The Victory over death?

Somebody tried to pull me away saying, 'l don't think you want to see this' but I struggled free and insisted, 'Leave me alone — I want to know what's happening. Then I noticed that the machine recording Bruce's heartbeat had stopped beeping which indicated that he was not alive and I suddenly realized what had really happened. Yet I still refused to believe the unbelievable. I was convinced that Bruce would always win through. He had so much life and vitality; he generated so much inner force and had such control over his mind and his body; he had fought his way out of so many adverse situations and survived so much. I simply could not accept that he would not win through as he had in May.

When I asked the doctor, I did not use the word 'dead'; it was not a word I could use about Bruce. Instead I asked, 'Is he alive?' The doctor shook his head.

-The Life and Tragic Death of Bruce Lee by his wife, Linda [pdf]

Certainly, above statement had really touched me when I read the book. I was indeed preparing my presentation on English in the Sixth semester, BCE. I was a real fan of Bruce Lee since my childhood. He has been a figure of inspiration in world of martial art today. A spectacular person who could end fights in a few seconds.

His wife had a great expectation from Bruce Lee. He was a legend for her. But the evening of Lee’s life was a real thrill and unbelievable myth for Linda. She couldn’t even use the word ‘dead’ for Bruce Less shows her deep confident in him. However, Lee was already in his final breath. A dynamic man who gained such an amazing status in martial art was defeated straight by death.

The death has been one of the dreadful and miserable thought for man. No matter how much fame he gains in any field, his final destination is either grave, tomb or cremation on this earth. I never thought that every new born ones have to die once. We all know how miserable it is to feel death.

Every great rulers, scientists, conquerors, traitors, dictators, social workers, reformers, philosophers, etc. had to end up with death. What remains today is their contribution, inspiration, influence, reformation, lessons, and memories in museums.

In our motivational seminars, we often hear those names that really generates new vigour and stamina in us. Nelson Mandela, Lincoln, Einstein, Vivekanand, Shankrachaarya, Gandhi, Bruce Lee, Mother Teresa, Rabindranath Tagore, Kalidas, et al. have been great heroes of inspiration and motivation for us. However, they left their contributions and memories but not themselves. Every of them had morning and evening of their life.

Today, consciousness of man says him that one day he has to die so why not live every day as his final life and always do good deeds for better environment. Nobody knows when h/she shall have their last breath. We came to this world and we have to return back again. There is nothing we brought with us when we born and again nothing we are going to take with us after we die. A sad reality it is that everyone is under the rule of death.

However, in midst of human crowd in the history, we can see a radically distinct person who is unusually different from any others. The man came miraculously with many prophecies before his birth. He descended to our world without any natural phenomena. A mighty man who spoke words of wonder and did works of splendor. He was humble and considerate. He was barrier for the then dictators and religious dominions. His life was an example for humanity though he had no luxurious life but a life of suffering servant in this world. He became a part of human suffering but never stumbled. His practical life was itself motivating and inspiring. His whole life was a lesson to us.

This man stood radically different not just for his incredible teaching and miracles. He stood distinct from other in something that no one ever could achieved in their life. As I began my words from Bruce Lee and going down along the flow circulating famous legends of human history, my elevator now rests on the ground where this man stands. He is outstanding for his victory over death!

This is of course hard for human consciousness to accept. Even proficient dharma gurus of yoga and meditation do not dare to revive others after their death thinking it as law of nature. Even a person who by chance gets revived again dies. No mere medical science and technology have become so far capable to make human immortal or revive them after their death.

All other accomplishments ended at death but His accomplishments began after his victory over the death. All others are tagged today with either legend or dead but He has been tagged with once dead but living [Rev. 1:18]. People have their hope resting in teachings and contributions of great personalities of this world but we have our hope resting upon in this very man.

Reading the book about Bruce Lee, I then realized how special was it for us to believe such a Man who got victory over the death. We usually limit him in printed words but never give a time to get into a dynamic realization of how it really feels to know that our center of faith is a real Bruce Lee who won even the death.

This Bruce Lee we know by name ‘Jesus’ of our faith is the center of our hope. No matter how much struggle and pain we have to face in our daily life, we must never forget that Jesus had to face even greater pains and suffering so that he can feel us and be with us every time as solution [Heb. 2:18]. Our faith is resting upon a man who conquered death [1 Cor. 15:55-57]. With his victory over the death, our trust and hope in him becomes even stronger because we merely do not follow a teaching, motivation, inspiration and influence but the living source itself [1 Cor. 15:14, 17].   

Finally, it was God himself who showed human that they need him indeed. It was God himself who broke the chains of power of death. Just this mighty act of defeating death has made him to stand infinitely greater and incompatible than any humans ever lived since history. Man, even with his knowledge, wisdom, training and experience couldn’t defeat death but God, whom man today has made a part of myth and mockery, defeated death.