Anyone who has taken the time to be self-reflective or contemplate the nature of our existence, will know the obvious truth that for anyone who has taken birth, death is certain. We may not comprehend the reason or full meaning instinctively, yet we see it happening to all around us who have ever lived and so we know that it will happen to us. Contemplating our own mortality or annihilation can be quite shocking if we have no reference to provide meaning to what seems like an unavoidable death sentence.
Nevertheless, contemplate it we must, at some point in our lives and come to terms with it we must if we are to truly comprehend the bigger picture of our existence and then act with that inevitable end in mind. Naturally such existential meditation is far from important to us in youth, when we feel as if we have a lifetime still ahead of us and plenty of time to push that which is important though not urgent to the back of our minds.
However, time marches on and every day brings us closer to our end. Many push this truth into the unconscious and pay no heed to it, perhaps because it is something bigger than us, out of our control and thus too much to handle. We just ignore it and get on with our lives, which is quite normal. Yet as we eat up the days in rapid succession, a time does arrive when we are obliged to consider the hard facts and pure reality of our temporary existence.
Seeing ourselves as a temporary item in what looks like a relatively permanent world, can actually be a shock to the system. That’s why most of us refuse to contemplate our mortality at all. And that is the problem. If you know that you have a goal but you don’t know the date, it makes sense to prepare for that goal, as we do for every other goal in life – if we want to make a success of it. Especially considering that in the apparent lottery of life, your number may come up at any moment. Every day could be your day to exit your existence, to cease to exist, to be wiped out permanently.
Or so it seems from this side of our own personal “day zero”. Since all we know of ourselves is this body, personality and identity, and this self is about to be extinguished, you would think that we might be concerned and thus take the time to contemplate the fact as well as do something about it. We all want to live on and we fear the unknown that awaits us. It’s a scary thought, if you have no knowledge about it.
That’s why we deny it or avoid it in our youth. It’s too much to contemplate. The longer we live though, the more likely our time is due and the more probable that today is the day, from a purely mathematical point of view. Some may put on a brave face and “go not gently into that dark night”. We might embrace life even tighter as its end approaches by doing more and savoring every last drop. Others might resign themselves to the end and perhaps lose momentum and dwindle into a stagnant state even before the fateful hour. This can happen due to illness too, which inflicts many in their last days.
With this in mind, knowing that we may not actually be “compus mentus” or lucid enough to walk through the exit door in a healthy state of consciousness, or that the exit door might open more suddenly and unexpectedly than we anticipate, hitting us in the face out of the blue, it might be in our best interests to prepare for the inevitable well in advance. Now is actually the only time, in that case. Many do, of course, “get their affairs in order” and write a will for example, knowing the end is nigh and delegating what remains to those who remain. But what of our own state of consciousness at the moment of death? Are we able and prepared to walk that path when the time comes? Do we know what to do, think or focus on? Or are we going blindly into the biggest unknown of our lives?
Ancient wisdom traditions and even their modern equivalents in the religions of today, all provide teachings and guidance for the departing soul. Many people today however, have lost touch with such teachings and ignore them in the understanding that the pursuit of life is more important than the preparation for death. And that may be a concern. It appears foolish actually, to ignore the truth because it is such an unknown, like and ostrich with its head in the sand, so to speak. On the other hand, if you conclude that death means extinction, then that would make sense to you.
So it’s up to the personal realization of the individual as to how to deal with our cessation of existence in this life. The personality however, only knows life and existence and clings to life instinctively. Also our collective human historical wisdom gives further insight into the nature of the self, and there are instructions for the departing soul and guidelines on how to best utilize our life as well as make a success of our death. They explain that death is not the end of us, that we continue on, despite the separation from this body and the personality that comes with it.
Ultimately it is, of course, up to the individual to choose the information they wish to apply as well as the meaning and interpretation they wish to give to their existence and its termination. Our various cultural backgrounds provide us with guidance in the form of religious or spiritual instruction for all stages of life, particularly its end. I have studied a few of these wisdom teachings and notice that some are more detailed than others. My personal preference is the Sanskrit texts called the Vedas of ancient India, particularly Bhagavad Gita, which provides insight into the temporary nature of the body as well as the eternal nature of the self or spirit or soul.
For example, in Bhagavad Gita chapter 2:22 it states that “As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” In other words, the philosophy of reincarnation is presented as truth, where we never actually die because we are eternal. Only this current body and character die. Naturally this leads to numerous deeper questions. Who is the real self, if it’s not this body or this current personality that comes with the body? What then is the eternal reality, if it’s not this human life on this planet?
All this and more is presented to the seeker in the pages of Bhagavad Gita and other Sanskrit texts in the Vedas of ancient India. I have yet to find an older or more authentic wisdom tradition on the planet, or one that goes into more detail than I have found in these Sanskrit texts. Even the Buddhist doctrine is a more recent offshoot from that same Sanskrit original source. And compared to them, the Semitic doctrines are relatively recent and less detailed by comparison.
Therefore, the most valuable information I could ever wish to share with you, dear reader, it is the wisdom of the Vedic tradition of ancient India as found in the Sanskrit texts – the original wisdom teachings of the planet. And so now you know and there you have it. The information is out there for all to attain in this age of information and what a blessing it is. Death is not the end, they say, and we are more than this body and mind, which lives only a few years before crumbling into dust. We are an eternally existing person. This perception of life really gives it deeper meaning and also provides reassurance and comfort to anyone who applies this perspective, allowing us to face the unknown as well as understand our true self more clearly. If you’re ever looking for answers, then Bhagavad Gita and the Vedas of India are your source of those answers. Congratulations, you have found the answer to the question of life, the universe and everything. Perfection awaits you.
(photo my own)