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I have a lot to say about something very, very simple: that you are alive. And because you are alive, there are amazing possibilities.
Recently, I saw a TV documentary titled "Death of the Sun." It was very interesting. They were talking about what will happen to the sun. It is brighter now than it used to be a few million years ago because it's burning up, tapping into more and more inner gases, which is also causing it to expand. It is growing so big that one day there will be no blue sky, only a massive red sun glowing. By this time, life on earth will be gone. The oceans will be dry. Because it has become so big, the sun will start pulling other planets away. Jupiter, Mercury—gone. Earth could possibly escape, but not likely.
When the documentary was over, I turned off the TV, closed my eyes and started to think.Everything we do has some implication for tomorrow. We go to sleep; we like to wake up. And that waking up will happen tomorrow. We eat today, but in a way that has some implication for the future. "I don't want to eat this because it will make me feel sick." Or, "I'm looking forward to a big dinner, so I'm only going to have a light snack." To live, to exist has some implications for tomorrow. Going somewhere, coming from somewhere, doing something, talking to somebody—most things we do have implications for tomorrow.
So, to put it in perspective, the whole of humanity, as we know it, is definitely going down a road. Is it a good road or a bad road? I'm not here to pass judgment, but we're going down a road. Some people are going down the road happily; some are being dragged down it but everyone is going down a road. But is it obvious to us? We know about our mortality, but it is not obvious to us. That's when people get shocked—when it becomes obvious.
And here, on this road, as humanity is marching along, there is something coming the other way. It is not just a possibility. It is afoot. The destruction of the sun is afoot. It is in the process right now. After that documentary, the word "future" seems very wavy and twisty.
This isn't going to happen tomorrow; it is supposed to take 500 billion years. But it is going to happen. So, what does it mean to you and me that this beautiful earth will no longer be? It means that every day you have must not be taken lightly. I know that may seem impractical, but this documentary put it in perspective.
Ultimately speaking, there cannot be any compromise in your existence. None. Do you know about your existence? You know about the things that happen in your existence—your responsibilities, your family—but do you really know about your existence? Do you know that all the things that matter to you so much do not matter to existence?
You have to understand the value of your life. Then, and only then, can you begin to reflect on the value of someone else's life. Then, and only then, will it be possible to stop the wars. Will that bring peace? No. Because peace does not need to be brought. Peace is in the heart of every human being already. No one is born or dies without having that peace inside of them. When that becomes obvious, something changes. The value of every day, every single moment, needs to become obvious to you.
Knowing that it's all going to end, what matters to you the most? What option do you have? If you were thirsty and water was leaking from your bottle of water, what would you do? By the time you could fix the hole, the water will have leaked out.
My advice? Drink as much as you can. What else are you going to do?Knowing that it's all going to go, you may as well enjoy every day that you can. Don't waste even one.
This is the story of an existence. In this story, there are beautiful things. The story should have hope. And hope is tied to clarity. Try to understand what your objective is. Clarity will bring hope. Hope will bring light and make it obvious: "That way." And the strength comes.
Maharaji
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