"The moon stays bright when it doesn't avoid the night."
-Rumi
Since the beginning of their conscious life, Homo sapiens have been building monuments for different purposes. Most of the structures were built as the shrines or houses of the holy. Kings and queens lived in monumental palaces, and their armies built forts for their protection. Some structures were built for belief, some for materialistic reasons, and others on the grounds of superstition. A few people lived such a venerable life that their graves were glorified in huge structures like the Giza of Memphis and Taj Mahal of Agra. Some were created to honor the war veterans, and many were built as arenas. Perhaps each was meant to be a symbol of creativity, so that they could be explored in any way imaginable. This was a means for the needy to show their determination—a sign of legacy that still stands today.
God doesn’t sleep in any one bed, yet each city and every village contains His homes. In fact, the first building to surpass the height of the world's tallest building, the Great Pyramid, was a house of God—Lincoln Cathedral, which stands almost 40 feet taller. The cathedral was built in England in 1311, 3,800 years after the Great Pyramid was erected. There are approximately 6,000 churches in New York City alone, yet hundreds of homeless individuals sleep on the streets. In the vicinity of the largest, "Badshahi Mosque" and "Minar-e-Pakistan," thousands snore on footpaths.
This highlights the duality of man, who would create wonders for God but neglect the people all around him.
Humans not only raised buildings of clay and rock but also built pyramids of systems. Towers of tyranny. Minarets of monarchs. Statues of liberty, and tombs of invaders.
What used to be viewed as power struggles within a system of rules are now seen, in most businesses, as a way in which to grow—either momentarily or politically. Times change, structures evolve, people don't.
Today, while surfing on Instagram, I came across the following post:
I don’t know much about the copyright rules of this post, but the topic intrigued me, so I wanted to share it with all of you. I tried to read the TOS (terms of use/sharing) of Instagram, but you likely already know they are so ambiguous that they never clarify anything. If I have violated my account in any way, I apologize in advance. It doesn’t matter how expressive I am, I wouldn't be able to explain what this post says. As Galileo Galilei said, “Mathematics is the
language of the universe.” Cameras are the language of the time. Pictures lock moments, and Instagram is great at conveying those instants.
It’s all about capturing the moment. Historically, we, the common people, drew on walls of caves, while the mighty built monuments. Today, we take pics and make videos. The human desire to live forever is partly fulfilled by monuments and photos. And yet, while the pictures may live on forever, what of our time in the moment? It is spent trying to commemorate rather than celebrate. A king would build a Taj Mahal to say “I love you,” while the poor will search for a red rose. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. For some, nature is enough, while others seek to exploit the land around them to feel a sense of grandeur. Yet it is in simplicity that we find tranquility.
One way or the other, a temporary being's ultimate desire is to be remembered permanently. We all want to leave our marks on earth, but not everyone who is documented in history built monuments. Some are remembered for their holiness, and others for their intellectual work. Some made conquests and some chose to kiss the rope of death, refusing to be subjugated.
Some made sacrifices for freedom, while others made sure their nations were able to live freely. Some fought wars to become kings and some ignited revolutions to dethrone the warmongers. Some live on through folklores and some are recorded in historic tales. Some live through mummification and some through statues. Some live through tombs and some through their poetry.
We all want to leave something behind, but is it worth leaving others behind in pursuit of this? We are all equal yet try our hardest to be different, but does it mean anything when we're all destined to return to the same place? We try to please with art, but we also need to please the heart.
I have chosen to live peacefully as an ordinary human being. I would like to leave this earth in an ordinary way. I would prefer to have my body buried in a common graveyard. It came from dust and to dust it will return. There is no permanent existence other than the dust. Everything is dust. You, me, Mars, the moon or earth, so are all those grand monuments on it.
Credits
Wikipedia
By
By
Ahsan Jamil
Golfer, Blogger, Entrepreneur, Author, Poet, Wanderer, photographer, Rebel.
Email: Golfaij@gmail.com
Website: Golfaij.com
YouTube: Morning with Golf