18. Life Is

To live fully understand the statement: Life is an eternal celebration.

When we decide to live consciously, our life begins and we start living. Life happens to us when we decide. So start living life, we should first see that life happens to us. Till then, we do not know the meaning of life, we do not know the word 'life'.

The word 'is' has profound meaning. Most religions and all philosophies have this idea of a golden past. In Hinduism they call it satya yuga. In Christianity, they call it the garden of Eden, in Buddhism, they call it the yuga of dhamma. In every religion, in every sect, in every culture, have an idea that there was a time when life was an eternal celebration. There was a time when everything was perfect - as it should have been. Every religion, every cult has an idea that many, many years ago things were perfect.

Understand! The idea of satya yuga, the idea of garden of Adam and Eve, the idea of dhamma yuga, is only our idea.

A small story:

While excavating some ruins in the desert where ancient Mesopotamian civilization flourished, archaeologists found a 6000-year old stone inscription. When the archaeologists deciphered it they were both surprised and shocked. The message in the stone tablet read like an editorial in a modern daily newspaper! The inscription said, 'once upon a time, people used to be moral, disciplined. Now, no son listens to his father, the wife disobeys her husband, husbands are unfaithful to their wives, this is a time when all morals are lost. It is time to revive all morals.'

Another 5000-year old Hindu epic, Bhagavatam, says the same thing in a different way. Bhagavatam says that, 'Kali, the evil spirit, has entered the world. Now, a father tries to misbehave with his daughter, a mother tries to have a relationship with her son.'

Be clear! There was never a time when life was heaven or perfect. By living in NOW we can make life a celebration. Life was always as it is now. But we have a feeling that life was a celebration, then. When people reminisce they always say, 'we had a golden childhood.' At that time, did they feel that? No!

Life never 'was' an eternal celebration. Life will never be an eternal celebration. Life 'is' an eternal celebration. Be in the moment and make it happen!