Do not go gentle into that good night

Sometimes you just have to bust out the classics:

by Dylan Thomas
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Are you devout in your worship of a god?

Taking a brief tangent from my typical business related posting here: I came across this quote today and absolutely love it!

"Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones" - unknown

I think this hits the proverbial nail on the head about religious practice, the fear of falling short in devotion to a God that drives so many people to a house of worship on a regular basis, and the whole "what if there is, what if there isn't a God" debate.

Unfortunately, this quote falls short on the definition of what is a good life. Various cultural norms, differences in moral standards, you're life experiences (including how you were raised), and much more, all contribute to an individual's standard of what is a "good life." The best guide I've come across that transcends these challenges comes from the Buddha: All sentient beings suffer and therefore you should show compassion to them all.

Compassion - seems like such a simple word, yet in practice, it's amazingly complex.

Any thoughts?