A WEB OF MEMORIES: OUR ONLY POSSESSIONS IN THE VALE OF TEARS

Photo credit: Milagros del Color.

By H. G. von Österreich und von Toskana, DVM, PhD

“That which is constitutionally perishable must be temporary.”

Satkari Mookerjee - The Buddhist Philosophy of Universal Flux (1935).

The laws are clear. Not negotiable. They allow no beating about them. No escape from them. Nothing lasts forever in this illusion we call “universe”. Not even the stars or the galaxies. 

Nonetheless, in this infinite space, time and matter have married in countless ways until true miracles have come out of it. Life is one of these. 

Indeed, life is miracle. One which necessarily must feed upon itself. At least as we know it here.

And this planet we call “Earth” is teeming with life. And we are one of those species that has beaten the odds. 

But now, because of the way we are messing up the Planet´s Web of Life, the very same forces that in the past created us might one of these days turn against ourselves and send us all to oblivion. 

Too often we tend to forget that we too are finite creatures. 

Whether we are into building empires rooted in dreams or just trying to stay alive with meagre means, our lives, being a sequence of events, obligatorily mean that we must all accumulate memories as we go through it.

And in the end, whatever we do, from working for mere crumbs, hoarding vast amounts of money, fighting to grab more natural resources, mastering the mathematics of particles sparked within the chambers of colliders, building astrophysical maps using high-altitude water Cherenkov detectors, all the way up to simple shopping for lentils at the grocery store or spending on superfluous luxuries to show off in hopes of being admired by other folks, whatever we hang on to, everything turns out to be futile. 

Time eventually catches up with us and we must leave this vale of tears with nothing, just as we have entered it: naked. 

This makes me remember something that happened to me when I was a kid. I heard a few words that contained a lot of wisdom.

A long time ago during a visit, right after we had had breakfast, my paternal grandfather got up ready to leave the table and go to his favourite chair and spot to watch the splendor of Mother Nature which was unwrapping just outside in the mountains, for we were in the countryside, whilst walking with the help of a cane and guided by the loving hand of one of my aunts, he said: 

• “In this life, the only things we can possess are our memories.” 

And he continued walking. Upon reaching his chair, he affirmed:

• And even those we must leave behind when we pass away”.

These were powerful words that have stayed indelibly in my mind since that time. 

Such teachings, amongst other philosophical lessons from my parents and relatives, true treasures for which I am immensely grateful, have guided me (and still do) through this fleeting experience we call “life”. 

Thus, after all we go through, what are we? 

Each of us humans is a web of memories.

Since life is and should be about sharing, may the following tune (Video 1) make you ponder about your own sojourn on this beautiful Planet.

Video 1. Hear Me Now by Alok and Bruno Martini. Uploaded by Spinnin´ Records.

In the meantime as you travel along your own timeline, whilst you can, why not spread around you some kindness? 

This way you shall have good memories until you are called upon to exit this world.

May this post find you enjoying good health and, of course, with your heart filled with a lot of happiness!

True peace.

Salve!

References

Mookerjee Satkari (1935). The Buddhist Philosophy of Universal Flux: An Exposition of the Philosophy of Critical Realism as Expounded by the School of Dignāga. University of Calcutta, India. 448 pp.