THE ART OF DYING………… September 26, 2009

The Art of dying …………

People have been learning and transforming their lives through the Art of living.

But have we ever spared any thoughts to art of dying?

During our life , are’nt we burdened by the constant fear of dying?

Don’t we live in constant fear of losing our loved ones?

We keep on calling up our loved ones  on their mobiles , get worried to death ,if they do not pick up the call , or their cell is discharged. We think of worst possible things about our loved ones , call up their friends , their neighbours .

Can we ever change the destiny , if we were to die or we were to lose some loved ones ?

If not , then why can’t we make the moments of our life and those of our loved ones full of life by having thoughts of love , of their joy and what we  can do to add to richness of their lives , rather than think of all the worst thoughts for them. If I know I have got everything that life has to give , in every moment of my existence , and tried to give everything to our loved ones that they may require from life  , and made their life beautiful , joyous and blissful , would I not embrace death as the next beautiful thing that life has to offer .

We go to the malls and buy the dress we admire most . we love to wear it at all important occasions . we keep it tucked in for future . However there comes a time when the dress starts exhibiting signs of wear and tear . We still can’t get over our attachment for the dress. However , we avoid wearing it on  special occasions . Then comes a  time ,when we lose interest in the  dress and discard it.

We go to the mall once again and buy another dress …we love to wear it on special occasions . …..and the cycle continues .

Are we scared to death every time we wear the dress that we may lose it ?  Do we let the joy of wearing the dress we loved most,  be ruined by fear that one day we will be discarding it.

No ! We don’t. In fact after a certain time we lose interest in that dress and look forward to get a chance to buy a new dress  , or we feel happier if some one gifts us a new dress.

Same thing happens when we buy a new car . After a certain period when the car has done a critical mileage , requires constant service and care , breaks down too frequently , don’t we look forward to getting a chance to discard the old car ..and get a new car . we even go to the extent of taking loan to buy a new car compromising the future quality of our life.

But then why does it happen that  ……………..

Knowing that , I am a soul  , and this body is just a dress that I love so much , I love to show off on special occasions , knowing that with time it would show wear and tear , and ultimately I would be discarding it , and go on to get another new dress , should I ruin every moment of my life by fear, that one day I would be discarding it.

If I can  look forward to discard the worn out dress , my old car (my body ) and accept with the spontaneous joy , getting a new dress, my new car  (new body ) , then I have mastered the art of Dying . My life would now be a bliss because I am no more afraid of dying.

II

The immortal one ………………

He wanted to live for ever .

He tried different medicines , did not work . He became more sick because of medicines.

He went to different Gurus. None would however , teach him the secrets of how to live forever.

He went  to the jungles . He was scared of the wild animals . As the night grew and the animals started to roam around  , he fled from the jungles too.

He climbed the mountains and walked in the snow . All he could get was frostbite.

He was tired and needed some place to rest.

It was then , that He remembered the Father. He did not realize when he dozed off.

He woke up to an aura of light surrounding him. He was blinded by the intensity of light .

But He was comfortable . a kind of bliss .

He did not even know why he was there . what he wanted from Father.

Father asked him “ what are you searching for “

“I want to be immortal” He answered.

“and what do you mean by being immortal “ , father asked.

He was a bit confused . “ I want to live for ever “ He said .

“Does it means you want to live in the time which has no beginning and no end “

“ Yes “ , He said . Happy that Father has made his task of explaining immortality so simple.

“ But it is very simple . any one can attain this state .”

“How “ He was excited .

“ I have been teaching you to detach yourself from Past . The moment ,that is detached from the past and is unencumbered by the desires for future, is that moment .

If you can live in a moment which is not linked to past and is disconnected from future and  because that moment has no beginning and no end , it would be an infinite moment .

Living in infinite moment is being immortal.

Therefore , if you wish to be an immortal ,practice detachment from past and desires of the future.

But if you have been searching immortality in past and want to be immortal in future , you are still linked to past and future , you can never be immortal .”

He had learnt  the secret of immortality. He had also learnt not to desire immortality. Also in the infinite moment with Father , he had attained immortality .

He did not want to live forever and had mastered the art of dying and in doing so he became  the immortal one.

III

DYING …………TO CONTINUE

LIVING

Why  are we scared of death .

Is death something , we need to be scared of?

You can be living every moment and dying every moment . we take great pride in learning sciences , but we do not seem to  learn from the sciences. Ask any Doctor or any biologist , what is the basic unit of death ? The answer would be –Cell .

Ask him what happens to the cells in body of any human being , or for that matter any animal ?

The answer would be –Millions of cells are dying every minute , and are being born every minute .

Ask them –is the human or animal body dying every minute ? The answer would be No . Is it not a contradiction ? The basic unit of body is dying every minute but we are living .

It is this contradiction which we find hard to understand .

For that matter , we hardly accept contradiction . Anything which goes against my belief system . I am not willing to accept. But if we can learn from this contradiction , we would never ever be scared of death .

