Making life out of life

[Guest guest]

[This excerpt is taken from " Making Life out of a Life "

http://www.uttishthata.org/2007/06/23/making-life-out-of-a-life/<http://www.srir\

amakrishnamath.org/magazine/vk/2000/12-3-1.asp>

 

In the Mahabharata, we get a powerful verse. Whenever and wherever I have

quoted that verse, it always had a tremendous impact on the mind of

listeners. It is a short Sanskrit line containing a profound message of the

beauty of an intense life. There was a king by name Sanjaya in the Northern

Sindh region; his mother bore the name Vidula. She was a heroic

queen-mother. How she inspired her son to be brave is what the story

conveys. This young king went out for battle, got defeated, became

weak-minded and depressed. The mother tried to rouse his royal spirit in

several ways; it did not happen. Then, finally, she uttered a sentence

conveying a tremendous power that helped to rouse the courage of the prince.

That line conveys so much inspiration in so few words. That is the

uniqueness of great literature--the capacity to convey great meaning to

humanity in a few words. And what that great queen-mother conveyed to her

princely son ages ago, our Mother India conveys to every child in this

country today:

 

 

 

Muhurtam jvalitam shreyo,na tu dhumayitam chiram.

 

 

 

'It is better to flame for one instant, than to smoke away for ages!'

 

 

 

A short intense life, burnt out in a great struggle and achievement of the

humanistic impulse, is preferable to a humdrum life of long duration. That

is the message to us from our own past. In this modern period, we had a

Vivekananda. During his brief 39 years, he made a tremendous impact on both

East and West; even in that short span of life, his actual public work was

only during the last nine years.

 

 

 

Live such a life that when you die, you will leave a permanent wholesome

impact, small or big, on the world.

 

 

 

.........

 

 

 

Every youth, imprinted with the heroic touch of soul, must say to himself or

herself that this chaotic state of India is the best period for me to live.

I can put my ideas into it. I can create something more beautiful and

perfect out of it; I do not want to live a life of stagnant isolation in the

resurgent context of contemporary India. The nation is marching and I, as a

citizen in it, shall give it a gentle push and direction. That should be the

positive attitude of all young minds towards the problems of their country.

 

- by Srimat Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj

 

 

 

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

 

Change your thoughts, and you change your world.

- Norman Vincent Peale

 

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