“It’s like chasing a mirage. There’s a story I read of this guy who’s dying of thirst in a desert. He sees a mirage and runs towards it, only to find nothing. He sees another mirage a while later. He’s aware of his situation now, but he runs anyway because he’s dying. This is what we all are doing. We know that nothing can give one that sense of permanence and psychological security that one is craving for…” *
– Sushant Singh Rajput
DNA INDIA (2017)
My social media feed is filled with the news of the sad demise of Sushant Singh Rajput. I am not a Bollywood fan, but I remembered him from his stellar performance in the movie MS Dhoni: An Untold Story. Twitter is filled with the outpouring of emotion as this handsome, rising star as many people put it had “gone too soon.” An overwhelming response of shock has been pouring in from all quarters, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, actors Akshay Kumar, Rithesh Kumar Deshmukh, and even other sports stars. As I read the online news articles, I wondered what could have prompted a successful young guy to take his own life, by suicide. He was just a couple of years older than me, and it seemed like he had his life together. He was one of Bollywood’s recent heart-throbs, and one of the few actors who shot to fame almost overnight.
As I read through numerous news articles online, my eyes fell on an interview he had given in 2016. In this, he speaks about his mother and the great impact her sudden demise had on him. He goes on to elaborate on the purpose of life, and success in the light of her loss. He says “Now, there are times when people and sometimes you tell yourself that you should be happy because of these things but you are not happy. It’s like chasing a mirage. There’s a story I read of this guy who’s dying of thirst in a desert. He sees a mirage and runs towards it, only to find nothing. He sees another mirage a while later. He’s aware of his situation now, but he runs anyway because he’s dying. This is what we all are doing. We know that nothing can give one that sense of permanence and psychological security that one is craving for.” As I read these sentences the sense of helplessness, he might have been feeling just hit me strongly. It almost echoed the words of King Solomon from the Bible, he said “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
In these times of uncertainty when young and old alike are succumbing to a deadly virus, it seems beyond tragic to see a young life pass through this world as he put it like a ‘mirage.’ Although there are no official statements made on why he chose to end his life, something beyond success, fame, and money refused to make him stay and fight this life.
All of us as humans experience our own chunk of loss and grief. The loss of a loved one, failure in our professional lives – hopelessness all around us. But what can give us hope amidst this roller-coaster that is life? If fame, success, and power do not cut it, what could?
Paul a follower of Jesus, who was once a famous rabbi, later endured many difficulties and was even put to death for his faith in Jesus. He said, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” That’s right! These temporary difficulties in life are nothing because life does not end here on earth, it starts here. When all things around you seem to go wrong, and life seems unlivable would you consider eternal life and the hope that Jesus offers? Just talk to him and let him know how you feel and if you would like to reach out to us
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