Going back to the original question . Why are we scared of death ? the most common answers would be

1. What happens to my wife , my children , my dependents ? The question is based on one basic premise –I am providing for them (EGO) . Will my dependents die with me , if I die ? -No . Yes , The life may be tough for them , but that may have to do more with their Karmic account than anything else .
2. Oh God ,I have just started this new business . I would have acquired so and so company . I could have acquired little more wealth  (Greed). After acquiring this company , would I not look forward to acquiring more wealth.
3. Oh no ! this is not correct . why should I die . I have been good ,( by my standards ) there are so many other people who should have died . look at so and so person .He makes me mad . I could as well kill him (Anger ).
4. I am so young . I have just been enjoying . I have so many girlfriends /boyfriends .i could have tried so many things and so many variations.  . I have not even enjoyed life (Lust ) .
5. I am such an important person . I have so much power . I have so much money . I am so beautiful .i am enjoying life ( In short , I am intoxicated with power , money and worldly things .)

The simplest secret of understanding is –basically we are scared of losing Ego , Greed , Lust , anger , and intoxication , the five attributes  that all spiritual  beings think of as evil . If we can get rid of them , if we can lose them , we would not be scared of death.

Like the scientists , the Biologist and Doctors would have us believe , we continue to live in spite of  the basic unit of our life – The cell dying every minute.  The secret is to lose these five vices and become immortal .

By losing Ego , Greed , Lust , anger , and intoxication , every minute of our life , we would be dying every minute and continue living ever after.

Is this not being Immortal ?

IV

Travelling light ………..

The biggest problems in life are often our own creation .

Why are we scared of death ?”I asked Father . He smiled that warm smile :

“Or should we say , people don’t like to die.”

“But whether we like or not all of us have to die. death is as certain as birth.

It may surprise some , but the fact remains that this fear of death can be altered , may be even something we can look forward to , with a kind of expectation.

and that itself makes our life much more enjoyable.

Let us see a situation that you  have to go to Mysore from Bangalore .

Which Road shall you  be taking ? Bangalore Road or Mysore Road? “

” Obviously , Mysore Road.” I was surprised . such an obvious answer , and yet Father is asking me.

” Because you are going from Bangalore to Mysore you take the Mysore Road , But when you are moving from life to death , do you say you are moving on the road to death? No, you always talk of journey of life. ”

I was stumped. Father has always explained me things in a simple way.

” Okay  , when you move on this journey to Mysore , you have such good highways  , and  you enjoy the road  , and are willing to pay the toll tax . But when you are on your so called Journey of life  , when you are asked to pay the toll , you say God ! Why should you take a toll of my happiness.

and Yet there are some people who do not pay Toll tax . They are Govt. officers , army Officers , Police officers , who are exempted. similarly if you wish that you should be exempted from situations that take toll of your happiness , you have to be in service of GOD , you should be a police officer , motivating people to follow the law of karma  , or Lead an army of pure and righteous  people. ”

So much so for travelling by Road .

“What if I were to travel by train ? “I persisted in questioning the Father .

” What do you advise others when you travel by train ? Do you not advise people not to take anything to eat from any stranger. But in life you are willing to eat away not only your share , but also that of someone else(Greed) .  You always advise others  not to boast of your riches (EGO) lest someone steals your riches  , and if unfortunately it happens , you grieve over it (attachment). You advise others not to be allured by gifts that someone gives  , or be careful of  beautiful women being   used to distract you (Lust ) by certain gangs.  You would also advise others not to get intoxicated during the journey . In real life However  , you carry the heavy burden of EGO , greed , Attachment, Lust , and intoxication during your so called journey through life . In the process you end up losing your precious belonging of joy and happiness , and rather than enjoy the journey to Mysore , and Mysore itself , you end up unhappy and scared  that you will not be able to enjoy Mysore , because you have lost your most precious belonging of JOY , during the journey itself , and you  enter Mysore not with joy in your heart , but fear , trepidation , and uncertainty . The secret , My dear Child , is to travel light . Get rid of burden of the baggage of EGO , greed , Attachment, Lust , and intoxication and you would be as light as a point of light . This point of light is your true form , in which your most precious attribute of joy can never be  be lost . You would then be able to enter your next destination (Mysore) with joy within you and you would enjoy Mysore as much as you enjoyed Bangalore. Or putting it in the analogy of journey through life unto death ,  you would enter death with joy within you and also enjoy death as much as you enjoyed life . ”

This is the secret of art of dying .

 

 

 

 

V

THE CONTINUUM OF

LIFE…………….

The egg bursts with lot of energy and chicken is born

Does the egg die or chicken is born

Or is it continuum of life ……..

The caterpillar sees the end and wilts

The beautiful butterfly flutters her

Wings

And flies out to life

Does the caterpillar die or the butterfly is born

Or is it just a continuum of life

The fetus

Leaves the cool confines of the womb

The baby is born

Is it the end of life of fetus , or the baby is born

Or is it just a continuum of life

But when I leave the body

As a soul

And am born again in another body

Is it death ?

Or a new life to begin ……

Why grieve  on it as my death …………………!

is it not  just a continuum of life ?