Money was a brilliant idea; it brought everyone who had it onto a common platform. If one had money it no longer mattered which sect or sub-sect one belonged to. It was somewhat like socialism; at least the concept was. In today's society money is anything but the socialist platform that it was intended to be. Why would anyone want money? Comfort? Ease? Probably. Security? Exactly. Security is the obvious reason behind acquisition of wealth but, there is an obscure reason too; one that doesn't spring up at the first glance. It stands like a silent spectator alone in a corner whom most people miss in the first look. It is also somewhat concealed by the apparent reasons of assurance. What is the next level? After security, what? What would a man want after he has secured himself financially? To make others feel insecure? There is a word which expresses that urge to make others feel insecure; its' 'Power;'. Power is the next level; it is what a man wants once he is secure. But why would he want that? It is because his security is an indirect function of other people's insecurity. Money gives power; no doubts about that. If someone doubts that one can site examples of any Superpower in the world; all their success and debacles are tales of currency notes.
Power is two-faceted; it is like a coin with heads and tails. One face is security and the other is insecurity. It is the face of insecurity that a Superpower represents and sadly, there is no representation of the face of security. If power is imposed then it attaches itself with insecurity but if it is earned and not imposed then it is completely secure. Then, what is the way to becoming a Superpower? It is like being a king who is loved by his citizens and not feared by them. A king who is loved is a secure whereas a king who is feared is insecure.
A different approach reveals different reasons; the urge to impose power. The urge to impose power is enticing since it produces the desired effect instantaneously. Imposition creates fear which makes people feel insecure while the one imposing it experiences a false sense of security.
To understand this, we have to progress to the next level; a higher one. What comes after power? What would the most powerful man in the world want? Glory? That's it. Glory is what drives the richest men in the world. However, insecure power is not the way to glory. Why is that? It is because Glory is not individual; it is relative. It involves all the people who think about the Glorious individual. Glory is consequent to secure power. It is an acceptance by the people of the power of the powerful and diverges from the concept of fear. It's association with nobility distinguishes it from power.
Glory is a state that has pre-requisites; the primary one being 'fearlessness'; fearlessness can only be achieved on account of security, so, ultimately we rest the World upon two pillars; security and insecurity. The journey of life is the distance between those two pillars. What one achieves at the end of life is just security; a safe haven where one knows that no matter what his mortal remains are only ashes and peace, nothing else. All other things are shed during the journey. But here comes an intriguing question; the question of creation.
If all things are to be shed then what is the point in creating new ones? It is the answer to this question which accommodates a substantial understanding of life. The answer is in a simple question; what does one do when he is to trust someone he doesn't trust? Or, what does one do when he is to love somebody he doesn't love? One 'tests' him; that is what is to be done; then, based upon the reactions or actions of the person we re-analyze the person; we do the test again and again until we become certain of the trust or love. This is the principle of life, God wants to love everybody but our actions make us less dearer to him. God tests us to endear us to him. He tests us till he can completely trust us which is when our journey reaches its end. So coming to the point, what is wrong and right, or fear and intrepid, or glory and shame?
It's just this journey between the two pillars; security to insecurity that distances us from our objective while insecurity to security aligns us with our objective. The point of writing this is that the reader should take sometime and determine from which pillar to which pillar is he or she travelling.
And a few lines at the end; they are titled the Pillars of Life.
I stepped onto the sands like a storm,
a streak of sunlight molding the dawn,
with a Lion's heart and a falcon's eye,
I thought I could girdle the world in my dye.
I stretch, I conquer, I slay and I win,
victory seems like an amatory thing.
Slowly cracks surfaced from where Time would seep,
and I scuttled from promises that I could easily keep.
Imposition strikes a fear that is too deep,
my subjects fear me and that is the fruit which Time will reap.
People heed my advice so my ashes may rest,
Power is a desire and all desire is a false crest,
What rises to a storm settles like dust,
an Emperor is a victim of his own lust.
Glory rests in the arms of the noble,
not with plunderers who greedily ogle.
People who let ego nourish in their grith,
see themselves end as an untold, silent myth.
Take time and do what you must,
keep every promise that builds upon trust.
All conquest is vain,
it is the curse of those who have been slain.
People heed my advice so my ashes may rest,
Power is the allurement but Glory is the test.
Power succumbs while Glory evades,
harboring only those who stand tall in its scorching shade.
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