thePIANIST

Tuesday, 3 February 2009

Life and Death

With the recent festive mood littered with news of people's deaths and friends attending wakes, it was inevitable that the issue popped into my mind as I was running just now.

Indeed, in life, perhaps the only guarantee is the final ending of death. It's the only thing that all people, be it sectarian, secular or atheist, know and cannot deny. Since ancient times, many have sought the path to immortality but failed, while some others made sure their death was a glorious and pompous affair. And as for the common folk, the only thing people seem to be trying to do is to delay the onset of death as far as possible. Yet, everyone of us know how the end would be. Perhaps the three phrases on a badge which Songyang bought when we were out one day sum up most aptly: Eat healthy, Live healthy, Die anyway.

So when you live your life, what do you make out of it? Or rather, what would determine how you lead your life? For the religious, their faith carves out a general guide they should follow - Christians try their best to lead a Christ-like life, bearing in mind the judgement one faces following death; Buddhists go by the maxim of accumulating good deeds, meditating on incantations, hoping that they would do sufficient to attain immortality in their next life. And as for atheists or non-believers, they go by their own personal code of morals and life goals, pursuing riches, fame, family stability or other achievements they may set out to fulfil.

Indeed, if I weren't a Christian, my life would have been led rather differently. If I had believed there isn't life after death, if there isn't anyth after death for that matter, if by the onset of death, one's life would go out just like a candle flame, things I'd pursue in my life on earth would be vastly different from my focus now. Indeed, pursuing riches and fame would be top on the list, having a stable income and family ties next, not forgetting fulfilling my desires and simply enjoying myself in every way possible.

I think I've lost my focus of this blog-post. But anyway, I remember this one anecdote that I wanted to share. Once, when I was in camp having one of those late night talk cock sessions with kaihim, kokhou, kevin and jingyuan, jingyuan shared with us his theory that everything leads to sex. Well, the theory ain't as crude/lewd as it sounds. Basically it follows something along the line of survival of the fittest and natural selection.
Why do we exercise, hit the gym, build up our body, and have the tendency to be vain at times? It's so that we would look good. And why would we want to look good? It's so that we would be more attractive to the opposite sex, such that we have a better chance in attracting a so-called 'better' partner.
Why do we work so tirelessly, to strive to climb up the ladder in our jobs? It's so that we would gain a better reputation and have higher financial capabilities. And why would we want that? It's so that we gain more respect from people and we lead a more comfortable life, thereby looking more attractive to the opposite sex, such that we have a better chance in attracting a so-called 'better' partner.
Of course, the 4 of us didn't really agree with Jingyuan about it but eventually the 5 of us came to some sort of an understanding and compromise, that most of the things in life, be it consciously or subconsciously, is very much driven by that primal instinct of procreation. Or rather, things can be linked to that if we really wanted to.

Oh well, to be rather frank, I wasn't the least bit surprised when we came to that conclusion. After all, God's command to Adam and Eve in the Garden Of Eden was to 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.' [Genesis 1:28] Okay, I know I'm pushing it a little here but I think I made my point right - that it's instinctual to procreate. Ahhh okay reminds me of a quote from the latest Jack Neo's movie 'Love Matters' - the gods made man lusty so that mankind would continue to procreate. Haha alright, I would agree that strictly religious people would take offense at that ostensible blasphemy, but still, I thought Neo made a basic observation of Man's primal instincts and fashioned it in a tongue-in-cheek expression.

Alright, as I said halfway through my post, I lost the focus of my original intentions. Apologies if it seems a little diffused and diluted.

21:32; The Pianist'

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