The fear of death

In this article, we are going to talk about that D-word which we don't necessarily like speaking of. Death.

In some cultures, or at least in the Westernized society the author was raised in, this topic is somewhat taboo. The author can recall his grandmother saying that we shouldn't be speaking about death because when we do, we are 'calling' it. 

Do any of the readers have similar stories? If yes, please share!

So, apart from the scary images of the Grim Reaper we know so well, what exactly is it about this concept of death that makes it so scary? 

The main association we tend to make with death, is the idea of something ceasing to exist. Of course, when we are not mindful, this can sound scary! Yet, what exactly we are afraid of?

Could it be that we are afraid of the unknown? That we are afraid of what happens after death? 

Or... is it maybe the fear of the known coming to an end? The ideas we have of ourselves in relation to the world, ceasing to exist? 

Whatever scares us about death, we can definitely renounce these fears through a little bit of introspection.

Let's explore!

Deep sleep

We are worried about ceasing to exist, we are worried about dying, but actually, there is nothing to worry about. See, these ideas we have of ourselves are certain to dissolve at some point or another. The bodies, the mindsets and the understandings we have, are guaranteed to dissolve or 'die'. When we acknowledge this, there is actually no need to worry at all. We can simply see it for what it is. Impermanence.

Let's ask ourselves the following question; Are we afraid to go to sleep at night? For most of us, we are probably excited to go to sleep, unless the boogeyman lives under our bed! But besides that, we tend to look forward to a peaceful night's sleep. Deep sleep.

See, in deep sleep, it all dissolves. The body, ideas, knowledge, perceptions, the idea of a separate self, it all dissolves. All these objects, be it physical objects, or objects of thought and feeling, they are all absent in deep sleep.

In the absence of it all, what do we experience? What is the experience of deep sleep?
There is peace. Absence of lack. Absence of suffering. There is not even the idea of a separate 'me' or 'self' to experience peace. It simply is.

When we come to think of it, getting rid of all the 'known' is actually a great relief!

Now, if we are not afraid to let the known come to an end at night, then we shouldn't be afraid of the known coming to an end at any other moment either. Is this not true?

What is manifested, dissolves back into emptiness. 
From emptiness, the illusion of a universe is manifested.

Consider this for a few moments...

Knowing the Self

When we identify with the body or the mind, we shall definitely feel vulnerable. This is completely understandable. Identifying with any object, be this a physical or mental object, carries a sense of vulnerability. 

See, any object we identity with, implies impermanence.
Any attachment to impermanence, implies suffering.

Therefore, when we investigate the fear of death, when we delve deep into the core of this fear, we realize that it comes from one thing only. The fear of death comes from not knowing who we are, from not knowing our Self.

When we know our True Nature, we know that we are immortal. We know that concepts such as birth, death, the past and the future, these are concepts appearing within us. They cannot touch us. 

How to know ourSelf is not to be discussed here, but as we get more and more familiar with who we truly are, we realize that we are not limited by anything, not even the idea of death. Accordingly, the fear of death dissolves together with the false beliefs of ourselves, and we realize that we are free, we are infinite. We always have been, we always are. 

To conclude, we first want to consider the following; Life implies death. Death implies life. One does not exist without the other. They are two concepts, two sides of the same coin.

Secondly, we know that the only moment we can ever experience is the now. It is always now. The eternal Here and Now. By knowing this, what is death other than a mere word, an idea? Where can we go? There is no past, there is no future. There is no beginning and there is no end.
Our Being is Infinite.

It is all happening here, in the eternal now.

Experiences of all kind come and go, but the Experiencer remains, always the same, untouched. 

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A courageous heart - 22 October, 2020
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