Life Involves Destruction

[Ms Tercy Lonan]

Life Involves Destruction

We find that this entire world and the life of man is pervaded by destruction. Without destruction there can be no life. The destruction is ultimately a part of a continuous constructive process. This philosophy of destruction can be realised even through an observation and a study of

man’s everyday life. Annagatah Pranah refers to man’s life which is founded upon physical body.
If we withdraw this food, man’s body cannot last. Let us take this process of nourishing the body
and keeping up life. The very process of producing food is based upon a continuous series of
destruction. We have first of all—if we desire to cultivate grain—to destroy all thorns, weeds and
jungle-growth upon the surface of the earth. Then we have to break the surface of the earth and we
have the implements which are driven into the earth; the earth is, as it were, wounded. Then we have
to sow the seed which dies in order that it may sprout forth into a plant. This process of destruction
continues when the grain is produced. We have to husk it. It destroys the outer covering, then the
grain is got. If it is to be converted into food, we have to destroy trees for timber with the cruel axe.
This firewood in its turn has got to immolate itself in the flame. Thus destroying itself, it gives up
heat and thus the food is cooked. Upon the table man destroys the food. The form, the shape and the
nature of the food are destroyed. Until it reaches his body and manifests there as vitality, a series of
the process of destruction has got to go on. This is only one typical instance. Like that we may
observe any part of man’s life upon earth; and we will find that whatever is built is based upon a
series of apparent destructions. The sum-total of it is found to achieve the desired result of ultimate
construction.
Upon a much larger scale also we find that this process is inevitable for the very sustenance
of life upon earth. If the process of destruction of the human body at death were not to be, then we
would never need a Malthus to confront us with the frightful theory that there would not be enough
space or food to house and feed the overpopulated earth. Overpopulation is a terrible spectre which
is not visible to the ordinary layman; but to the economist and the politician who have got a
world-view of things. Overpopulation is a constant menace to mankind. It is the institution of this
destructive aspect of the Mother as death and annihilation of the physical body that keeps the
spectre of overpopulation at bay and also saves mankind. In spite of this, when the population on
earth far exceeds the capacity of man to produce the necessities of life, a situation is there before
mankind which makes him tremble, a situation which baffles the politician and the economist.

There again steps in the Benign Power of the all-compassionate and loving Mother in Her
destructive aspect. Man does not know how to stem this tide of menacing overpopulation; She
manifests as an earth-quake, as a war, as a widespread famine, as floods, as epidemic the cosmic
aspect.
Therefore, we find in all processes of human life if each of the several processes is taken, by
itself, we find that even the most constructive process is nothing but an ultimate culmination of a
series of necessary and inevitable destructive processes—destructive as conceived by man. To the
ordinary mind destruction usually implies the removal of anything from existence, a thing that is,
when destroyed, ceases to be. This philosophy of the ceasing to be in one form and developing or
progressing into another form is the very basis for this conception of the Mother as the
all-destroying Durga or Kali. It is this philosophy of destruction that is ultimately found to be a
philosophy of transcendence. It is the outcome, the necessity, of transcending the lower, if we have
to reach the higher. It is a process of destroying the gross in order that scope may be given for the
manifestation of the subtle. We have to destroy darkness if light has to come in. We have to
transcend impurity, if we have to reach purity. Imperfection is destroyed if perfection is to be
gained. Even so the lesser is destroyed to give place to the greater.