MAN, KNOW THYSELF — Purpose of Life

be other than the one he has sowed. Likewise, in the afterworld man will be recompensed according to the nature and ardour of his efforts in the world. Death is the final announcement of the termination of the time allotted to him for struggle and endeavour, and the afterworld is the final place in which he will be able to experience the results thereof. After death there will be no further opportunity to struggle, and it must be borne in mind that the afterlife will never terminate. What a critical matter this is! If only man could come to a mature understanding of this before he died, because his later realization will be of no avail. Becoming aware of the truth only after death is too late. There is no time then to consider the gravity of one’s errors, no time for repentance and certainly no time for expiations. The fact is that the word “Man” refers, not to any bodily form, but rather to the soul which inhabits the body. Mankind is oblivious of his destiny, while time is conveying him with utmost speed towards the harvesting of his crop. He is busily engaged in procuring paltry worldly profits, and considers himself worthily occupied, whereas, in fact, he is just frittering away his precious time. He has before him a superb opportunity to ensure a prosperous future for himself, but instead, he chooses to occupy himself with bagatelles. His Lord is calling him towards paradise, a place of endless honour and bliss, while he, in his ignorance, is immersed in ephemeral and delusive pleasures. He reckons that he is saving, but in fact he is squandering. While constructing his worldly mansion, he is labouring under the illusion that he is “Building for his life”, while in fact, he is erecting walls of sand which will crumble away to nothing. Man! Recognize yourself! Know what you are doing and what you ought to be doing! o Contented Heart We must differentiate between the necessary and the unnecessary. We must never amass such commodities as will bring with them new problems and new complications. We must learn to live in contentment.