In one of the whatsapp group in
which I am a part of, we were discussing the concept of immortality. So, I was
able to realise that everyone has this innate desire to leave a mark in this
planet which will be long remembered.
Stephen Covey, states that the
purpose of human life is to live, to love, to learn and leave a legacy. By
saying, leave a legacy he says that human beings are capable of leaving a strong
footprint in this planet, by doing something significant that the future
generations will remember them for.
As I ponder, on this I am able to
think of a number of ways, by how human beings can make their presence felt in
this earth, even after they die.
Eponym:
Eponyms
are terms, laws, theories or any findings named after a person. For example,
Newton’s law, Darwin’s theory, Archimedes Principle are some of the many. So,
people by virtue of inventing or finding something, create a name for
themselves, which is forever remembered by their name.
Being
an Author:
Though we may die, our thoughts can continue to live on this earth as words, as
long as it is worth being read. For example, Thiruvalluvar who lived over 2000
years back, is still remembered through his Thirukural, which stays relevant
even today. Similarly, there are many poets, philosophers, scholars who have
etched a mark for themselves by their valuable thoughts in words..
Work
of Art, Music and Architecture: Leonard da Vinci is remembered for his paintings.
Beethoven continues to live in the memory of people, through his symphony Shahjahan
is remembered for his great work on marble - the Taj Mahal. Many Kings and
Rulers, engaged in creating masterpieces of architecture, art and music, to be remembered in the annals of history.
Statue
& Memorials:
Putting up a Statue or a Memorial in honour of great leader or a noble man is
also an way, for that person to be remembered by the future generations.
Naming
of Road or Area:
It is quite common to see some road names, street names or an area in the name
of some political leader, in India. For example, many towns in Tamilnadu have a
Annanagar ( in memory of the past Chief Minister of the State). This trend
continues.
Founders
of a religion or a cult: Founders
of religion or some religious cult, have attained the status of immortality
through their preachings. Some examples includes: Jesus Christ, Buddha, Mahavira, Bodhidharma
and Sai Baba.
Through
Charity:
People donate their money or service to educational or social institution, and
as a mark of honouring their contribution, a building or a part of the building is named
after them. It is yet another noble way of leaving the name, in the minds of
people.
Donating
Eyes and Organs:
One more people continue to live after they die is by donating the organs to a needy person.
Though this may not exceed for a long time, it still makes an impact in the
life of the person who benefitted by it and brings a good name for the person
who donated it.
Having
and Nurturing Children:
One of the simple ways, a man remains immortal is by having and nurturing good
children. In India, we have this concept of ancestral worship too, which makes
it possible. A parent who has left a good name, fame and fortune for his family
will be remembered for atleast 3 generations, which may be a timeline of 200
years.
So, my assumption is that, History
doesn’t remember most of the people who lived in this earth for more than 200
years. A very few have lasted in the memory for 2000 years. So, even this
concept of immortality has a time frame. But, my thought is that, all those
people who are looked up as immortals today, perhaps didn’t have a desire to be
an immortal. They just did their work with great passion and as a result of
their achievement or contribution, they have attained this stature. So, let us just
continue doing our best in whatever we do. Who knows? We may attain this
stature of immortality too.
Happy Reading
D.Senthil
Kannan
Article
Dated May 2017
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