Seeking Another Life

Ananta Krishna (AK) is past eighty. He held various government positions, from junior assistant to the officer cadre. He retired at fifty-eight.

He has had diabetes and high BP for the last 30 and 20 years, respectively, and takes medication regularly.

 He underwent bypass surgery about seven years ago.

His daily routine includes a thirty-minute walk after early-morning tea with the colony's senior citizens, then returning home to bathe, meditate for an hour, have breakfast, and watch the local news on TV. He then takes a one-hour nap. He and his wife, Kanaka Maha Laxmi (KML), have tea and chat. KML is seventy-five and does all the household work. AK reads the regional newspaper while KML prepares lunch.

They have lunch before 2 pm, then sit to watch TV news or other programmes. They had cataract surgeries. They had dental problems and had some teeth replaced.

KML will have an afternoon nap.

Recently, they developed joint pain in the knees and shoulders. They use pain balms before going to bed.

 They have light evening meals. They watch the news and some entertainment programmes before bed.

*

 After 70, AK fell during an early-morning walk. He sustained a minor spinal fracture and was bedridden for three months. He wears a waist-supporting belt.

*

With all these health issues, AK felt he was not doing any useful work for his family or society. He had become dependent on his family members. He started praying to God every day to relieve him of this old age and give him a new life to start afresh from childhood.

*

That night, while AK slept soundly, God appeared and said, "My dear AK, I gave you a beautiful life. You enjoyed it all these years and are asking for a new life." Let me take you back to your birth. You have forgotten what I gave you.

I gave you good parents who, in your childhood, taught you how to live in this complicated society. You had grandparents on both sides, uncles and aunties, who looked after your needs. You enjoyed your maternal grandparents' love and care during your summer holidays. You enjoyed village life with your uncles and their children. Your uncles taught you to swim and took you to the fields, where you learned about cultivation, using fertilisers, cutting crops, storing paddy, and selling it in the market.

Your mother took you to the Lord Hanuman and Lord Sri Rama temples and introduced you to spirituality. Your father took you for daily walks and taught you yoga. Today, you joined a spiritual organisation and practise yoga and meditation because of the foundation your parents laid.

By the time you were of school age, India became independent, and you received free schooling near your father's workplace. The government opened several schools and colleges for the young.

 You played with your siblings as a child.

 Your parents worked hard to give you a UG education. You were accommodated in the college hostel in the city, so you didn't have to struggle with cooking.

 In school and college, I gave you friends you're still in touch with.

Immediately after you completed your UG, I placed you in a job, unlike today's generation.

*

After three years of work and consideration of your desires, your parents arranged a decent, educated girl, KML, from their circle of relations as your wife.

KML took care of all your needs, managed the household on your earnings, and saved for the future. She moved with you wherever you were transferred. She never held any grudge against you and was content with whatever you had. She never thought you were different from her and saw the family as one unit. She still helps you during your illness and hospitalisation.

You started with cycling to the office, then switched to a scooter, and now you have a car and a driver.

You had two children, a boy and a girl. You both helped them with their schooling and higher education, within your limited resources.

*

After you joined the job,  I helped you appear for the examinations necessary for your promotion; you retired in a good position.

Your two children are well settled in different countries. I made you visit them and understand their way of life. You enjoyed playing with your grandchildren. 

I fulfilled all your desires. You complain about your old age. Childhood, adolescence, youth, marriage, children, adult life, and old age are part of the life cycle. You enjoyed all the other stages, but you don't want to enjoy old age.

You need to make up your mind to enjoy it, Mr AK?

AK to God: Thank you, God, for explaining in detail your efforts in creating my present life. I now realise that at every step of my life, you were there to guide me. Thank you for all you have given me in this life.

But, oh, God, I now understand that it is at your will and pleasure that we play on this Earth. Now, I have a small request. I have lived this life long enough. Please grant me another life so that I can start again. I am vexed by these age-related health issues.

*

God, OK, then I will show you some options for your new life. Consider them, decide, and let me know.

1.     I created this Earth with land and sea. On land, you find living beings: male and female human beings, birds, animals, water life in rivers and tanks, and trees. In the sea, you find other living creatures.

2. Humans created religions such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Judaism, Baháʼí, Daoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Zoroastrianism, and traditional Folk, Ethnic or Tribal religions, and Atheism, and divided all humans. In other creatures, such divisions do not exist.

Again, within the major religions, there are divisions,

Christianity - Roman Catholics and Protestants; Islam - Sunni and Shia; Hinduism - Vaishnavism and Shaivism; and Buddhism - Mahayana and Theravada.

Hindus pray to God directly. Christians and Muslims pray to God through their messenger. Every religion has set rules for marriage, social life and prayer to God.

3.    I gave human beings the ability to enjoy life near nature, using whatever is available, such as fruits, underground roots, and naturally available water from rivers.

4.    I gave human beings the ability to think. They developed agriculture, cultivation, vegetables, and many other variations. They also started killing all types of insects, animals, and sea- and water-dependent creatures, and developed non-vegetarian foods.

5.     Clothing is needed to protect your body from the weather conditions of the region they live in. Some people made it stylish to show their wealth and social/religious standing. 

6.     Above all, humans created an imaginary substance known as 'MONEY' to transfer value from one person to another through exchange. Money was not my creation, but it now controls all humans. It is gradually diverting attention from God. Humans have reached a stage where money is their God. They believe they can achieve everything with money.

Having explained the present state of human life on Earth, I will provide some additional details to choose from for your next incarnation.

7.    Humans divided the land into seven continents. Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Australia/Oceania, and Antarctica. No one lives in Antarctica. The 193 countries of the six continents are UN members. Two non-member observer states are the Vatican and Palestine. There are more than 200 countries in the world, but no one can give a definitive answer.

8.    Based on their climate, I assigned humans different colours. You people started assigning status by colour.

9.    Topographical variations within a country, or from country to country, include mountainous regions, deserts, river belts, plains, and forests.

My dear AK, you have lived in the present and enjoyed life all these years. I gave you everything you needed to enjoy. I wish you to enjoy this old age, too. You will enjoy this life when you look at it as God-given. Pray to God every day, in and out, and you will start seeing Him and enjoying life.

 However, I gave you the options for your next incarnation. Think them over and let me know your choice.

*

AK said to God, "Thank you for the detailed analysis of my next life choices. I understand how difficult it is to choose my next incarnation. I am completely confused by all these options and variations. Please give me some time to think it over before coming back to you."

God said to AK, "OK, AK, I am giving you 20 more years to think; that is, I am granting you up to 100 years of life. I bless you with a happy life."

After speaking these words, God disappeared before AK could ask for anything.

AK wanted to say something to God and kept saying, "Oh, God, don't go away. Oh, God, don't go away." KML, who was in the kitchen, came and tapped AK on the shoulder, saying, "What are you dreaming and murmuring? Get up; it is already 6.00 am. You need to go for a walk. Your friends will be waiting for you. I will make tea for you."

AK's dream shattered. He got up for the day's work.

*

(Note: It is an Imaginary Story.)