By Zile Singh

“Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it’- Haruki Murakami

Death is a true phenomenon in the universe.  All other things are untrue.  Any happening may or may not occur.   But death is the surest thing to happen.   God may be or may not be, but death is everywhere. It is omnipresent in seas, sky and on the ground.  It is happening in the day and in the night twelve months of the year.  It is there, indoor and outdoor.  It is the black camel that kneels before every door.  It is invincible.  Death defies the doctors. Death is dead certain of every being, animate and inanimate.  All are deathworthy.  It is a household happening.  Lord Buddha’s teaching to Gotami to bring mustard seeds from any household where no death has happened, is very relevant here. Let us talk about it. 

What a paradox!  Knowing fully well about death, it is very difficult to talk about death. Every one from the very childhood is taught not to talk about death as if talking about it beckons it.  It disturbs us. We do not want it to happen.  We think that if we do not talk about it, death will not notice us.   Maybe if we do not talk about it, we might delay or even deceive death. In many societies, especially in India, children are not allowed to see the dead body and to participate in the cremation ceremony.  We know the mythical story of the Enchanted Pool in Mahabharata, the great Epic of Hinduism.  In one of the five answers, Yudhishtra, the eldest of the Pandvas replied to Yama, the lord of death thus, “The most surprising thing in the world is that man sees people dying everyday, yethe wants to live forever. He thinks as if the death is for others and not for him.”  We are involved in the mundane affairs to such an extent that the universal fact that the first breath is the beginning of death is swept under the carpet.  “No one wants to die.  Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there.” - Steve Jobs. 

Death is the finality and fruition of life.  In death, everything comes to rest. Call no man happy till he is dead.  For a poor man, death is the best physician. Death pays his all debts. Even if a man had lived a painful and troublesome life, on his death we say, “He breathed his last peacefully on the death bed.”  Sometimes, death of some bad character is beneficial to others.  For example, the death of the wolves is the safety of the sheep and a dead man does not bite or tell a lie.  There are many causes of death. There is but one way to enter this life, but the gates of death are without number.  War and pandemics are death’s feast.  The inexperienced physicians also make a fat graveyard.  Accidents and self-inflicted bad habits also add to numbers. Its effects also are mentionable.  The dying men speak truth and when death is in front, repentance is not difficult.  For a dying man, remembrance of God is but natural.  Death has its own choice because whom the gods love, die young.  Death is the only school which takes his students without a character.  No character certificate is required to enter the domain of death. It devours lamb as well as lion. It is a great leveller and secular in nature.  Death carries a fat Tsar on his shoulders as easily as a lean beggar.  Death is a barber who shaves people of all religions, races, colours and countries with the same razor. 

Death, certainly, is very fearful. The fear of death is worse than the death itself.  An Arab Emperor had a premonition of his death.  In his early morning dream, death warned him that this evening it will come to taker him.  The Emperor couldn’t sleep after that. He rode his fastest horse and by evening reached thousands of miles away from his palace.   Tired of the day’s journey and hungry, he thought of taking some rest as the sun was setting.  A shadow appeared before him.  The shadow patted the horse and said, “Thank you for bringing the emperor here. I was worried that how the emperor will reach here by this time.  Because his death is destined here at this moment.” Death said to the Emperor, “Thanks for making necessary arrangement for your death. Let us go.”  Socrates was poisoned.  While dying he said, “It is time for me to die, for you to live.”

A good life makes a good death. All religious scriptures remind us of the “Impermanence” of everything, including life.  Most of us are frightened of dying because we don’t know what it means to live.  As long as we are frightened of life, we shall be frightened of death. Let us embrace love and life.  It is said, “We enter life, not in utter nakedness, but trailing clouds of glory.” Naked we come, well dressed we go.  We must live by the living, not by the dead. However, never speak ill of the dead. It is a fact that an old man has his death before his eyes; the young man behind his back.

Jesus Christ said, “I die daily.” 

In Gurbani, Kabir says, “Kabir jis marne se jag dare, mere man anand. 

                Marne se heepaiyya,  puranparmanand. “

Kabir said, death, of which the whole world is terrified, is pleasing unto me; as it is in death alone that one is blessed with the Supreme Bliss.

Death is also the beginning of a new journey for the soul and is part of the natural order of things.

Zile Singh is a well respected Columnist, Writer and a Vipassana Meditater. He has a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Rights.  He can be reached at zsnirwal@yahoo.ca