HUMAN LIFE

A Flowing River

HUMAN life can be likened to a flowing river. What is a river? A river in fact is a unique phenomenon of nature. In the river fresh water is being added to the existing water at every moment.

This everyday phenomenon is responsible for the freshness of the river water. In the absence of this continuous flow of newly-added water, the river will lose its freshness; it will not be able to maintain its healthgiving, nay, life-giving properties.

The same method is adopted by nature with regard to man. As we know, human beings continue to be born generation after generation. Within a period of a hundred years the previous generation is replaced by new men and women. If the old water in a river is replaced with fresh water, in human beings this same occurrence takes place in the form of previous generations yielding place to new generations.

A great wisdom lies behind this system set up in human life by nature. Its aim is that the coming generation should learn its lesson from the experiences of the previous generation. By benefitting in this manner it may continue its life’s journey in a far better way. This is a precious gift of the previous generation to the new generation.

For instance, a father in the light of his experience, is able to give valuable advice to his overconfident son saying that while confidence is good, overconfidence can result in failure. The younger generation will not be able to understand this side of confidence on their own and can benefit from the experiences of the older generation.

When we read stories of heroic people we can find that they have acknowledged the role of many an elders’ advice in their life. Such examples show how important the older generation is for the new generation. They bequeath wisdom to the new generation. They pass on principles in the light of practical experiences. In this way the younger people can avoid doing the same mistakes and be safe from losses.

The wise elderly are a valuable gift of nature to the energetic young. If human life is like flowing water it will remain fresh but if it is stagnant in a closed space it will become stale and unhealthy. This is a beautiful lesson of nature for us and the experience of human history testifies to this in practice.