SACRIFICE YOUR LIFE FOR OTHERS

‘Ammachi’ used to take ‘Pengal’, Jacob and me to St. Mary’s, our parish church. I used to observe the happenings in the church hall as well as on the face of ‘Ammachi’. At times, the bell rang when the priest raised the bread and wine and look up and pray. I used to blissfully gaze at her and had noted a radiant satisfaction on her face. Was she seeing something more at the altar?  One day after Holy Mass I asked her, “Why so much frankincense was burned and so many candles kindled at the altar?” She asked me, “Have you noticed the vanishing of candles and frankincense?” She continued, “The frankincense while burning completely gives out a nice fragrance to all who are present there. Similarly the candle while giving light to others it vanished. In the temples they would kindle oil lamps and would burn ‘Karppuram’, Camphor, which gives a pungent aroma and burned completely without any residue. These are all symbolic expressions of sacrifice. You should also sacrifice your life for others. It is only then that there is meaning for your life and you will get rewards in heaven.”

Very often, I have observed the coconut tree, the heavenly tree, all the parts of which are useful to living beings. They carry loads of leaves and coconuts. The tree doesn’t use any part of it and it doesn’t know who is going to benefit from it and in what form they may make use of it. When it reaches seventy years or more its trunk is used as building material or fishing stakes or used to make furniture. In the event of it dying naturally, birds would make nests on it. The tree finally would go as firewood and / or ultimately turn into humus. Similar is the nature of the entire flora on earth. I am convinced that all flora and fauna are inter-dependent. They all knowingly or unknowingly sacrifice their lives for the sustenance of other living beings in nature. Flora nourishes and energizes the fauna. They provide firewood, clothing, shelter and a lot of other things. It is significant to note that the fauna too make their sacrifices. They give up their lives to the higher predators and vice versa. Their ultimate endeavour is to convert the flora and the fauna back into organic soil fit for the absorption of plants. There is an unbroken chain of natural recycling. The earth gives the platform for the flora and fauna to co-exist. The elements on the earth and the cosmos also play their part. Oxygen is one of the essential elements for plant or animal life; Nitrogen supplies the essential ingredient for the preparation of food. The Sun emanates light, heat and other energies. The Moon acts like a mirror and reflect the light; it attracts the Earth like a magnet. Everything is so mutually supporting. Every object seems to speak sacrifice in their actions. How much more important it is for the human beings, the so called superior being, to selflessly sacrifice every action of theirs for their brethren and other living beings. One should not expect anything in return for one’s services. Unfulfilled expectations will only lead to frustration and ultimate depression.

I know that giving up one’s life for a noble cause is one of the biggest sacrifices one can make for other living beings.

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com