Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Difficult to break free from fear of death

He was a retired man financially sound. He had lived his life full. He had educated his children and married off his daughters. It was then he had this serious ailment. The doctor diagnosed it as cancer in an advanced stage.”How many months of life would you give me?” queried the man. The doctor gave him at best 6 months. He smiled to the surprise of his doctor and said “I am better off than King Parikshit who was given just seven days to die due to snake bite. He was a king and had many important affairs of state to settle. I have no pending work and can organize my exit peacefully though my wife and children may not take kindly to this development. I can now retire to a temple town and spend my last ays in peace and quiet prayer”
How many of us can face the end with such serenity and calm composure? More so when the individual is middle aged with wife and young children to take care of, with no financial security and with the prospect of leaving the entire burden on the young shoulders of wife. If only we go to the hospitals and stand outside the intensive care units, we would realize the agony of a staring death and the misery it beings in its wake. The doctors are human and they do to their best what they can possibly do. It was easy for evolved souls like Ramakrishna Paramahamsa or Ramana Maharishi to entrust their lot to almighty and suffer pain silently till their final departure..
How does an ordinary individual face the horror of death? It is fairly easy to talk about the inevitability of death and the immortality of soul to a man in his twilight years approaching the final moment. The fear of death in the case of younger people is not merely the fear of the unknown, the fear of treading into endless darkness or of a frightening hell. The horror emanates from the fear of losing the near and dear when the man’s duty towards the family and society is unfinished and when the knowledge that he would only be leaving misery behind both financial and mental. The burden of mounting medical expenses, the expenses towards unfinished education,marriages,for day to day living are all scary even to a normal person and what to speak of a dying man. To philosophize to such a person that life is but a blip in the timeless eternity would be rank foolishness. To talk of karma theory may satisfy the talker but would not make sense to the affected.
How does one break free from fear of death in such cases? Not all the teachings of Gita or of our religion can do little to minimize the pain and fear as is the knowledge that his immediate family would be taken care of well, their security assured and their future held in safe hands. This assurance alone would numb the pain in the ruffled mind to some extent and bring peace. He would then be prepared to die at least free from his major worry of leaving his family without adequate cover though the prospect of final separation would still be hurting. It is for the kith and kin to provide this mental solace. Nothing else is of any avail. But in today’s world where the families are tending to be small and self centred and even the living parents are considered a burden, the prospect is grim..

9 comments:

  1. very thought provoking questions posed sir...but no one can conquer the fear of death in one day or by sudden realization...constant spiritual practice is required... That's why spirituality is needed from very early age of life...otherwise as you have said, the prospect would be very grim!

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  2. Thanks for visiting my post..

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  3. Death is inevitable. What scares one the most is not the thought of dying but taking the burden of our deeds along with us and leaving our unfinshd duties behind, the fear of not being able to wipe the tears that flow in grief of our absence. Death is inevitable but what it brings with it is a loss of bonds, that have seen us through our entire life and are seperated in dying.
    We imbibe the thought that Death is inevitable...but what we can never come to terms with is the fact that it leaves a part of us on earth,the part that had served as a reason for our very existance.
    Death is a beginning of an unknown,unseen life, laeding to an immortal existance.

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  5. Death means closing earthly eyes. Death means moving on to the next phase of the soul's journey. For the truly fortunate few, death means holding Krishna's hands and dancing in pure joy.

    Death is a new chance or the ultimate destination.

    So, there is no need to be afraid of death. About those we leave behind: the Lord will look after them. Why be afraid of death?

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  6. Death means closing earthly eyes. Death means moving on to the next phase of the soul's journey. For the truly fortunate few, death means holding Krishna's hands and dancing in pure joy.

    Death is a new chance or the ultimate destination.

    So, there is no need to be afraid of death. About those we leave behind: the Lord will look after them. Why be afraid of death?

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  7. I read some where that "It is estimated that millions of trees in this world are accidentaly planted by squirrels who bury the nuts and then forget where they hide them"
    ...
    i am happy that you commented on my post.Thanks

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  8. You are right.. death would be less scary if there is nothing left for us to do for the ones we love.. frankly.. i am eager to know how it feels to be dead.. would it be like a deep sleep? if so then am happy caz i love to sleep.. :) but first let my girl be settled.. who will love her like i do.. if i go.. thats the only reason for my NO to death.. the others who love me can adjust..

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  9. While death is inevitable, those that die alone are the most unlucky ones. I would like to touch such souls that are about to die and have none around themselves.

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