What really matters most or rather more in life? Everyone knows that human life is precious. So, is it more valuable than anything else? What matters more… human life or human rights? Is life more valuable than the standard upon which a democracy is founded? Compromising human rights for human life and vice verse… Is protecting democracy more important than protecting human life? Why do some people give up their lives fighting for democracy?
Matters of life and death are often the conflicting points of view in dealing with what matters most. Our stances may change significantly when issues such as abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, animal experiment, human torture becomes our accountability. The atypical thing is that most of these controversies are concerned mainly with the visible consequences.
Much of these disputes such as abortion are about whether or not it is consider murder, whether a fetus is a human being, when it is viable, and if the woman should have the choice to end her pregnancy. Those supporting capital punishment argue that society is justified in taking the life of a murderer. Hence if a woman aborts her child, is she not a murderer and the gynecologist not the accomplice? The opponents believe that justice should not involve revenge or capital punishment. Then again, what is justice to the victims?
In deciding euthanasia in both its active and passive forms, should extreme measures be taken to keep a vegetating body alive? Should an intensely suffering human being be allowed to end his life if he wishes to do so? Can doctors make such a decision? Can doctors decide that certain human beings are of less value such as the handicap, infirmity, elderly etc and therefore it was not unethical to experiment on and to “kill” them? Incidentally, most serial killers in the world happened to be doctors. Even the Hippocratic Oath, formulated in the Declaration of Geneva in 1948 is no longer part of the teaching and of the graduating ceremony of the Medical Schools in most universities.
Philosophy defines ethics as what is good for the individual and society and establishes the nature of duties that people owe themselves and one another. Though law often embodies ethical principals, law and ethics are far from co-extensive. Many acts that would be widely condemned as unethical are not prohibited by law such as lying or betraying. While the Hippocratic code was founded to ensure that medicine would remain true to its purpose of healing and promoting health but not death, nonetheless it has undermined the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the anti-life laws in many countries. How about the lives of animals? Do we have the right to make animals suffer to prove a hypothesis?
Perhaps abortion is not just a matter of killing bodies from the fear of unwanted pregnancies; is it not denying oneself and the unborn self the opportunity of working out ties that have been made in the past? Could we actually be increasing our burdens by assuming that we will never undergo the consequences of previous and present thoughts and actions? Again, what guarantee do we have that ending the life of a criminal's body will end the life of the other aspects of his being? The criminal tendencies of his thought-life may very well continue to influence others who are sensitive to them.
In the case of euthanasia, our hearts may go out to the needless pain and suffering of a person who is beyond recovery. The key point is who knows what an entity needs? Suppose we are here to learn and grow, materially and spiritually. By having a person leave his body before his time, we may be taking something he needs away from him. On the other hand, by keeping the body perfunctorily "alive," are we trying to give him something he does not need? If we were to approach all these issues with the law of cause and effect in mind, we might realize that in many cases both abortion and euthanasia are only postponing certain effects and not eliminating the problem. Is this really in the best interests of the people concerned?
Nothing can happen to one without affecting all the others. Causes and effects influence us not only on the physical plane, but also on the astral, psyche, mental, intuitional and spiritual levels. The greatest mistake we can make is to think that we can do anything as it only concerns ourselves. In truth, we are connected in so many intricate ways that our actions have a domino effect across the board. By focusing our attention on only material causes and visible effects, we are missing a great deal and may very well make things worse. Most people would agree that physical causes have physical effects, especially since they can see the immediate consequences. Yet by the same reasoning, non-material causes should have effects on non-material levels, even though they are invisible. We have lots more to deal with the outcome of a diversity of the invisible as it affects much more than our visible selves. What matters is not only matter but it shapes our thoughts and acts accordingly.
There is a lot of suffering in this world at so many different levels but how can suffering be a catalyst for transforming our lives. Painful experiences can make us question the way we have been living. They are a wake-up call. There is a moment of clarity where you know what is important to you especially when you know your time on earth is limited for the view from the edge of life is a lot clearer than most of us have. They make people think more deeply about things and ask themselves “What is important? What really matters? How do I want to spend my days and What matters?" These questions can change our lives and the lives of people around us. Nobody is ever going to said, "If I die, I'm going to miss my BMW" What really matters is who you have touched on your way through life, who has touched you and cared deeply, and what you are leaving behind as your legacy in the hearts and lives of those around you. There is meaning in everything we do. Most of us live far more meaningful lives than we know. Only a sense of meaning can satisfy whatever emptiness in us. At the end of life, when people look back to see what matter, it will not be what they bought and what they owned. It is about what they reaching out and helping others. It is all about the love they gave and received… one heart at a time.
What matters most in life is different for each and every one of us. We all have our own unique and individual priorities, priorities that define us for who we are and what we stand for. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you. What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what. Life is not a matter of circumstance but of choice. Choose to live a life that matters.
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