THINK, THINK, THINK
IF a living human being were to come out of a cave, where no living creature had previously entered, everyone would find that a breathtaking event. Everyone would start wondering how such a thing could happen. A live child born from its mother is an equally breathtaking event. People see this event happening every day, yet they do not give it a second thought.
Why is there this difference? The reason is that a child born to a mother is a daily occurrence. People have become used to this sight. They take it for granted. They do not see any need to think about it.
The freedom conferred upon man is for the purpose of finding out who leads a principled life and who leads an unprincipled life.
But if people were to think about this matter seriously, they would discover the Creator in the act of creation. On seeing the birth of a living, conscious human being, who can walk, see and speak, they would feel that every human child is a sign of the existence of the Creator. Every human being would appear to them as a living introduction to their Creator.
Similarly, when a human being comes to the planet earth, he finds that a whole life support system exists here for him. This life support system is so comprehensive that, without his having to pay any price, it fulfils all his requirements, both great and small. All of the earth as well as the sun and the moon are pressed into man’s service in the most exceptional way.
Then the time comes when, all of a sudden, death draws near. Man, by his very nature desires an eternal life. But, within the span of a hundred years, every man and woman, against their will, must leave this world forever.
Every man born into this world has two major experiences: those of life and death. If man thinks seriously about these experiences, he will certainly discover a great reality, that is, that the settling of man on this world was not meant as a reward but rather as a test.
Man feels himself free in this present world. The freedom conferred upon him is for the purpose of finding out who makes proper use of his freedom and who makes wrong use of it, who leads a principled life and who leads an unprincipled life.
The pre-death period is for the purpose of testing man, while the post-death period is for reward or punishment.
If man thinks seriously, he will discover the reality that death is in fact the day of standing before his Creator. Man, in essence, is an eternal creature, but his lifespan has been divided into two parts—the predeath period and the post-death period.
The pre-death period is for the purpose of testing us, while the postdeath period is for reward or punishment, awarded on the basis of the record of our deeds in this life.
Today man finds himself in this world as a living, conscious being. This living, conscious existence is a permanent one. The day of death is the day where this live, conscious existence is taken out of this present, temporary world and is transferred to the next permanent world. Every man and woman will arrive at this stage. This will be an unimaginably grave moment. The present man will be resurrected after death, that is, during the second half of his lifespan. But all his material, worldly supports will have fallen away from him.
Behind him will be the world which is lost to him forever while, before him, will be the world where he must now lead an eternal life. The wise man is the one who prepares himself for this day.