“Life is not so desirable a thing as to be protracted at any
cost. Whoever you are, you are sure to die, even though your life has been full
of abomination and crime. The chief of all remedies for a troubled mind is the
feeling that among the blessings which Nature gives to man, there is none
greater than an opportune death; and the best of it is that every one can avail
himself of it.”
This passage from Pliny the Elder (quoted by Sri Arthur
Schopenhauer Ji) reminds me about the analogy of the ancient stoics – if there
is a little smoke in the room and you can tolerate it without much trouble, you
tolerate it. But if the smoke becomes too much, then it is your right to leave
the room.[1]
The Vedas say something similar, tamasi ma, jyotir gama –
leave the darkness and come to the light. However, this does not refer to
committing suicide. It refers to leaving the darkness of ignorance and coming
to the light of devotion to God. Thus leaving the darkness and coming to the
light is not the end of the story; it is only the beginning of the real life.
As Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita 18.54:
One who is transcendentally situated at once
realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or
desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In
that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.
Admirable as it is, the pessimism of the Pliny and the
stoics is not the healthy pessimism of a devotee. Pliny condemns life itself;
the devotee rejects only the perverted reflection of the real life – the
wretched material existence – and welcomes the real life – devotional service
in love of God.
The bhakti tradition entails complete acceptance of
devotional service, and consequent complete rejection of material sense enjoyment.
In other words, it teaches that one should always remember Krishna and never
forget Him. To never forget Krishna means to realize that there is nothing
really enjoyable in the material world and therefore there is no worthy object
of remembrance besides the Lord. That is the positive pessimism required for
advancement in Krishna consciousness. Bhakti-yoga offers ample opportunities
for such healthy pessimism - in the bhakti language they are called jnana and
vairagya. The devotee just knows too much to continue the unrewarding attempt
to enjoy matter.
Thus the pessimism about material life is very much welcomed
in the bhakti school. Srila Prabhupada often said that one cannot advance in
the spiritual life unless he is completely pessimistic about the material life.
Or as it is stated in the Bhagavatam by Queen Kunti, tvam akincana gocaram,
only the materially exhausted can utter the name of the Lord with sincere
feeling of surrender.
Thus leaving the smoky room, or the blessed opportunity for
“opportune death” is not supposed mean to commit suicide. Schopenhauer himself
did not choose this option. Killing the body does not save one from suffering
because leaving the smoky room in such an abrupt manner usually leads to even
more troubled situation. This is because our future position depends on our
desires. Until there are desires to be fulfilled, one has to take birth again
and again in order to fulfill them. One cannot stop the painful repetition of
birth and death simply by killing the gross body; the subtle body, where all
unfulfilled desires are stored, will carry one to his next gross body. Suicide
adds additional difficulties because the person who committed it has decided to
interfere unlawfully with another’s property and another’s plan.
Life itself is not to be rejected or given up because it is
our chance to develop our dormant relationships with Krishna. What is to be
given up is the false material existence. Therefore pessimism is an honorable
beginning, but it is not complete.
Still, for neophyte devotees like us, who are struggling
with our petty material attachments, it is refreshing to see the example of
persons who so thoroughly and bitterly abolishes materialistic ways. If they made
it without any idea and experience of a higher taste of the nectar of Krishna’s
lotus feet, why would not we? After all we have the mercy of Mahaprabhu in the
form of the opportunity to develop our taste for the holy name. This is our
entrance in reality.
“Life is not so desirable a thing as to be protracted at any
cost…The chief of all remedies for a troubled mind is the feeling that among
the blessings which Nature gives to man, there is none greater than an
opportune death; and the best of it is that every one can avail himself of it.”
I feel like taking the liberty to correct the great sage in
the following manner:
[1] “Has someone made smoke in the house? If it is moderate, I’ll
stay. If too much, I exit. For you must always remember and hold fast to this,
that the door is open.” Epictetus (Discourses I.25.18)
