Ukufuna Ubomi Obude

UKUFUNA ukuphila ubomi obude ngakumbi yinto ekudala ikho phantse njengobomi ngokwabo. Ngoko akumangalisi ukuba imbali, eyamandulo neyanamhla, inamabali neentsomi ezininzi zabantu abafuna imfihlelo yobomi obude.

Ngokomzekelo, imbali esekelwe kwintelekelelo isixelela ukuba umhloli-lizwe waseSpeyin uJuan Ponce de León wayefuna umthombo wobutsha xa wathabatha uhambo oluya emantla esuka ePuerto Rico ngonyaka we-1513. Kodwa abantu awayephila nabo bathi wathabatha olo hambo ukuya kufuna amakhoboka nomhlaba omtsha. Wafumana, kungekhona umthombo wokuzibuyisela ebutsheni, kodwa oko namhlanje kubizwa ngokuba yiFlorida. Noko ke, elo bali lihleli likho.

Xa sibuyela emva, umbongo ongokwembali wesiAkkadian kaGilgamesh, othatyathwe kumacwecwe odongwe awayekho ngaphambi kwenkulungwane ye-18 B.C.E., uchaza indlela awathi uGilgamesh wazala ngayo luloyiko lokufa ngemva kokufa komhlobo wakhe uEnkidu. Ichaza uhambo lwakhe nemigudu yakhe enzima kodwa engenampumelelo yokufumana ukungafi.

Kutshanje, ngowe-1933, kwinoveli yakhe ethi Lost Horizon, uJames Hilton wazoba ilizwe lentelekelelo elibizwa ngokuba yiShangri-la. Apho abemi babenandipha ubomi obuphantse bube bobufezekileyo nobandiswe kakhulu kwiimeko ezifana nezeparadisi.

Nanamhlanje, kukho abo bazinikele ekusukeleni amacebo angaqhelekanga athembisa ubomi obuphuculiweyo nobude ngakumbi. Noko ke, abanye balandela iindlela ezisebenzisekayo. Balandela imilinganiselo engqongqo yezempilo okanye babambelela ngokungqongqo kuhlobo oluthile lokutya nakucwangciso lokwenza umthambo. Bathemba ukuba oku kuya kubanceda bakhangeleke bebatsha yaye bazive bephilile.

Konke oku kugxininisa umnqweno osisiseko wabantu wokuphila ubomi obude ngakumbi, nobonwabisayo.

Imbono Engokwenzululwazi

Uhlolisiso olungokwaluphala neengxaki zabalupheleyo ziye zaba ngumbandela onzulu ngokwenzululwazi. Izazinzulu ezaziwayo zivakalelwa kukuba zisondele ekufumaniseni unobangela wokwaluphala. Zimbi zicinga ukuba ukwaluphala kufakwe kwimizila yemfuza. Ezinye zivakalelwa kukuba ngokuyintlanganisela kubangelwa zizifo ezenzakalisayo nezinto eziyingozi eziveliswa yinkqubo yokwetyiswa kokutya emzimbeni. Sekunjalo abanye bathi ukwaluphala kubangelwa ngamadlala okanye yinkqubo yokuzikhusela komzimba. Izazinzulu zivakalelwa kukuba ukuba unobangela wokwaluphala unokuqondwa, ngoko mhlawumbi kunokupheliswa.

Kusukelo lokungafi, umahluko okhoyo phakathi kwenzululwazi namabali entelekelelo engokwenzululwazi uya usiba nzima ngakumbi nangakumbi ukuwuqonda. ICloning ngomnye umzekelo woku. Oku kukuveliswa komzimba ofana twatse nomzimba kabani okwenziwa ngobuchule ngokusetyenziswa kweeseli nemizila yemfuza. Ngoko, njengoko amalungu omzimba esifa okanye esilela, kunokuthatyathwa ilungu elitsha kula mzimba wenziweyo lize lifakwe emzimbeni kabani, kanye njengoko intsimbi eyaphukileyo yenqwelo-mafutha ithatyathelw’ indawo yintsimbi entsha. Ezinye izazinzulu zithi kucingelwa ukuba akukho mda umiselweyo ngoko kunokwenziwa ngokwakhiwa komzimba ofana nokabani.

Ngokubhekele phaya kukho inkqubo ebizwa ngokuba yicryonics. Abacebi bayo bayichaza ngokuthi, xa umntu esifa umzimba unokukhenkciswa ukuwulondoloza kude kube lixesha lokufumaneka konyango loko kunganyangekiyo namhlanje. Ngoko umzimba unokukhululwa emkhenkceni, uvuswe, uze ubuyiselwe kwimeko obukuyo ngaphambili​—⁠ngethemba lokuba wobuyela ebomini obude nobonwabisa ngakumbi.

