Erring On The Positive Side Poem by RAJ NANDY

ERRING ON THE POSITIVE
SIDE!
How difficult it is for the human mind,
To think of a total extinction of any kind,
An atheist’s thought rather unkind,
Since nothing remains after death!
A Buddhist monk once compared this life,
With a burning flame on a candle’s head,
Which glows radiating warmth and light,
Till such time the flame keeps burning bright!
But when the wax slowly melts,
And the candle burns down to the wick,
The flame of life is extinguished,
Making this life on earth complete!
Yet none can tell about that flame,
Despite all our sorrowing and lament!
For it is difficult for human psyche,
To accept this single fact or digest, -
That total extinction could be our ultimate
fate!
This is what the great Schopenhauer* had said,
That since humans are mortally afraid of death,
He makes innumerable theologies and specula-
tions as he is able,
To make this thought of death palatable!
Yet such thoughts will torture the mind more
one thinks,
While death remains by itself - a brief and
momentary happening!
So let’s listen to what Voltaire had said, -
That to live with faith and hope will do immense
good to mankind, -
Than to live otherwise!
So rather than groping in the dark,
And since from death one cannot hide,
Let us listen to the learned Voltaire,
It is far better to err on the positive side!

- -Raj Nandy
- New Delhi
- 15 Sep 08
(* He was the first European philosopher to have read
the Vedas & Hindu Philosophy.Please read my –“TRIBUTE
TO SCHOPENHAURE”)