Srila Prabhupada says that it doesn't matter one or two words but we should write and share our realization. That's why I decided to write this realization.
Last year I didn't prepare so well for examination but result favored me. That's why I became careless towards exam preparation. Careless in the sense that neither I attained any lecture in my campus nor I studied at home. In fact I lost interest in academic study. That's why giving an exam at present has been just like chewing the iron for me. It is bad for me because I was considered as one of the top student and I secured distinction not once but for many times before. On those days I used to prepare exam nicely not from the previous day of exam ( which I do now ) but from the first day of joining class. I may pass or fail in this examination but what I have realized from this is already a great lesson and inspiration for rest of my life.
Academic examination is nothing when compared to the examination of life. Examination of Life? What is this? One may wonder but this is the bitter reality that either willingly or unwillingly we have to give the examination of life one day. It is compulsory ! Examination in the form of death. We can not avoid it and to pass this exam is not simple as it is not the examination of the single subject that we study at our college or campus but the examination of all subjects of life. Moreover, its pass mark is not 40 out of 100 but 100 out of 100. What I realized is that if securing 40 percent mark in a single subject is so hard , how hard it is to obtain 100 out of 100 in all subjects of life , all at once during death? One can't say that he will study just before the day of examination and secure good marks in it. He has to prepare for whole year. Similarly one shouldn't say that he will prepare the examination of life just before its occurrence. One may say that but failure carries 100% certainty. So, we should prepare for this exam from now.
In this point there is an interesting story to demonstrate the value of life.
*Rohan was returning home from abroad after finishing his bio-chemical degree. On the way to his home there was a big river. He had to cross it on boat. While boatman was sailing the boat Rohan asked him if he knows anything about biology. Boatman replied that he doesn't know Biology. Rohan remarked by saying that 25% of his (boatman's) life was gone uselessly. After some time he asked boatman if he knows anything about chemistry and boatman replied 'no'. Rohan said that his next 25% life was also finished. Then after he asked boatman if he knows anything about physics. To the question of puffed up Rohan boatman again said 'no'. Then Rohan added next 25% waste remark. According to Rohan 75% of boatman's life was gone uselessly. At that time there came a big storm and overturned the boat. Boatman asked Rohan if he knows how to swim. Rohan replied 'no'. Then, boatman remarked by saying that 100% of his ( Rohan ) was finished as he doesn't know how to smim.
Conclusion is that if we pass all other exams as Rohan did but fail one important exam all previous success report will give us nothing other than increased pain. So, we have to prepare the final examination of our life very carefully.
What is preparation?
During death our degree of attachment whether it is for material things or spiritual will be tested. Material attachment will give us nothing other than failure and we have to accept the cycle of birth and death as its reward. This cycle is so much troublesome compared to the effect of academic failure. In fact it is most dangerous. Our lusty desires , pride , anger etc. all will be tested. If they (examiner) found a tiny amount of these poisons in us our failure can't be checked by any mean. Thus we have to prepare our life just to end those real enemies.
Furthermore, it is not sufficient. We have to develop higher taste , the taste to serve our real master ,the supreme personality of Godhead , Sri Krishna. It is real taste. We have to have devotional qualities. We have to have an attachment for spiritual life and we have to develop all good qualities of spiritual world. Otherwise our failure can not be checked.
A student prepares so hard and uses his full energy to pass an academic examination but 99.9 percent people are not even thinking of this final examination of life, what to talk of preparing it. This is the most dangerous civilization ever. Because they prepare so effectively for so minute exams but even don't think of most important examination, the examination in the form of death. To pass this examination we have to remember lord at the time of death as lord himself says in Bhagavad-Gita : "And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt." B.G.8.5 .
And , just to remember him at the end of our life we have to prepare by remembering his name whole life. We have to chant his name seriously :
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
• Life is preparation and Death is examination.
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-By Pradeep Bhandari
