Nov 26, 2024
Nov 26, 2024
by T. A. Ramesh
Life and Literature
In every walk of life the topic of discussion is about life. There is no end to such discussions in life. Literature is the dictionary of life. Yet, no dictionary is a permanent thing to rely upon. The experience alone rather than the past facts counts much in life. The reason is not far to seek, because life is a kind of exploration or an adventure when the intricacies and entanglements are confronted with a sense of wonder. What is needed is an open heart to accept the part one has to play and an alert mind to face life in the natural way. To see and study what life is nature is the only book which could be of much use to everyone.
Joy and Sorrow
Joy and sorrow are the two faces of life. Difficulties approach you from different angles. When once they are overcome by hardships happiness is achieved. But one of the two is not always stable. Differences between man and man create chaos to mankind. The peaceful co-existence can be brought about by the just and mutual adjustment of the people only. By forgiving and forgetting the difficulties and disputes between persons mutual settlement can be brought about. This is a wonderful policy aiming at unity and prosperity. Though this is understood, yet there are difficulties, hardships and problems in life. You may ask why then life is so miserable.
Necessity to have an Aim in Life
The satisfaction of your heart solves all the malaise of your life. It is obtained only when you achieve self-sufficiency in all respects. You can receive what you expect if your aim is good and reasonable. In short, it can be said that to lead a happy life a good aim is indispensable. Aimless life will fetch neither happiness nor peace of mind. If your life is care free or indolent you will be like a moth rushing towards the fire of danger. Then it can only be called as a blind adventure. Indeed the purpose of man's existence on the earth is not exactly spelt out anywhere. Everything is going on under some principles or other called the Natural Laws. But one thing you must have understood that there is reaction for every action. It is immaterial what your intention is because your acts alone reveal what sort of a person you are. Bad acts will certainly receive a bad effect or response. It is quite clear that even though a good act is not receiving a good response, at least a bitter or bad reaction won't be acting against it.
Discovery of Talent and Knowledge
A bird's eye view of all the things that are going on internally as well as externally in your place is essential for you to know and understand before you venture to have an aim to go smoothly in the long or short journey of your life. No man is perfect as far as mental maturity is concerned. It is commonly come across that even aged people, though they are physically well shaped, are not mentally well developed. The reason may be due to insufficient knowledge of the fundamental aspects of life or the surroundings or both. On the other hand, if the case of a small boy is taken it is naturally an accepted fact that he is immature. The type of aptitude noted in the childhood is usually seen elaborately developed at the age of ripeness, if you get favorable chances to do what idea you have in your mind. If the chances are not favorable to you, you would have become a timid fellow or a vagabond. So, it becomes the duty of the parents to see and appraise carefully the nature of each and every child and make them proceed in the right direction so that they can discover their talent and express what their line of thought in deeds is. Not only the guidance of the parents but also the knowledge fed by the educational institutions develops the mind of the youth. Therefore the fixation of aim is possible only when the education continues to give adequate back ground for you to think, analyze and understand independently about any issue concerned with your personal problem, your surroundings, your national problems and the matters you have to deal with later on in life.
Concentration Needed
Everyone is one among the society. If you are in isolation, you lose a wonderful opportunity to understand your own merits and demerits which are the reverse and obverse of progress. Dissipation of thoughts, confusion of ideas and irritation of mind are the result of ignorance and loneliness. It is the natural duty for you to obey to the dictates of your conscience. If this is not followed, you have to face quite a lot of troubles in life. It is well noted that when you sincerely follow the mere suggestions of others you are mocked at and when you do not do so, on the contrary, also meet with the same abuse. This is the general trend of the world. So, when the object of your goal is in the clear range, your concentration should be directly towards it. Apparently, it may look to be an easy thing, but there is many a slip between the cup and the lip. When your concentration slacks a little, the pursuit of your object is diversified. It will be difficult for you, afterwards to get to the actual track, if the concentration of your thought is not at the target.
