Any being in this world goes from one basic stage to another, i.e. from living to dying. Literally speaking we do but metaphorically we go through these two stages on a day to day basis. Confused? lets delve deeper then.
From being alive to being death is this journey called life, the duration called life span. But being alive also involves three stages, these stages however are misinterpreted by many of us as one and the same thing. What are these stages ?Have we really understood them? Did we really go through these stages? Lets delve deeper..
The first stage is the realization of "Existence", to realize that we exist in this world, to explore the reasons and the purpose of our existence. To know who we really are as a being. To know what are we capable of since our birth and what other capabilities can we develop within us as we progress in our journey of life. The process of finding answers to all these questions is the stage of realizing our existence. The affirmation that we exist. Its not a declaration to the world but to ourselves, it is a declaration that should be made every time we have doubted our existence, our importance in this world. That's the beauty of these three stages, there is no actual hierarchy involved, no time span for these stages, we go through these three stages of being alive at every passing moment, with every passing breath.
"अपने होने पे मुझको यकीन आ गया (I now realize, I EXIST)
-Farhan Akhtar(Voice) Javed Akhtar(words)
The next stage is "Survival". Now that we know or should I say have a faint idea of who or what I really am, what should I make of it ? How to keep my existence or state of being alive intact or for a better rephrasing how can I make my life more comfortable for my own luxuries and at the same time prolong death ? we never really think of it by literally asking these questions but we set ourselves in the journey of earning, yearning and longing so that we can satiate all our hungers. To satiate our hunger to stay alive and secure we earn to get food, shelter. To satiate the hunger that develops from the fear of being alone, we get into relationships (physical/emotional), we marry and mate. The other hunger is the hunger that develops from the competition with other beings, in proving who is better thus striving for fame, better posts, better lifestyle. So do these acts for survival come from fears, insecurities and hunger ? maybe.. but then the hunger and insecurities and fears are no external agents, they are our very own creations out of our lack patience to observe our existence and thus the inability to make meaning out of it. I don't say that the above things that we do for survival is wrong, no.. but are we really enjoying whatever we have been hoarding or goading ? The answer or a hint of it can be given in the third stage.
The third stage is "Living", the complex yet the most simplest stage of all, complex because you can't really explain what living is, simple because the answer is in the above two stages yet we are so engrossed in those stages, especially the stage of survival that we don't see it. Living is experiencing and enjoying, observing and contemplating the results heaped from the questions answered in the stages of existence and survival, stopping for a moment and being happy in our mind for all the happiness and positivities we are blessed with, it also means observing and contemplating as to where we are going wrong as humans and how can we better ourselves. Living is experiencing, learning, questioning, reasoning and again experiencing.
But we are so impatient that we have directly jumped to the second stage and are obstinate to stay in the same, not bothering to look back or beyond. We live, sorry, we survive under an assumption about our identity. We earn but we don't learn, we eat but we don't taste, we have sex but we don't make love, we drive but we don't travel, we get fame but we don't know ourselves, thus we survive but we don't live... and sometimes we don't even exist.
So what will we do of all these means of survival if we don't know who we are and aren't enjoying these means as they are supposed to be. Sometimes living and surviving are mixed, for e.g. you are putting up with people in a group you don't really agree with or don't like being with but due to a certain misconception in your mind that you got to be with them otherwise you won't survive.. hence you say that you're in a group to survive but you tell yourselves you're living, thus either you are confused about living or surviving or you like keeping yourself in a bubble.
These stages are intertwined so you can't really abandon one stage for another.. but if you know yourself and start living you won't have the need to survive..
पर ज़िन्दगी काटनी किसे है ? हमे तो जीनी थी (Who wanted to just SURVIVE, I wanted to LIVE ;)
- Shahrukh Khan (from the movie Zero).
Realize your existence, and then you can make your choice to live or to survive. Survive but don't forget to live.. Live and you won't find the need to survive and you'll never feel like you're surviving and in this path of Living you'll realize that you Exist.
"Live and you'll survive, Live and you'll exist, for that's how one can be alive even after they exit to Death.."
-Deepak Vyas
