When you love someone they love you back and when you smile at someone they smile right back at you.
It’s a give and take relationship here.
“If love does not know how to give and take without restrictions, it is not love, but a transaction that never fails to lay stress on a plus and a minus.”
All of us are blessed with our set of fortunes here but some might have more and some less and some are empty. We just need to fill in drop by drop to make it an ocean and fill in those empty ones.
You shall ask
What good are dead leaves
And i will tell you
They nourish the sore earth.
You shall ask
What reason is there for winter
And I will tell you
To bring about new leaves
You shall ask
Why are the leaves so green
And I will tell you
Because they are rich with life
You shall ask
Why must summer end
And I will tell you
So that the leaves can die
--needs reference, coming soon!
Cheers!!!
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