IMPENDING ENDING
Damocles was one of the courtiers of King Dionysius II who ruled over
the ancient kingdom of Syracuse (the Greek area of southern Italy) in the
fourth century B.C. Damocles was much impressed by the immense wealth, luxurious
life style, delicious food and palatial possessions of the king and used to remark that a king's life was the most fortunate
experience on earth.
The words of Damocles reached the king's ears. To teach him a lesson, the
king arranged a banquet and gave Damocles a chance to adorn the royal throne . He was provided with attractive attendants,
beautiful dancers, costly clothing, delicious drinks, delightful lighting, expensive decorations, exotic perfumes, fabulous food, fragrant
flowers, fine furniture, melodious
music, and luxurious surroundings. Damocles felt that he was the most fortunate and the happiest man in the
world.
Suddenly he raised his eyes to the ceiling and was shocked to see a
sharp sword suspended from the ceiling on a single horse hair, with its point
almost touching his head. He was afraid that the fragile hair would snap at any
moment and the heavy sword may fall on
him and kill him. Terrified by the
imminent danger, he could not enjoy any pleasure or luxury that surrounded him.
He tearfully begged the king for relieving him from the present precarious
predicament to return to his poor but
peaceful and safer life.
From this bitter experience, Damocles
learned that happiness is fragile and that danger surrounds every powerful
person. The phrase 'Damocles' sword' implies imminent peril and impending
disaster.
'Death' is the Damocles' sword for all mortals. Death
often appears unexpectedly. At every moment of life, we must be prepared and
ready to meet and greet death as a friend. Life is short and all worldly riches
and luxury have to be left behind when we die. They give only a temporary joy.
Sinful indulgence in worldly pleasures may lead to everlasting agony in a hell
of horror.
Death is the universal equalizer.
Everyone is equal before death as death comes to all - great and small {Job 3:
13-19}. At his deathbed, Alexander the Great instructed his close associates to
leave his hands hanging free on either side of the coffin during his royal
funeral procession. That was to teach the world that he could carry nothing
with him on his final journey.
“Don’t be upset when a man becomes rich, when his wealth grows even
greater; he cannot take it with him when he dies; his wealth will not go with
him to the grave. Even if a man is satisfied with this life and is praised
because he is successful, he will join all his ancestors in death, where the
darkness lasts forever. A man’s greatness cannot save him from death; he will
still die like the animals” {Psalm 49:16-20}.
We fail to realize this truth
till we reach the last moments in life. We waste a major share of our time,
health and energy to amass fame, wealth and glory. In the parable of the rich
fool, God says to the rich man, "You fool! This very night you will have
to give up your life: then who will get all these things you have kept for
yourself?"{Luke 12:20}. Let us save our riches in heaven. Jesus taught us,
“Provide for yourselves purses that don’t wear out, and save your riches in
heaven, where they will never decrease, because no thief can get to them and no
moth can destroy them {Luke 12:33}.
There is a meaningful hymn sung at the home of
the dead during the funeral rites of the Syro-Malabar Catholic church. In
Malayalam, the words are:
“Maranam varumoru naal;
Orkkuka marthya nee.
Koode porum nin,
jeevitha cheythikalum.
Salkrithyangal cheyyuka
nee, alasatha koodathe.” *
The hymn may be
translated as follows and sung in the same tune:
“Death will reach you once,
Bear in mind, mortals.
Actions done by you
Come along with you.
Do good deeds and be ready
Do not be lazy.”
Man’s way leads to a
hopeless end while God’s way leads to an endless hope. Let us plan ahead for
the unavoidable departure from this world. Let us remember that it was not
raining when Noah built the Ark.
*മരണം വരുമൊരു നാള്, ഓര്ക്കുക മര്ത്യാ നീ
കൂടെപ്പോരും നിന് ജീവിത ചെയ്തികളും
സല്ക്കര്മങ്ങള്ചെയ്യുക നീ, അലസത കൂടാതെ
.............................................................................................................
© By: Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of
Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India, Prof.
Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former Professor, St. Dominic's
College, Kanjirappally and
Leo. S. John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally,
Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.
For more moral stories, parables and anecdotes for
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