Fear of Death - A new Outlook

When we have born in this planet, we could not make few choices such as :

1. Whose family we want to be born? The King or beggar?

2. The colour of our skin.

3. Free from any deformities.

We were not certain about what will happen in our life as we pass by since the 'manufacturer' (Creator) has not provided the 'Manual of our life' for our reference. Alas! Even if He has given, life would have been hell as we will know every little details of our future. Nature has blanked out the 'past' life memory & 'unknown future' for our peace. Some of the spiritual aspirants go through 'Regression' to know their past life. I don't dare to do it because 'If I come to know that my neighbor has murdered me in the previous birth, it will become hell in this life !! Many times 'Ignorance is bliss'.

One thing is certain in life we have all born with a 'death warrant' as we are certain that we have to depart from this planet leaving all that we are attached to. While we have classified 'birth' as auspicious we declared 'death' as inauspicious. This is stupid to me as when beginning is good, end cannot be bad. Nature would not have kept anything which is unnecessary. Just because we don't know anything about creator's intention we cannot criticise it.

The snake dies in a graceful manner. The enlightened masters say snake is the most evolved species which knows when it has to depart from life gracefully. That is the reason it occupies the greatest position in Lord Shiva's neck. The snake also knows when it's days have come to end and it climbs the top of the tree and lies down in a branch without food. In this process it gradually dies. This is the way an enlightened masters dies in a lotus posture while all mundane human beings dies in a lying down posture.

We are so attached with all nonsense and want to cling here for ever till nature throws us out of this body. If we don't know 'Art of dying' we cannot learn the 'Art of living'. When we are realistic about the ephemeral aspect of life and the inevitable death, life becomes a celebration and you enjoy a Freedom.

Beware one thing: All that you possess does not belong to you as it can be used by you temporarily and not for ever.

Finally, as Lord Buddha said "Learn to die gracefully like a sun set". When the sun sets, it is beautiful and relaxed with a 'let go' attitude. Please don't wait for the 'Wake up call' for death and cultivate the habit of accepting death as a celebration the Almighty has planned. Learn to live like a 'Lotus' flower that has born in water, lives in water & dies in water but never makes any contact with the water.

Remind yourself that all that you possess is not yours except the divine essence that resides in you as that is the only truth. Daily cultivate a sense of surrender and thank God for all that is happening in your life either challenge or happiness.

Jai Gurudev.
NC