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PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
421
practise religion on attaining old age. We have ample leisure in old age". But are you sure of attaining old age ? Just scrutinize the list of your relatives, kinsmen, friends and well-wishers to find a number of premature-deaths. Even brides and bridegrooms in the marriage pandol have abruptly expired. Persons going to bed safe at night have passed away before day-break in bed only. The cause is often reported as heart failure. Then all cravings for temporal joy are left unenjoyed (unfulfilled) with no provisions of religious merits in store. What a sorry plight for such souls !
There is no reason to believe that we shall escape such a plight. It is very likely that we might even have to face such fate. Thus there is no wisdom and sense in postponing religious act for future disposal. Death blows its trumpets all the while as cautions but men turn their deaf ears to these sounds. How surprisingly the authors of the scriptures declare "Just as a lion pounces upon a deer in the herd, death also pounces upon a person staying in a family and carries him far away. None of the relatives like wife, father, mother or son can come to his rescue".
How a man dieing with various attachments realise happiness? For such persons there is only one remedy that they should follow the path of religion since their infancy and should mould their soul possessed of auspicious resolves.
Today the state of young people is very pitiable. On one hand they are not equipped with religious impressions and on the other hand materialism intensely entices them. Consequently they are dragged towards materialism. What do they realize then ? Physical enjoyments in attire, music, palatial buildings, gardens, parks etc. give pleasure only for temporary period but after sometime they cease giving any pleasure. The greatest evil of materialism is mental unrest. Every man badly needs mental peace. Young people therefore, should cultivate affinity for religion leaving aside all other botherations.
It is so said: "One should follow the path of religion despite having mind agitated with mental worries, diseases or with social calamities as a bullock with eyes strapped bound to go round an oil extracting mill continues eating grass and going round”.
Those who plead that they would pray and worship god in old age should realise how far they will be capable of doing so. In
