Going to House of Mourning

It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
for death is the destiny of every man;  ~(Ecc 7:2a)~

This afternoon, few colleagues asked me join to pay homage to late Dr Goh Keng Swee. I’ve thought abt it if given a chance, I’d like to go & see. So this afternoon, we went to Parliament House. First time for all of us. Passed through security check, and waited under the sun for there’s a queue (usual thing here), before we finally reached the inside of the House and enjoying the aircon. So there’s a rectangle hall where we all queued in row of 7, and it’s full of people, going to one direction….the late Dr Goh. Along the hall, there’re plenty display of condolence packages  from various people & companies.

The first thought accross my mind, about the Judgment Day. When throngs of people queuing for judgment. How it’s gona look like? The grandness of the place, the atmosphere, the wait, the unavoidable, unescapable, the destiny. It will be sad and terrifying thing for some… Yet i know, it’ll be day of celebration, joy, and peace. The flowers will be blooming not of condolence. The atmosphere will be full of dancing and singing instead of solemn & maundy. Yet through that crowded hall…I’m more aware of the meaning “living for audience of One.” That it’s such a terrifying thing, to enter court of Judgement (looking at the stature, design, and chair)….and times millions with the Heavenly Court. Dare we to live carelessly? Only if we know how dreadful that day would be, we’d have live wiser, in right fear of God.

Then came our turn, to see the dead body of Dr Goh. On top his body, laid his medals. I must admit, what’s written is true. Death is the destiny of every man. All man’s labor & toil all his life….end when the person died. Including all achievements, applauses, and awards. When one dies, everything is gone. The world became nothing. That’s the sobering truth.

Hence, the teacher is not wrong to conclude, that everything is meaningless. No matter what we do, everything will be left behind. No matter how much meaning we want to attach to everything, even our work and our self. When a person died, all those are left behind.

Definitely, one must look beyond death, to find meaning of life. Work of itself is meaningless, unless there’s something external to give meaning to it, which last beyond the grave. I think that’s the point the Teacher was driving to. Everything is meaningless, only something beyond death is meaningful. What’s the thing?

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