Life, Death and Beyond

I'm sure everyone of us must have thought about this at least once at some point of time in their lives(if not yet then they will for sure). How were we born, what was that feeling of coming into existence, how does death feel like, where do we go after death, why do we die in the first place, what is our purpose on coming to earth, what is the purpose of life if one has to die someday?


Questions like these have fascinated, amazed, confused, frustrated and even angered people from almost all cultures since the dawn of human existence. They all try to solve this sort of problem. There is this line from the song bhaja govindam by Sri Adi Shankara

का ते कान्ता कस्ते पुत्रः संसारोऽयमतीव बिचित्रः
कस्ते त्वं कः कुत आयातः तत्वं चिन्तय तदिह भ्रातः

ka te kanta kaste putrah samsaroayamativa vichitrah
kaste twam kah kuta ayatah tatwam chintaya tadih bhratah

The word to word translation and meaning is
Who is your wife, who is your son, this world is very strange.
Who is yours, who are you, where are you from, that you must think here my brother.

In the end however they either acknowledge the fact that they cannot find answers to these questions within their human limitations or develop some sort of explanation of their own (giving rise to superstitions).

But the process of thinking all about all these situations brings about and makes us realize many things about life and how precious it is. They also bring about a sense of gratitude towards that one force or something that has given them life and the ability to live it and the chance to experience its wonders. Some call God (many in fact), some do not. They also bring that sense of felling small or powerlessness in front of the huge world and everything in it or the entire universe for that matter, that though we as human beings have progressed so much by virtue of our intelligence and yet there are so many things that we don't know of. It helps us to remain in our bounds and does not let us fall victims to our own pride and vanity.

So no matter how hard we think about death, birth, rebirth and all other metaphysical matters, we may never get answers. But the thinking process itself makes us appreciate things we may never have otherwise and hence leads us to lead happier lives.