Life

Life is a game, play it. Life is a puzzle, solve it. Life is a mystery, unfold it. How wise words these are! All the days are not the same. They vary. Up and down, to and fro are but natural. It’s like a roller coaster ride. It threatens sometimes. We may lose head and heart due to the variance.  

In such an imbalance, how do we balance is the major point. In the midst of the conflict, in the midst of hardship, in the midst of the storm, how do we think and live, that carries the major attention.

In the struggle, we may get disturbed. Negativity and distortion may drag us down. But the truth is: it’s a process, the process of development. No struggle can bring us down, but our own mind can. So it’s an opportunity to build a positive mind.

So in the scuffle, instead of getting down, awake and arise. Build the mind with positive thoughts and emotions. Draw a meaning in difficult times and surely it will bring us up.

Here is a heartening divine poem by Shri Aurobindo. It touched my heart deeply. It has intensive thoughts and emotions. That helps me to reveal my true inner self.  

Here it is:

Mystic Miracle, daughter of Delight,

Life, thou ecstasy,

Let the radius of thy flight

Be eternity.

On thy wings thou bearest high

Glory and disdain,

Godhead and mortality,

Ecstasy and pain.

Take me in thy wild embrace

Without weak reserve

Body dire and unveiled face;

Faint not, Life, nor swerve.

All thy bliss I would explore,

All thy tyranny.

Cruel like the lion's roar,

Sweet like springtide be.

Like a Titan I would take,

Like a God enjoy,

Like a man contend and make,

Revel like a boy.

More I will not ask of thee,

Nor my fate would choose;

King or conquered let me be,

Live or lose.

Even in rags I am a god;

Fallen, I am divine;

High I triumph when down-trod,

Long I live when slain.

By Sri Aurobindo

Meaning of the poem:

Life is an elation. It’s cryptic. It’s a miracle. It reveals a new meaning at every step. So life is truly a daughter of delight. Let the centre of all activity be the eternity.

Life brings us high on its wings. We pass through all instances. Success and failure, joy and woe, life and death. Every experience is a part of life.

Life, test my metal without any reserve. Take me in your wild embrace. A body may be parlous and face unveiled. I will not faint and fade. I will not deviate from the path.   

I will explore all your gifted pleasure and pain. Whatever it may be, dreadful like a lion’s roar or a beautiful like spring.

Like a Titan, I will accept. Like a God, I will enjoy. Like a man, I will contend. Like a boy, I will revel. I will transform in this way.

I will neither ask for anything nor choose my destiny. After making efforts, whatever the result, win or lose, throne or thorn. I will accept it gracefully.

Even if I am tattered, I am the God. Even if I fall down, I am divine. In a dreadful struggle, I triumph high. Even in slain, I live long.

*****

This poem touched my heart deeply. It electrifies the soul with undaunted spirit. It makes us steady and strong in the horrifying battle of life. Even in grave dangers, never let the self down. Be unstoppable and unbeatable. Be gallant and lionhearted. And arise with the heroic endeavour. This one is simple and heartening.