Xa sikhangela imigudu enjalo nenkcitho yezigidi ezingenakubalwa zeerandi kuphando, ube yintoni umphumo? Ngaba sisondele kusini na ekukhululekeni kwidyokhwe yokufa kunokuba ayenjalo onke loo mawaka ezigidi zabantu awayephila aze afa ngaphambi kwethu?

Ayintoni Amathemba?

Ngokusuka kwizimemezo nokuxela kusengaphambili okukhuthazayo okwenziwe ngabanye babo baye babandakanyeka kuphando olunjalo, kusengabonakala ngathi ubomi obude ngakumbi kunobo sibuqhelileyo sele busondele. Nantsi imizekelo embalwa eyacholacholwa ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yee-1960.

“Ulwazi esilufumana kuphando olunjengolu luya kusinika izixhobo zokulwa notshaba lokugqibela​—⁠Ukufa⁠—​silushenxise ngokupheleleyo igunya lalo. Luya kwenza ukungafi kube yinto enokufikeleleka . . . Kusenokubakho kwelethu ixesha.”​—⁠nguAlan E. Nourse, ugqirha okwangumbhali.

“Siya kuyoyisa ngokupheleleyo ingxaki yokwaluphala, ukuze iingozi zibe kuphela konobangela osisiseko wokufa.”​—⁠nguAugustus B. Kinzel, owayesakuba ngumongameli weZiko iSalk leZifundo zeBhayoloji.

“Ukungafi (ngengqiqo yobomi obolulwe ngokungenasiphelo) ngokusengqiqweni kuyinto enokwenzeka, kungekhona nje kuphela kubantwana bethu kodwa nakuthi.”​—⁠NguRobert C. W. Ettinger, kwiThe Prospect of Immortality.

Nangona ngelo xesha yayingezizo zonke izazinzulu ngokwaluphala kwabantu nabaphengululi ababenelo hlombe, into ezazivumelana ngayo zonke iingcali yabonakala ikukuba ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yama-21, ukwaluphala kuya kube kulawuleka buze ubomi bandiswe ngendlela ephawulekayo.

Ngoku ekubeni sisondele kakhulu ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yama-21, injani imeko? Ngaba ubomi obude ngakumbi, singasathethi nto ngokungafi, buyinto enokufikeleleka? Qwalasela oku kuye kwaphawulwa.

“Izazinzulu ezininzi ngokwaluphala kwabantu ziyakuvuma ukuba la ngamaxesha adidayo kakhulu kuthi. Asimazi unobangela wokwaluphala, singakwazi nokulinganisa umkhamo wokwaluphala ngendlela echanileyo ngokwemichiza.”​—⁠IJournal of Gerontology, kaSeptemba 1986.

“Akukho namnye uyazi ngokuchanileyo into eyiyo inkqubo yokwaluphala okanye isizathu sokuba yahluke kubantu ngabantu. Kungekho nabani na ukwaziyo ukwandisa ubude bobomi babantu, phezu kwawo nje amabango adla ngokuba ngawenkohliso yaye ayingozi ngamathuba athile abathengisi ‘besoluli bomi’ nabanye abarhweba ngokungekho mthethweni kumaxhala nezigulo zabalupheleyo.”​—⁠FDA Consumer, ulindixesha ongokwasemthethweni woMbutho woKutya neZiyobisi waseUnited States, Oktobha 1988.

Izinto ezithethwe kwixesha elidluleyo ngokoyisa ukufa nokolulwa kobomi ngokungenasiphelo ngokucacileyo zivakaliswe ngehlombe eligqithiseleyo. Ukungafi okunokubangelwa yinzululwazi kuseliphupha elingenakwenzeka. Ngaba oku kuthetha ukuba de kubekho impumelelo ebalaseleyo kwinzululwazi okanye kubugcisa, akukho nto inokwenziwa ukwandisa okanye ubuncinane ukuphucula ubomi?

Ngaba Ubomi Obude Nobonwabisa Ngakumbi Bunokufumaneka Ngoku?

Nangona abaphengululi bengayifumananga imfihlelo yobomi obude, bafunde okuninzi ngobomi nenkqubo yokwaluphala. Yaye inxalenye yenkcazelo efunyenweyo ukuza kuthi ga ngoku inokusetyenziswa ngeyona ndlela ilungileyo.

Ngokomzekelo, ulingelo olwenziwe ngezilwanyana lutyhile ukuba “ukondliwa kancinane kunokuyandisa iminyaka yokuphila ngaphezu kwama-50 ekhulwini kuze kukulibazise ukuvela nomlinganiselo weengxaki ezininzi ezihlobene nokwaluphala,” itsho njalo iThe Times yaseLondon. Oku kuye kwakhokelela ekwenziweni kohlolisiso lokufumanisa enoba oku kunganjalo kusini na ngabantu.

