Honoring The Dead

My Meditations

Lately, I was reading this book “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius. 
In that book, in the first chapter, Marcus recollects the life lessons epitomized by his friends, family and relations.
So here I am recollecting mine.
This I am planning to be a three part writing:
Honoring the dead
Honoring the living
And, Honoring my friends

There are several people I can think of suitable for this meditation like: my great grandfathers (Saatam vaale babaji and Chauth vaale babaji), my grandfather Digamber Prasad Jain (babaji), my father (Viresh Chandra Jain) and my bua Shail Bala. Some known people like Puneet's grandfather (and babaji's friend), and the old temple priest at the Pandav Nagar Jain temple.

Let's start with my father:
The lessons I draw from my father's life are simplicity, contentment, impermanence and appreciating the blessing called 'life'.
He dressed simply, he lived simply. He did not have a lot (or any, I can say) of wishes or expectations. He did not ask, he did not speak. I recall his life as one of simplicity and contentment. He had epilepsy and he passed away in his early 50s -- so I took away the lesson of impermanence from him and also hence, the lesson of appreciating this life as a blessing.

Next, my grandfather;
My grandfather was a very strong man in a spiritual, mental and emotional sense. He took care of my sister and me. Although he could have very easily chosen not to; but he did not do that and took up the responsibility. He showed immense strength when his son's life was going down. He showed immense strength when I was wasting away my peak years at college in chasing a back log and living an indisciplined life. As I feel today: he meant everything to me. And the last of the last lessons that he tried to teach me was “thanda raho” (in Hindi) -- meaning: stay calm, stay cool.

Next:
Puneet's grandfather considered me a bright child as told to me by Puneet's mother (Mamta aunty). I just want to recall one last meeting with him. It was 2008, I was studying in XII. I was coming back from the temple around 12 pm as I did daily and on my walk back to home near Navbharat and Sahyog apartments he met me on the way coming from the opposite direction.

This is somewhat close to what he told me that day about my preparation for IITJEE:
'This is a very important time for you, study hard, it is a matter of life and death.'

Today, I both agree and disagree with him.
Yes, the year was important. Yes, my life would have been very different had I cleared the IITJEE but the truth is I didn't, and I am still alive.
But even today, I try to live in that spirit -- I do not consider hard work as optional.