Mind and Thought
In general mind is the cause for all the good or bad activities of mankind. The great historical personalities like Napoleon, Hitler, Lenin and Gandhi became popular in their own way because of the aim they had formulated in their mind. There was no conflict of thoughts. All thoughts were converged to the particular aim they had in their mind. That was why they could effect so much work in so short a period. Therefore your mind should be always in the direction of the cause for which your activities are started. There may be many follies and pit falls, yet the resolution of your mind should not be let loose, because that is the only way by which achievements could successfully be established. Big crises are caused by silly and petty matters. Human beings are just a bundle of emotions. When you are emotionally touched by an act, you incur displeasure to others and others react to you in their own way just like a nuclear chain reaction useful for harmful action or peaceful action. Enmity spoils your progress and healthy attitude of mind. They say acts reveal the true nature of a person. Hence it is better you think well before you venture upon anything.
Miseries and Happiness
Life will be dull if there is nothing difficult in this world. The value of happiness cannot be comprehended without the existence of difficulties in life. Miseries are common in life. Without hope no work is undertaken. Ambition and desire are not rare for any one. Affection, love and peace are the rich ingredients necessary for a decent and civilized life. Beautifully useful things perfect as art are achieved only by the tireless and sustained efforts. Just the existence of peaceful atmosphere cannot be much appreciated by anyone, unless one undergoes a period of downfall or commotion in life.
Law and Love
It is quite natural for you to go in pursuit of your desire. When anything disturbs you in your natural path, you may be frustrated. If your progress is hampered, you may get the feeling that your liberty is restricted. If you fail to overcome the restriction you may get dejected. Dissatisfaction in life would dry up your liberal thoughts. On such an occasion you should analyze the merits of your past activities. Indeed if personal liberty goes hand in hand with all the laws of justice, you can really enjoy a durable life. Law gives protection to freedom. Happiness is the cause and the object of various forms of acts in law. But love is the unique form of act and by means of which anything and everything can be achieved. Therefore you can certainly lead a confident life, if only you are aware of the extent of your liberty.
Desire and Interest
Your interest is proportional to the intensity of your desire. Without desire you can do nothing in this world. Your desire to achieve something better is the root cause which kindles the curiosity of your mind. For, desire is the source for any sort of activity whether it is violent or non-violent. When opportunity joins hand with desire, your thought process develops without a break and you are able to achieve many things in the world. In such a situation there won't be much difference between interest and inspiration. When you undergo such a phase of life, you can be rest assured that the wheel of fortune is turning towards you.
Talent and Obligation
The development of one's ability is chained to one's own obligations. It has to be said that obligations fix or change the destiny of man. Though you have talent you cannot come up in life unless you get adequate opportunities to show your skill in action. If you fulfill your talent alone at the expense of your obligations you will be considered to be a selfish or self-interested fellow. That is the case with many people. But on the contrary if you sincerely oblige to your obligations and show your talent in the field you are fit for in the available time at hand, you will be considered to be a great person.
Perfection
The persons who are capable of achieving great things are rare in the world. Perfection in life can be achieved only by a handful of persons whom you may call by different titles such as wise, noble, sagacious, genius, etc. From history, autobiographies and biographies you can learn how they lived their life. Their activities show you that it is not how life is utilized that is important but how life is lived that counts much, because destiny never sees whether you are high or low and whether you have achieved what you thought or are going to achieve what you think. So, it is good of you, if you desire to achieve what you deserve.
Liberty through Knowledge
The life of man should be like that. More over, the use of liberty reveals a person's profundity of knowledge or maturity. Without liberty no faith is acceptable. Liberty is understood and sought for through knowledge only. The importance of literature mainly lies in bringing out this sort of realization in everyone. Therefore the purpose of living is to attain the sense of liberty, love, joy and peace that in Toto constitute the mystery of and the satisfaction in life.
26-Feb-2006
More by : T. A. Ramesh