Skip to main content

The living, kicking spirit...

I always wonder about the relationship of ageing with the human spirit. Earlier, when I was much younger, I used to look upon ageing as a damaging and destructive phenomena. But I assumed that to be the human condition - universal and inevitable. But, I wonder now! Maybe because I am ageing myself and I do not see that inevitable, holistic, destructive phenomena happening to me. The social conditioning in me of how ageing is 'supposed' to happen as opposed to how it 'is' happening is quite dissimilar. Now, this is not to say that I do not believe that the gait slows down, the joints start creaking, the skin starts sagging and the sight grows dimmer.
 
But is that all there is to us? The physical self? There is the intellect, the spirit, the emotions and at some level all of these are interconnected and, yes, interconnected even with the physical self but they are also, at the same time, separate. This separation becomes quite apparent at the time of death when the body remains here and the self, with all of our egos, aspirations, becomes just that, a 'body', and we lose all references. At this point, something in us escapes and takes with it our very identity. And yet, it is the body that we are programmed to see and care for while we live in this world, or shall we say, it is the body that blinds us to the spirit. Spirit, then, is the reality and not the body. So, the question I always ask myself is, does the spirit age? It seems to be in best of shape, as, no matter at what age the body dies, it is light enough to make a quick and speedy escape. One minute it is there, keeping the body warm and centre of all our earth bound references and then, the very next moment, it leaves us dead cold, snatching our very identity! That point forward we become just 'a body'!
 
So, why so much focus on ageing? Why this fear? The most we may complete in this world is a century, in that century, the body, which is to remain here and decay, deteriorates, but what will escape and be freed is the spirit and I guess, it does not deteriorate but 'develop'. Or rather, it is up to us to develop this spirit. But the first step would be to see it as separate from the body. Second, that it needs nourishment. And finally, we should not see the deterioration of the body in ourselves or others and assume that the spirit has also diminished. A balding head, slurred or muted speech, doubled posture and toothless smile does not mean the spirit looks like that. At least, not until YOU want it to look like that!
 
 The longer we remain in this world, the more opportunity we have to nourish the spirit. Or maybe we get an opportunity to remain longer because we need more time. I think, we should remain in touch with the inner self, the spirit, and endeavour to keep it alive and make it thrive. We should not be fooled by failing limbs and let our wits be numbed. We should enjoy nature, laugh more, be kinder and above all, we should keep that child-like curiosity alive and kicking! In the end that might just be the thing that saves us!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fantasy or reality: Where do we want to live?

An eagle is told that it once lived in huge nests on high mountains and tall trees at high altitudes and the big bird scoffs at such a preposterous idea. How can such a big bird living in caves and hunting on rodents soar in the skies over mountain tops and oceans. Not a bad idea but quite unlikely. Seems like these humans are crazy and think of anything about other animals to hide their own embarrassment over their monkey ancestry. Pick up any great novel, Hundred Years of Solitude, Blindness, Beloved, Alchemist or any others that you have read where imagination is stretched but you flow with the narrative. You easily believe what the writer is asking of you. It seems plausible and hence possible and you like a bird open your wings and fly where the winds of possibilities take you. Marquez creates a parallel world of freedom and we camp in this world with him; Morrison brings a spirit from the dead and we unblinkingly accept her character; Saramago presents a sightless world to us ...
Post a Comment
Read more

2022 as a Watershed Moment in Climate Change Discourse

 When history is written, 2022 will be seen as a watershed year when all predictions by climate scientists will be seen to have come true and in public eye!   The year began with a scorching heatwave in March across India, Pakistan with temperatures crossing well over 40C. Temperature of 49.7C was recorded in Nawabshah in Pakistan. These temperatures were the highest ever recorded in March in this region since records began in 1901.   In Bangladesh, from April to July, the country was hit by the worst floods in its history, killing more than a 100 people and displacing millions. According to news reports, most people died from drowning, snake bites and lightening. When the floods hit in April the rice crop was standing in the fields and only half ripe. For a country of 160 million that relies on rice to feed its people further disaster awaits in the guise of crop failure and famine.   https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/flood-in-bangladesh-death-toll-...
Post a Comment
Read more

Clenched Fist Experiment

As you read through this blog, I request you to be a part of an experiment, clench your fist tightly and then read through and while reading make sure that you keep it firmly clenched and do not relax your hold. Now lets get back to the blog. 'Not a leaf flutters without the will and command of its Lord', not a verbatim translation but points to the same message. If this is true then all our plans, our ambitions, our visions and also our codes of morality, value systems, ethics, these are all pre-ordained and nothing in this system can be credited to our own loftiness or rise in stature as human beings but rather an accident. (I hope the fist is clenched tight). If we believe in this system it is purely circumstantial and not because we have in any way risen in our human value to acquire these lofty ideals. Because after all everything is in the knowledge of God and ordained! (mind the fist please) If this is assumed to be true then should we be living every minute of our ...
1 comment
Read more