This happened some years back, it was on a National Highway and the time was around 5 AM. A person riding a bike all of a sudden collapsed and fell on the road side. This happened near a sugarcane field and the elder son of the farmers family which lived there rushed to the person to offer him some water. But by the time he reached him the person on the bike had died. He had a massive heart attack. He was around 50-55 years.
At about 9 AM he was identified as R.T.O inspector who was on the night duty. He was returning back home. The family of the officer was informed. While his bike was checked by the police for any foul play, in the stud box of the vehicle was Rs. 19,850=00 in cash with denomination from ranging from 10 to 500. This was the bribe amount he collected throughout the night and was taking it home. No one knew since when he has been doing it but it was unfortunate that on that fateful day he could not buy himself a single cup of tea in the morning with that money.
As an irony the farmer family which had rushed to help the person had lost the head of the family only a week back. The head of the family had committed suicide a week back unable to repay the loan of Rs. 2,00,000=00 which he had taken from a co-operative bank to grow sugarcane. The amount the officer has collected overnight if aggregated for 10 to 12 nights would have saved the precious life of the poor farmer.
The thought that a person will live long and he has to amass a lot of money and make himself comfortable is the wonder of wonder. Tendency to cling to life, to be a unique being, the fear of completely wipe away or terrified of becoming unnoticed are the symptoms of Abhinivesha, one of the five afflictions of mind.
When Yudhisthira was asked by Yaksha at the enchanted pool about the greatest of greatest wonder, he answers, “Each day, death strikes and we live as though we are immortal. That is the greatest of greatest wonders.” We individuals are so unaware of our lives slipping away gradually. We greet every sunrise with happiness, excited at the possibilities each fresh day brings. And when the sun sets too, we are happy at the opportunities for revelry in the pleasures of the night. Little do we realize that each sunrise and sunset bring us closer to death. When we are aware of this simple fact, do we realize that there is no charm in taking bribe and living a corrupt life. The lack of such knowledge has encouraged the bureaucrats to suck money from the public in the name of rules and politicians to milk money out of treasury in the name of development and the business companies to loot the customer in the name of Brand. Even so if the intentions are to make money is there no limit? What would a politician family do with thousands of crores of rupees when it cannot save even one of their family members from death?
To have peace of mind in you and happiness in others, “Work as if there is no Tomorrow; Earn as if there is Tomorrow”.................What Say????
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