Aphorism by Sri Chinmoy [Source]
Article – On choosing peace over conflict at Write Spirit
There is a story of a man who was enamoured of wealth. He was constantly thinking of how to increase the amount of gold he had.
His wife tried to encourage him to be more spiritual and, at least occasionally, recite the name of God. But, this man was clever. He thought:
“No, during my life, I will concentrate on becoming rich; but then, on my deathbed before departing for Heaven, I will remember to say the name of God with great sincerity.”
Unfortunately for the old man, as he lay dying, he was still thinking about all his gold and how it wasn’t much use to him now. Then he died. Whether he went to Heaven or not is not recorded.
On our deathbed, it is very hard not to think about our life’s main purpose and motivation. We can’t live a life of falsehood and then expect to make a transformation on our deathbed. If we want to cultivate peace, it is best to start now before it is too late.