GOD MODE

Voldemort wanted it, Gollum lusted for it, Nicolas Flamel is believed to have created it, yet no one achieved it… immortality! From a powerful wizard to a lowly creature on earth is known to have craved for unlimited life. Was their life so full of joy that they never wanted to die? As a matter of fact these creatures are known to have led the worst form of life- lurking in darkness. So why don’t the rather die when their time comes but want to live forever? Well… I don’t know! Even in a video game, the developer keeps open a “God Mode” option- where you never die how many ever times you get shot at. Why is this done? To satisfy a few gamers for whom dying even in a game is inconceivable, who want an easy way out.

There is nothing new about this concept. In fact, from time unknown humans have tried to unravel the secret of immortality. Even few scriptures talk about this. For example, In Hinduism, it is said that the votary of Sri Rudram attains immortality; The Kaballah religion has the tree of life for immortality. In fact all the religions have an indirect provision for immortality, at least of the soul. Christianity and Islam talk of a kind of Purgatory which “cleanses” a soul before it can reach heaven and live forever. So it is known humanity has been trying to cling on to its dear life.

I have an interesting point to tell here. The first time I saw Harry Potter, I thought, like many other, Nicolas Flamel was just a fictitious magician. In fact I even had a negative impression on the character as he had tried to achieve immortality, an immature trait according to me. But recently I came to know Flamel has actually been a great guy. A philanthropist, a wonderful alchemist, great philosopher and most of all- the brilliant mind behind the discovery of the philosopher’s stone! Flamel is believed to have laid hands on an ancient book written by Abraham the Jew. Fighting to understand the contents, he spent over 21 years to unravel the secrets. It is said that Flamel first converted half a pound of mercury into silver, then progressing to convert it into gold then finally unraveling the secret method of producing the philosopher’s stone- elxir of life itself! As always, great knowledge comes only to great men. He is said to never have improved his modest state of living. Instead, he and his wife started helping the poor and the needy with the money they made. It is said, Flamel and his wife, in their own rights, attained salvation. At the age of around eighty it is said that Flamel performed the last rites of his wife and subsequently, resting in peace himself. News of his secret methods to make gold spread and men from all over came and ravaged his house after this death for traces of the powder, but to no avail. Like us now, many then pondered, how can a man who discovered the philosopher’s stone die? So then his tomb was dug out. And what did they find there? Nothing! It was empty. And so people allege, to this day Flamel is alive. Surprisingly it is said Flamel, along with his wife set out to India, very much in their physical form, after a sham funeral. According to Flamel, Indians are supposed to be the initiates of his field of study. (By the way, if any of you feel I am writing rubbish on my own, please refer Magicians, Seers, and Mystics by Reginald Merton for confirmation).

The point I wanted to make is, immortality is not unachievable. Achieve it, just as our respective religions tell us. Understand the meaning when Hinduism says “you will be immortal if you recite rudram” and Christianity says “men with good deeds will be blessed with immortality”. What they essentially mean is immortality, not in its physical form, but in a way your name will be remembered forever.

The same applies to our grief over the death of our near and dear ones. If they had led a good life, their names will be remembered forever in their families and society. They are immortal in their own way. Again to recollect what I saw from the play “Athithi” (the previous blog), the story has a great message. Lets us take for example, when a 3 year old loses its toy, it cries. The father doesn’t, he console the child. If someone asks he says, “what to do, it is just a child. It is not matured enough to understand it is just a toy”. But when his own father dies, he starts crying like his 3 year old son. The play tells us, the child needs maturity to come over the grief of its toy. Similarly the father needs the maturity required for his age to overcome the grief of death.

I hope this blog helps all of you, who like me have the most loveable and wonderful grandparents on earth- who are on the brink of their lives, or anyone else for that matter. As my favourite author RK Narayan puts it, old age is nothing to be felt sad for. It is like a big bungalow in the night, whose lights are slowly being put off one by one. So do not be sad… these people live amongst us forever!