“ ... My words are a matter of pride
It's clear from your vacant expressions
The lights are not all on upstairs
But we're talking kings and successions
Even you can't be caught unawares
So prepare for a chance of a lifetime
Be prepared for sensational news
A shining new era is tiptoeing nearer
And where do we feature?
Just listen to teacher
Be prepared! ... “
~ Lion King ~ Be Prepared ~
***
When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, the fear of death consumed me. I was obsessed with “not dying”. I prayed, hoped, cursed, bargained and even tempted it. I thought if I ignored it, it would go away. I began to feel that life was meaningless, spirally into this vortex of darkness ...
Overall, our fear of death is pretty unhealthy. Add to it an incurable dis-ease and we do anything we can to avoid it. Yet we are aware that death is a natural uncontrollable process. So rather than fearing death, perhaps we fear dying unprepared. Not knowing when it will happen, how it will happen and who will help us transition to the next side. If we follow the philosophy that we are gifted this life to prepare for our death, a real sense of urgency can then inspire us.
I have learned that we are to prepare for a peaceful and successful death ...
and make the most of this precious life we have been gifted ...
Believers of reincarnation understand that we are travellers passing through. We came from a previous life and eventually we shall move on to our next life. Our birth and death are empty-handed and alone. And everything we have accumulated in this life, including our very body, will be left behind. Hence if we ignored death we would have wasted our life working for things that we only have to leave behind.
All that we can take with us from one life to the next
are the imprints of the positive and negative actions we have created ...
Life presented itself with events that force me to become realistic about my mortality. And four years later, I am still consumed with death. Yet my awareness has transitioned from fear to acceptance. With the guidance of an awakened teacher, my spiritual development has become far more important that the attainments of this world. I have infinite gratitude towards my teacher who continues to support me as I cultivate patience, love, compassion, wisdom and clarity.
death is a process of coming home ...
How we can have a good death is by having a good life. How we pass reflects the way we lived our lives. Living a life of emotional turmoil may lead to our dying full of regrets, trouble and pain. It is far better to care for the lives for all around us rather than spending a fortune in prolonging life itself.
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