Inevitable Death

During chapter 2: Self Realization, in The Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna tells Arjuna that "Death is inevitable for the living; birth is inevitable for the dead. Since these are unavoidable, you should not sorrow." On the battlefield standing before his relatives, Arjuna is distraught with emotions over the deaths of his family that are about to take place. Why does death have to be the answer? Why does his family's blood have to suffer as a result of hatred between the relatives? Can't there be any other option? Sri Krishna's response to Arjuna's fears struck a chord with me, because like Arjuna, I have worried about death.
           
The topic of death is brought up constantly in life, whether it be the result of a funeral, reading the obituaries in the local newspaper, or a passionate discussion in World Religions class. And truthfully, the idea of death scares me. I am afraid because the outcome is unknown. What really lies beyond the life of a human? Will I follow a light in the darkness like the ghosts on the television show Ghost Whisperer have said? Will I stand floating over the earth as a spirit? What will become of me after I am finished here? The human beings on this earth are not indestructable and will not live on this planet forever. However, as an adolescent, this fact seems too incomprehensible and far away.

Sri Krishna's statement brings peace to my worried mind, for he simply speaks the truth. In life, birth and death both occur, and they can't be stopped. So why be sad when there is nothing that a person can do about them? Just like the tautology, "whatever will be, will be," I cannot let the truth get to me. There is no point dwelling in sorrow and letting negative thoughts of the subject dwell in my mind. Humans need to realize, and many have, that death will happen eventually, so why not go after their dreams and the paths that they were meant to travel on? Today is the day to accomplish my goals in my life. Thank you, Sri Krishna, for putting that gentle reminder into my mind. Maybe reading this novel was a sign....

As-salam alaykum!

As-salam alaykum! (Hello in Arabic)


My name is Lauren Feeney, and I am a freshman at MCLA. I live in historic Duxbury, MA, which is sandwiched between Pilgrim Rock Plymouth and tourist-loving Cape Cod. My nickname is "Feeney", due to the namesake Principle Mr. Feeny in the popular 90's television show, Boy Meets World. Due to my bubbly personality and endless energy, I have been known as the anti-Mr. Feeny, who is more concerned with bagging students Cory and Eric Matthews than walking around MCLA singing showtunes. Why is this bubbly, song-loving eighteen-year-old interested in World Religions, you may ask?? The answer is due to a once-in-a-lifetime adventure I experienced last semester. Last October, I was on a reality television show entitled Trading Places, where an American and an Arab switched places. For a week, I traveled to Egypt with a film crew to live with the Egyptian teenager's family and to experience the culture and customs of the beautiful country. After coming back to America, I realized how unaware I was of the world around me. My Egyptian trip inspired me to learn more about other countries, and hence, World Religions was added to my course schedule for Spring 2012. I am looking forward to taking this class and being challenged to become more knowledgeable about the world. 


Shokran! (Thank you)




~Lauren Feeney




Sawra Sawra hata el nasr
(Revolution, Revolution until Victory)