"Sit and Wait for Death"?

    Nobel Laureate for Chemistry this year is a 95 year old person. When asked: "Are you still working?" he answered, "What should I do? Should I retire, sit and wait for death?"

   This raises a question 'what is it he is talking about'? He is aware of 'death' awaiting. He does not know when it comes. He thinks he has to sit and wait and there is nothing else to do. But this is not the case of a person of spiritual background, legacy, samskara. 

    The question remains- "Should one continue to work till death?" At 95, if a person wants to continue to work till death, there is no problem. It is his sheer will and wish. Much depends on his good health and mind and moods. But this raises a fundamental question "Whether a person is born here to work, earn name, fame, money and live a life of joy and happiness, or live like Sri Shankaracharya? A material scientist always thinks of 'Matter'. A spiritual thinker always thinks of the 'Spirit' behind that 'Matter'. Matter is gross and may be found in solid, liquid, plasma or the gaseous state. Even we, the humans as 'Matter' is a composition of air, fire, water, food (earth/soil) - the pancha bhuta. We are water (70%) and earth (28%)- mostly, carbon-hydrogen-oxygen and a small proportion of other elements, compounds and minerals. It is natural for a person of limited knowledge (thinking only of matter) to think only of materialistic worldly things and very rarely takes to spiritual studies and practices (yoga). For an enlightened matured person spiritual attainment of the natural state is more important than achieving worldly successes.

    The time required for spiritual attainment is too long,often taking the jivatman several lives to attain it! The worldly person forgets that the earth is a death knell and whoever and whatever appears here is limited by time, space and causality. Old age, sickness and death are certain. Hence the jiva should strive to attain to its natural state, the state before taking the earthly existence before it is too late. One should attain this true nature before becoming old and infirm. The mind of a Hindu is always working in this direction. India is 'yoga bhumi', not a 'bhoga bhumi'. It is sad people do not understand this secret.