“For to him who is born death is indeed certain, and to him who dies birth is certain. Therefore you should not grieve for the inevitable.”
— Bhagavad Gita [11:27]
Without darkness, what is the value of light? Without sorrow, what is the value of joy? (You may imagine a life of eternal happiness, but it will get meaningless and boring alarmingly soon.)
Likewise, if there is no death, how long before living will lose its charm?
Most people are not afraid of death itself, but of not having done anything worthwhile in their lives. They get busy trying to add years to their life, which is useless when there is no life in those years. Death is inevitable; don’t waste time fearing it. Instead, make the best of the moments you have.
If there’s one life lesson from the Bhagavad Gita for you to take away, let this be it.
As Swami Vivekananda challenges us, “Show me through action what you can do. . . As you have come into this world, leave some mark behind. Otherwise, where is the difference between you and the trees and stones?”