Vedanta - Life Must Go On

NINA SOOD





Most people find it very difficult to handle death. I do not just refer to the actual passing away of a loved one, but to possess the ability to discuss death as a subject philosophically , share thoughts, feelings and vocalise questions on various aspects. Often, when I am in a pensive mood, I find the lack of knowledge revolving around death confuses and bewilders me as I have the powerful desire to seek and gain information on a subject of which we know so little.I met a well-meaning friend, who unfortunately voiced thoughtlessly , “Are you over it now?“ She was referring to my husband's death a few months earlier. The words, although meant to be kind, were proba bly unconsci ously substi tuting the question for, “How are you?... You look better.“
However, the question spoken in good faith plunged me into a tunnel of thoughts that I knew I had to deal with firmly in order to crawl out of the darkness and back into the sunshine.
Life demands and presumes that tragedy will eventually be accepted with grace and we shall continue with our lives and duties with a smile, suppressing suffering and personal loss. There is although a good deal of travelling to be accomplished on a rough and rocky path on which one often stumbles and can fall, we have to pick ourselves up and force ourselves to continue.
All of us unfortunately have to suffer at some point in our lives and it is through suffering -no matter how painful -that we gain greater insight into our lives while cultivating the vital emotion of compassion.