Man and Immortality
Man is a mortal being but
ironically man has always aspired to be immortal. Man’s quest for immortality
dates back to antiquity, it had probably started from the very dawn of
civilisation. Man’s aspiration for immortality has found expression in the
shlokas of Upanishad, in the various religious texts and mythologies, in the
concept of afterlife and rebirths. The religious belief of heaven and earth as places where one has to go after death
depending on good and bad works done by the person concern is an affirmation of
man’s faith that death is not the end but it only relocates a person from this
earth to a different place away from the earth. Rebirth is another variant of
people’s belief in the eternity of his or her existence. Many people believe
rightly or wrongly that after death they will be reborn in different bodies at
different places which means they believe that though their bodies are mortal
their existence is eternal.
It is this search for
immortality that has probably led to the concept of soul and the theory of
fruits of karma. Hinduism believes in the fruits of karma that one has to bear
the consequences of his or her work either in this life or next life which
means that death is only a transition from one life to another and not the end
of everything for a man. Man’s refusal to accept death as end of everything is
evidenced by his faith on the concept of soul residing in the body of everyone
and which has been described as indestructible and imperishable and part of the
all pervading universal soul, the omnipotent, the omnipresent, the omniscient,
the Absolute One. This concept of soul is interlinked with the concept of
rebirth as it is believed that soul moves from one body to another in the same
manner we change our garments.
This desire for immortality
latent in the heart of every individual finds expression in different ways. The
quest for God, the search for an Almighty Power is manifestation of our desire
to seek the eternal. A spiritual person, a true devout always strives to go
beyond the ephemeral objects and be merged with the divine which is eternal.
The scriptures try to give us the glimpses of the
eternal One residing in the heart of our hearts giving us hope to enjoy the
infinite bliss of immortality one day.
It is this ambition for
immortality that inspires people to achieve great heights in different fields
of human endeavour, helps mankind to stretch its arms towards perfection, to
face adversities with courage and keep burning the light of hope even in the
face of utmost difficulties.
