The idea of living a very long life makes sense to me only when that life is lived with meaning. A long life should be fulfilled, happy, peaceful, prosperous, and abundant—but not just for ourselves. It should also be a life where we help and uplift others. As the saying goes, Manava Sevaye Madhava Seva—service to humanity is service to the divine. I truly believe this is something we must practice in our lives.
For all this to happen, good health is essential. We must enjoy life, but at the same time remain mindful of our limits. Instead of doing too much and unknowingly harming our health, we should learn balance and take care of ourselves. Only then can we live meaningfully and be of use to others for a long time.
When I first read this prompt, I remembered a keerthana of Saint Annamacharya
dīpiñchu vairāgyadivya saukhyaṃ biyya-
nōpakarā nannu noḍabarapuchu ।
paipaine saṃsārabandhamula gaṭṭēvu
nāpaluku chellunā nārāyaṇā ॥
Meaning : (For me) to shine in ascetic/celibate word(devoid of wordly desires) that gives heavenly happiness, is it not that you did not have patience and persuaded me( into the wordly desires)? and superficially built this mundane existence with restraints of relations. Will my word influence you? Narayana!
Ultimately, I believe we all move toward the same destination. Reaching Him is the true purpose of life. Moksha—liberation from the cycle of birth and death—is the final goal, and the thought of it fills me with deep peace and happiness.
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