Ngokomphumo, kwincwadi yakhe ethi The 120-Year Diet, uGqr. Roy Walford uncomela uhlobo lokutya okuneekalori ezincinane, amafutha amancinane nokunesondlo esininzi kunye nocwangciso oluhle lokwenza umthambo. Walatha kubantu baseOkinawa njengomzekelo. Xa kuthelekiswa uhlobo lokutya abakutyayo nolo lomntu nje oqhelekileyo waseJapan, olwabo luneekhalori ezingaphantsi ngama-40 ekhulwini; kanti ‘banabantu abaphila de babe nekhulu leminyaka ubudala ababaphinda izihlandlo ezihlanu ukuya kwezingama-40 abanye abemi beziqithi zaseJapan.’

Abantu bomthonyama bommandla waseCaucasus kwintshona Rashiya bangomnye umzekelo ocatshulwa ngokufuthi wabantu abaphila ubomi obude. USula Benet, owahlala phakathi kwabantu baseCaucasus, kwincwadi yakhe ethi How to Live to Be 100 wanikela ingxelo yokuba inani eliphakame ngokungaqhelekanga labo bantu baphila ubomi bokuba sempilweni yaye bezigcina bexakekile bafikelela ngaphaya kweminyaka eli-100 ubudala, yaye kuthiwa abaliqela baye baphila iminyaka engaphezu kwe-140. Waphawula ukuba “kukho oothunywashe ababini abangaguqukiyo kuhlobo lokutya lwaseCaucasus: 1. Abatyi ngokugqithiseleyo . . . 2. Batya isixa esikhulu sevithamini zendalo kwimifuno emitsha.” Ukongezelela, “umsebenzi wabo awubenzi nje kuphela bakwazi ukwenza umthambo kodwa ukwabenza balazi igalelo elinentsingiselo abanalo ebuthweni labo.”

Oko Unokukwenza

Ngaba ukufudukela eOkinawa okanye eCaucasus okanye komnye ummandla apho abantu bakhona banandipha ubomi obude ngakumbi kusisicombululo? Ngokuqinisekileyo akunjalo. Kodwa zikho izinto onokuzenza. Unokuxelisa imikhwa elungileyo yabo bantu baphila ubomi obude yaye ulandele icebiso loogqirha, izazinzulu ngezondlo, namagcisa ezempilo afanelekileyo.

Phantse xa bebonke bancomela ubomi bobungcathu. Oku akuthethi ukuba uxhalabele nje kuphela isixa sokutya okutyayo kodwa kukwathetha ukuphaphela ukutya izidlo ezinesondlo nezinempilo ezifumanekayo kuwe. Ukwenza umthambo rhoqo nako kunemiphumo emihle. Umgudu ofanelekileyo wokusebenzisa le migaqo nowokuyeka imikhwa eyenzakalisayo yebutho lanamhlanje, enjengokutshaya nokusetyenziswa kakubi kweziyobisi notywala, ngokuqinisekileyo ziya kukwenza uzive uphilile.

Ngokusengqiqweni, okukhona siyiphatha kakuhle imizimba yethu, kokukhona siya kuba sempilweni ngakumbi. Yaye okukhona sisempilweni, kokukhona siya kuba namathuba okuphila ubomi obude ngakumbi. Noko ke, kungakhathaliseki ukuba senza ntoni na, umlinganiselo wobude bobomi uhlala ungulowo useBhayibhileni weminyaka engama-70 okanye engama-80. (INdumiso 90:10) Ngaba kukho naliphi na ithemba lokuba obu bude bobomi buya kuze bandiswe, yaye ukuba likho, buya kwandiswa kangakanani? 

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 25]

UMDALA KANGAKANANI?

Enoba uyakuqonda oku okanye akunjalo, umdala ngakumbi kunokuba usenokucinga. Inzululwazi yebhayoloji isixelela ukuba ekuzalweni, iziyilelo-maqanda zebhinqa sele zinawo onke amaqanda eliya kuze liwavelise. Oku kuthetha ukuba ukuba umama wakho wayeneminyaka engama-30 ubudala ngexesha lokukhawulwa kwakho, iqanda elathi ekugqibeleni laba nguwe lalisele lineminyaka engama-30 ubudala.

Ngokunokwenzeka oko akukwenzi uvakalelwe umdala ngakumbi, kodwa mhla ngamnye, uya usiba mdala ngakumbi. Enoba sibancinane okanye sibadala, sonke siyaluphala, yaye inkoliso yethu inomdla ekuyilibaziseni le nkqubo​—⁠kungenjalo inomdla ekuyinqumamiseni.