LIFE LESSONS | PHILOSOPHY | SANSKRIT

Having a chat on the meaning of life in the waiting room of death

(yet another attempt at retelling Kathopanishad)

A boy in Gaza waiting for death to come in the shape of a missile or whatnot — the thing is: he knows — photo by Khalil Hamra, Associated Press, 2023 (source)

Once upon a time, in a piece of secret teaching known as Kathopanishad, there was a boy called Nachiketa who didn’t notice at first that his daddy was preparing for something really big and important to happen.

He didn’t notice — because he was playing and having aimless fun and a go at life.

The thing is that when a small boy is very ill but he doesn’t know, then what do you do as a parent? Ward off the impending disaster you say. But how?

Nachiketa’s father didn’t know either. So he prayed. Visited mandirs. Rang the temple bells. Paid good money to the priests. Made offerings to all the gods he could think of. Joss sticks. Vermillion. Sweet rice. Pleaded. Cried.

But all of this he did when the boy didn’t look. Because the most cruel part of a story such as this, is when you are a parent and you look your child in the eyes and tell that sweet little thing that the end of life is near.

Check this out and tell me if it isn’t true: You had prepared your speech in front of a mirror. You had planned to say your life. But you couldn’t. You had…