Yaksha Prashne

My last blog entry was washed out in a power cut due to heavy rains. I will attempt to resurrect it in this entry.
A few nights ago, as I was tossing and turning in the middle of the night, not unusual for me because of my profession as a doctor taking calls in the hospital. I am not sleep deprived either.
Anyway, as I was tossing around in the bed, I remembered the story of "Yaksha Prashne" (Yaksha's questions) from the epic Maha Bharatha. I had read it long time ago, as a child.
For those who are not familiar with the Hindu mythology, Maha Bharatha is the story of cousins fighting over land and woman, but it is also the story that encompasses the Hindu thought on right and wrong, good and evil and most importantly, one's carrying out his duty without regard to the results. I feel that the stories of Maha Bharatha, while part of Indian life, haven't received enough credit or publicity in the western world. It is a shame because the stories are as intriguing and fascinating as the greek mythology.
I couldn't remember the story in detail. All I could remember was the last question, where, the Yaksha asks Yudhishtira, "what is the greatest surprise of all in the world? " Yudhishtira answers, "People see others die each and every day, yet they wish to live forever (or they think they would live forever)".
So, I woke up googled "Yaksha Prashne" and spent the next hour reading about it.
Stories like these give me perspective. When I see others going crazy with the building of their little empires (I am referring to some physicians I know in the valley), and comparatively, I am taking it easy and sometimes worry about it, I recount these stories to reiterate the silliness and fleeting nature of life.