A Strange Forgetfulness

Death is a great revolutionary concept. But no one entertains the remembrance of death, so no revolution takes place in people’s lives. Consciously or unconsciously they think, that he is very far away from the Angel of death, and so there is no need to have any fears.

While giving his verdict in a case, the judge, addressing the accused said, “Tomorrow at 6 ‘o clock, you will be executed.” The accused started laughing. The judge asked: “What made you laugh?” The accused replied: “Sir, I sleep till 8 in the morning.” This is a joke, but in general people adopt the same line of thinking concerning death, both men and women, the poor and the rich, the old and the young.

People have the same strange way of looking at death. Every day and everywhere, people are dying. Everyone sees that yesterday there was a person who was alive, but today he has left this world. Such incidents should serve as reminders to people that their time can also come at 6 the next day, but everyone, like the accused, indulges in the belief that he sleeps till 8—so how can the Angel of death take his soul?

Everyone is living in some secure fortress. Some think that living with their families is a very secure arrangement, some think that it is their popularity that matters, others think their wealth will save them and yet others think their post is a safe refuge. Everyone thinks, consciously or unconsciously, that he is very far away from the Angel of death, and so there is no need to have any fears.

Because of this self-concocted psychology, no one thinks about his own death. In no meeting or gathering is there any discussion on the subject of death. No one is afraid of the concept of death. There is no one for whom the concept of death becomes such an obsession that he loses interest in the fulfilment of all his pleasures. There is no one for whom the concept of death has disturbed his comfortable life. There is no one whose peace of mind has been taken away or for whom the remembrance of death has made it impossible for him to sleep at night. The concept of death is a great revolutionary concept. But no one entertains the remembrance of death and that is why no revolution takes place in people’s lives.