death
Sing a song, sing out loud
For those who are spiritual, religion becomes a serious affair as they think they are doing something holy by following certain rituals.
They start feeling holier than others, superior to others. This creates an ego, an image, a false identity and often people go astray from true religiousness and their authentic being.
Their mind becomes more dominant than heart. Mind is full of thoughts, while heart is full of love, compassion and sensitivity. Sometimes heart can act so irrationally that the mind may not understand it.
There’ a story of St. Francis of Assisi, who sang while lying on his deathbed. He sang so loudly that the entire neighbourhood came to know. Continue reading
The Illusion of Outwitting Death
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Once upon a time in a Baghdad marketplace, there was a servant who bumped into Death himself. Terrified, the man dropped his purchases and ran home on foot. When he arrived, he breathlessly begged his master, “Please, may I borrow your fastest horse? I met Death in the marketplace, and he gestured like he was about to take me, so I ran back here as fast as I could. I must escape from him!” The master said, “Take my fastest steed, and perhaps you can outrun Death tonight. Flee to Sammara, for he will never find you there.” The servant thanked him profusely, and galloped off at breakneck speed toward the village of Sammara, which was many hours away. The master then went to the marketplace, and when he saw Death, he asked, “Why did you threaten my poor servant when he was here earlier today?” Death replied, “I wasn’t threatening him. I was just shocked to see him, that’s all. You see, I was expecting to meet up with him tonight—in Sammara.” Continue reading
What happens after Death? – Alan Watts
Days are Long, Years are Short
Dance so fast that the dancer disappears and only the dance remains….
Death may not come. Death cannot come to people who live very intensely and very totally. … Continue reading
Book Recommendation – The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
“What is it I hope for from this book? To inspire a quiet revolution in the whole way we look at health and care for the dying, and the w
This acclaimed spiritual masterpiece is widely regarded as one of the most complete and authoritative presentations of the Tibetan Buddhist teachings ever written. A manual for life and death and a magnificent source of sacred inspiration from the heart of the Tibetan tradition, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying provides a lucid and inspiring intro-duction to the practice of meditation, to the nature of mind, to karma and rebirth, to compassionate love and care for the dying, and to the trials and rewards of the spiritual path.Buddhist meditation master and international teacher Sogyal Rinpoche brings together the ancient wisdom of Tibet with modern research on death and dying and the nature of the universe. With unprecedented scope, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying clarifies the majestic vision of life and death that underlies the classic sacred text The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Sogyal Rinpoche presents simple yet powerful practices from the heart of the Tibetan tradition that anyone, whatever their religion or background, can do to transform their lives, prepare for death, and help the dying.
Emerging
Contemplation on death will bring you a deepening sense of what we call “renunciation,” in Tibetan ngé jung. Ngé means “actually” or “definitely,” and jung means to “come out,” “emerge,” or “be born.” The fruit of frequent and deep reflection on death will be that you will find yourself “emerging,” often with a sense of disgust, from your habitual patterns Continue reading
You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. . . .
Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Continue reading
The sensation of “not being there” is one of utter clarity
I think it’s really helpful to forget you exist, and often.
It sounds impossible, but it can be done.
Here’s an exercise I do sometimes to achieve that perspective:
Wherever I am, whatever location I am in, I picture the situation exactly as it would be if I wasn’t there. I just watch it like it’s a movie, and the people still in the scene are the actors. Or maybe there’s nobody around at all, it’s just an empty corner of the world sharing a moment with itself. Whatever the scene, it feels like I’m watching it remotely from some far-off theater. It’s all still happening, but I’m not there. Continue reading
ONE TUSK 