1.
We mortals live in the fear of death. We do not realise that `death’ is
a reliever of pain and `death’ also is a leveller, for it is said :
sceptre and crown in dust be equal made. The greatest wonder is that
whilst we see others die we don’t believe that we are also going to die.
We little realise that death is a certainty. There is a saying in Guru
Granth Saheb that implies death is a certainty.
‘Jo UPJIO so bins hai karo aaj ke kaaj’. Translated it means : Everything that is born must die – don’t greave, do today’s work.
2. The question is : what is death? Philosophers say : birth and death are two sides of the same coin – and are the threads which weave life. Death also gives birth when bible propounds the concept that ‘unless a seed dies it can produce no grain. A seed has to cease to be itself in order to be a source of life to others’.
I believe that ‘death’ is a friend who is born with me, walks with me,
laughs with me and weeps with me – the only thing I don’t know when he
is going to ask me to walk with him. This uncertainty brings in the fear
of the unknown. To face this uncertainty we have to accept death as
reality and be ready for it and do what Leonardo da Vinci said ‘while I
thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to
die’. Let us learn how to die. Death is not to be feared.
3. The next question is : what does death do!
Death converts a person into a thought – memory. It makes us realise
that the physical body of ours comes with an expiry date and death is a
painful truth – nay – just truth. It at times impels us to think ‘life
is an illusion’. It also teaches us to reflect on our actions – in other
words – check our actions on the touchstone of morality.
4. Have we noticed that persons belonging to a particular sect apply Bhasma on their forehead! They probably believe that bhasma reminds them and prepares them to meet ‘death’ as ultimately body turns into Bhasma – ash. What a wonderful way to live with death.
5.
There is another way of viewing death. For those of us who believe in
the concept of re-incarnation – there is no death – because death is
only a comma and not a full stop. Hal Borland has put this concept
beautifully in words when he says ‘your end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instil in us’.
Every birth is an experience gatherer. Our philosophy of karma also
propounds the concept that we take birth again and again to live the
result of our good and bad actions.
6. Have we ever observed our
reactions at someone’s death. Death at 25 is shocking, at 50 it causes
anguish and at or after 70 death is accepted as a norm. We say either he
lived well or he is relieved of his pain and suffering.
7.
Swami Sukhabodhananda says: ‘Death is the most critical defining feature
of life. When you die, you are making the ultimate desirable assertion
that you have been alive. In fact, death is a precondition to life’.
8.
We have to realise that there should be no fear of an event that is
certain – death. We need to live life – live it and enjoy it because
life is worth living as it is a gift from God. Whilst enjoying life, the
one death we should seek is the death of ego.
9. I would conclude by quoting Osho :
‘It is not whether life exists after death. The real question is :Whether you are alive before death?
NB:
The author attempts every morning to ask himself the question : How
will I live this day if it was my last day – so should we all. The
answer, friends, would reflect the answer to the question asked by OSHO.
