When Death Approaches

On March 30, 1981, the then American President, Ronald Reagan, confidently stepped out of the White House. A convoy of cars accompanied him to Washington’s Hilton Hotel. He delivered a speech in the hotel’s hall. His speech was greeted with much applause. He came out of the hotel laughing, surrounded by a crowd. He was just a short distance from his bullet-proof limousine when, suddenly, someone began shooting at him. A young man called John Hinckley fired six bullets at him in two seconds. One bullet hit Mr. Reagan in the chest. He started bleeding profusely and was rushed to hospital. A news reporter described his visage on being fired in the following words:

Mr. Reagan appeared stunned. The smile faded from his lips.

(The Times of India, March 31, 1981)

Here, in this world, a person thinks that he is free. He says and does whatever he likes, without any fear. If he acquires great wealth, he begins to think that his future is political power, he behaves as if there is no one who can snatch it from him. Everyone looks so very confident! Everyone laughingly walks towards his own ‘limousine’! But then, suddenly, the curtain is lifted, and the Angel of Death whisks a person away from this world into the next.

This is the most extremely awesome moment in every person’s life. When this moment arrives, one is ridden with fear on facing a condition that one had never expected. Suddenly, a person realizes that what he had all along believed to be the greatest reality was nothing but pure deception. He had thought himself to be free, but he now realizes that he is utterly helpless. He thought he had everything, in the form of wealth and family, but he now sees himself as totally empty-handed. He had thought that he was powerful, but now he knows that is more powerless than a fly or mosquito. He had thought he had many people with him, but now he finds himself totally alone.

Pity the man who does not know the thing that he must know above everything else!