Do not throw away the gift of life

The gift of life is more precious than we care to realize. Just taking birth as a human, being alive and in a position to function and contribute in some way is a blessing. Yet quite often we only choose to dwell on, magnify and amplify what is going wrong in our lives.

At times not knowing where to look or unable to find the right kind of support and guidance -whether in terms of mental health experts, counsellors, or trusted mentors, some people , sadly take the extreme step of snuffing out their own lives. So much so that today suicide is considered a significant public health issue.

How does one view this through the spiritual lens ?. Killing of humans is prohibited by religions and killing oneself is tantamount to self-murder. After all, the body is a temple. It is God given and He resides at our very core.

So, the person taking his or her life is in a sense hurting God.

Very often the suicidally prone believe that taking their lives will put an end to their troubles. Nothing can be more skewed than this. Spiritual masters say when someone commits suicide it takes many births to wipe away the  bad karma  accrued from such an act.

Rather than allowing people to buckle under - whether when facing a financial crisis or a relationship crisis or a nagging health issue or when they’re  caught in the throes of a depression, we should encourage and help each other find the will  and resilience to cope.

As a society we need to be more empathetic and sensitive to what goes on in the minds and lives of not only ourselves but immediate family members and those around us.  It is worthwhile starting with the young and teaching children essential life skills that they can draw upon in the face of challenges.

No one has a life free of hurdles. They may come in all shapes and sizes. The thing to remember is that they are sent our way to mentally and emotionally steel and prepare us to find our true selves

Life is too valuable to be cut short, derailing the larger plan and purpose for each one of us. None of us has the capacity to give life other than to procreate. How then can we arrogate the power to take it away? Ours or anyone else’s?