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ContemplationBy Nikhil Gangoli
Osho Rajneesh in one of his books tells the story of
contemplation regarding the Buddha. It is a famous story and
very meaningful. The Buddha was born a prince and he was so
brought up that he had no conception of the suffering that
exists in this world. His father arranged it so that he should
not know that in life people fall sick, that they grow and old
and that they die. The father wanted the Buddha to never meet
anybody old or sick, to never be informed of suffering. But when
he was 29 the Buddha toured the kingdom around his palace and
saw one after the other, a sick man, an old man and a dead man.
He asked his charioteer what these men were suffering from and
for the first time in his life learned that there exists death
in the world and that even he was not exempt and would die one
day
The Buddha's father wanted to do everything to prevent
contemplation from arising in the Buddha. I am telling you the
exact opposite. Contemplate on life, how everything is subject
to change, how death is inevitable and life is fleeting.
This chance encounter changed the Buddha's life and he resolved
to seek the path to the end of suffering and became enlightened.
It is a Buddhist tradition that a junior monk when he first
joins the order - he is sent to the crematorium for 3 to 6
months and told to observe and meditate on all that takes place
there. The Buddhists place a high emphasis on the contemplation
of death because they know that to do so bring out a zest for
life, a longing for truth, for religion and for the ultimate
experience – enlightenment.
I do not advocate that you go to a cemetery for 3 months. Indeed
I have not done so myself. But at stray moments during the day,
observe what is going on around you and it's implications. When
you visit your parents observe how they have aged and consider
whether or not you will also age and grow old. When you read the
newspaper and are informed of the many tragedies and deaths
taking place in the world, contemplate as to whether or not you
will also die.
This flies in the face of current culture and habits. We
habitually ignore the fact that one day we will also die. We are
trained to ignore this very important fact. We avoid thinking of
death, we consider it unpleasant and frightening. Yet this is
something that none of us can avoid. And contemplation on the
fact that we will die can help us to learn how to truly live.
There is a beautiful novel written by Paul Coelho – Veronika
decides to die. In the novel, Veronika, a young woman, who is
leading an ordinary life suddenly, decides to take her own life.
She is rescued and sent to a mental hospital. The director of
the hospital decides to try out a certain technique, which will
rid Veronika of her suicidal tendencies. He informs Veronika
that due to the pills that she had taken, her heart is
irreparably damaged and that she will die of a heart attack
after 5 days. Veronika lives the next 5 days of her life with
the shadow of death looming over her. And she then begins to
appreciate life. She lives each day with zest and enthusiasm and
roots out the demons within her by the awareness that she brings
to the present moment. At the end of the 5 days she escapes from
the mental hospital, finds the love of her life and begins to
live life anew. Paul Coelho is a talented novelist and I
recommend that you read this book.
These are the sorts of changes that you can expect through
contemplation. It will yield you a passion for the truth, a zest
for life. You will be more serious about meditation and
spiritual practices. You will find that you have a direction in
your life instead of drifting aimlessly.
Make contemplation regarding the larger issues of life a part of
your life and watch the changes that take place.
About the author:
For more such articles straight to your mailbox and a free
special report on the connection between Eastern Philosophy and
Modern Science visit
http://www.eastern-philosophy-and-meditation.com. The techniques
and concepts here can transform your life
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