In the West we seem to have a very difficult relationship with death. Notwithstanding its prevalence in popular media, from the nightly news, to all the most acclaimed TV shows and movies, we don't generally like to face it; at least not in a real, personal way. Just think about how awkward it can be when you see someone shortly after they have lost a loved one - do you bring it up and risk reminding them of their sadness (as if they ever forget).  Or how awkward people are around you in that situation. Or how we generally resort to the "It will be okay; you can beat this" comment when meeting friends and loved ones with terminal illnesses, rather than having a real conversation about how little time they may still have on this plane of existence. But, as the Buddhists say, until you truly face the inevitability of your death, you can never really start living. So why are we so uncomfortable with such a ubiquitous subject? It's like we pretend it won't happen to us, or to our loved ones, and when it does we are so devastated, almost surprised, like death snuck past our vigilant veneer of denial and cheated us of the long, healthy life we deserve!

And yet, death is every bit as crucial to life as birth; it is an essential part of nature; an essential part of OUR nature. Bhagavan has a great quote on death: 

The presence of death casts a shadow on every moment of life. Every wrinkle on your skin, every strand of greying hair, and every strained conversation, reminds you of death. Death of what? A dream? It reminds you of the frightening possibility of a relationship that could end; a position that may dissolve; or a security that might be disturbed. But, can you separate death from life? Is there not an arising in every moment of ceasing? The beauty of life is its constant companionship with death. It is in the Oneness of life and death that the beauty of the Universe unfolds. When all divisions suggesting the outside and the inside, the here and the hereafter, the material and the spiritual, existence and nonexistence, cease; an experience with the eternal becomes possible. Let us look into the process of the death of the body. Most people fear the symptoms and conditions accompanying death, not death itself. How could you fear that you have never known? Death is an experience of freedom.


If you look deeply into just about any fear that plagues your life, it is ultimately the fear of death; death of the small 's' self. Look at the fear of public speaking...a very common and powerful fear. In fact when surveyed, most people would rather run into a burning house than give a speech. How can this fear be so strong? Because you will be on display; people will see you, and they will judge you (sort of like how you judge others, most of the time). If you make a mistake, they may find you wanting, unworthy of their attention and friendship, and love. You would be unlovable and if unlovable, you are pretty much worthless, pointless, as you fall down this pit of despair...all the way to the annihilation of YOU. So, you resist making that speech. You decide to avoid that party. In effect, you barely show up in life because you are afraid of being vulnerable, because if you are vulnerable, you may get hurt. And yet within you is the most beautiful Light; the most amazing Presence. There is, at your core, Pure Love. Its what you came from, it is what you are, and it is what you will return to. But that Light and Love is shadowed by your fears, all of which boil down to our fear of death, at least the fear of our psychological death, or the death of the self, which is ironic because if you are reading this, you are a seeker on a journey to discover your highest, truest Self, and yet you can only arrive there when you die to the small 's' self. That is the very essence of Self-realization; of Enlightenment.

Each one of us has a completely unique path through life, marked by a vast array of experiences, challenges and relationships. Every single one of us will die, at least our bodies will die. Some will die young and some will die old; some will die peacefully and some will die violently. Some will die at their own hand and some will die at the hand of another. In every case, that death, in whatever form it takes, is an integral part of our journey through life. It is critical to our learning and healing, and it is equally important in the unfolding of life for every other person we are in relationship with. Some would even say that our time and means of death is written before our birth! Imagine that for a moment....a Divine contract conceived in Heaven where all agree on the exact moment and method of death. Ultimately we can't know the gift that death brings until we pass through that door, but we CAN see how our fear of death, both physical and psychological, holds us back in life. As you see that and feel it deeply....every moment of every day, you will surrender more and more to death, and in that, you will also surrender more and more to life...