art of living is to master the art of dying

8/18/2019 Art of Living is to Master the Art of Dying

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Art of Living is to Master the Art of

Dying


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The last thing people would like to discuss or even think is ‘Death’. But they

often don’t last till last to discuss or even think about what really death is!

Man has made so much innovation in technology that with little remote


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control he can control satellites from thousands of miles away. r he can put

so much compleity into a small electronic chip to work wonders. But death

challenges all human advancements.

"t is an affront to the genius of modern human. #obody wants to die but

everybody has to die. "t is beyond their control. $o much research has gone

into eliminating death but the wonder is no body has escaped cruel death till

now even the researchers. The death rate is same everywhere i.e. %&&'.

"n my childhood " used to deliberate so much on death. The more " used to

deliberate the more " used to get befuddled as there seemed no solution for

this enigma. " used to cry at night thinking that one day " have to leave my

beloved ones. (ow can " never be separated from them was my relentless

aniety. " used to ponder when we come in this world there are attachments

growing around us. )ttachment for mother* father* friends* etc. gives us

boost to struggle in this world. +ithout attachments rarely one can survive.

But the parado is at the time of death all attachments are abruptly severed.

(ow ghastly! (ow ,ainful! Death means end of everything. Death means

perpetual separation from loved ones* never to meet again* ever! (ow

horrifying is the idea! -ust as some dry leaves on river surface come

together and with a surge of wave are separated for ever. Thinking thus "

would cry whole night.

ne who thinks profoundly about death cannot afford to bear attachments

for anyone and anything in this world. But people don’t want to think about

death rather they want to forget it so that they can cultivate attachments for

their loved ones which is source of pleasure for them. -ust like when we are

ailing we know something is erroneous with the body and we take

medication. "n this world we can’t live without attachments but death severs

those very same attachments brusuely and makes us suffer bitterly. (ence

we can conclude that we are at wrong place. This world is not meant for

gentlemen/women.


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nce when ,andavas* great devotees of 0ord were in eile they were

etremely thirsty while nomadic in the forest. 1udhistir asked his brothers to

search some lake nearby. +hen after long time they didn’t return he himself

went in search of them. #o sooner he found them near a lake in unconscious

state than a supernatural voice resonated*

21our brothers didn’t care to answer my uestions before drinking water

from my lake hence their current state. "f you too don’t answer you will

follow them.3

1udhistir nodded solemnly.

ne of the many uestions asked by the supernatural voice was 2+hat ismost astonishing thing in this world43

1udhistir impeccably replied 2ne sees death everywhere around but he

thinks he is an eception. This is most astonishing.3

0ater after perfectly answering all other uestions the brothers were

resurrected back.

$o the most astounding thing in the world is not the 5 wonders of the world*

but the attitude that " will never die inspite of seeing death around.

6veryone who dies thinks like that. #obody likes to die.

In the Light of Scriptures

+hile voyaging throughout 78 lacks species of life every time we

encountered death. +e were in species of dog* ant* tree* snake* fish* tiger*

elephant* eagle* demigod* pigeon* spider* scorpion* lion* whale* shark*bacteria99 "t is thrilling!4 But surely not fun. 6very animal species is filled

with immense angst for survival. 6ven the kings of :ungle have to famish for

weeks to catch their prey. "t’s not a tranuil life.


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"f we deliberate deeply we can observe that for every kind of desire we

have* there is facility in nature. "f someone desires to fly freely in the air

there is bird’s body* someone desires to swim there is auatic body*

someone desires to eat a lot there is elephant body* someone desires ecess

se is given pigeon body* someone desires to sleep a lot there is polar bear

body* someone likes to be naked there is tree body* someone desires to eat

flesh there is tiger body and so forth. ;od has provided facility for

accomplishing every kind of desire. 1ou :ust think of it and it is there in

nature. f course we need to deserve before we desire. #ow the desire for

living eternal is there in everyone without eception. #obody wants to die.

$o is there any facility for that in nature4 1es of course! (ence the uest for

supernatural is natural. Many movies are also made portraying such asupernatural place where one doesn’t die and can live eternally happy. "t is

described in Bhagavad ;ita %


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"t is eplained that :ust like a cat when she hunts for rat her teeth appears

like death knell to rat but for a kitten same teeth are loving embrace of

mother. +hen death appears a materialists feels petrified. But for a

transcendentalists death is ;od’s loving embrace* a call back home.

+hen two prisoners are escorted out of a :ail into a van it may seem both

are heading to same destination. But one is released completely from the :ail

because of his good bearing while the other is confined to rigorous

imprisonment on account of his impish conduct. $o death is same for

materialists and transcendentalist but what happens after death is

imperative.

$o a transcendentalists practices bhakti yoga. Bhakti yoga is more powerful

than death. 6ven death cannot check progress on this path. Best way of

practicing it is by chanting ;od’s names

(are >rishna (are >rishna

>rishna >rishna (are (are

(are ?ama (are ?ama

?ama ?ama (are (are

ne who practices sincerely and seriously will surely at time of death acuire

a spiritual body which is absolutely free of any deficiency. $o death is a time

to change body from an inferior one to superior one. (ence for a

transcendentalists death is time to revel!

Conclusion

@inally my crying for my loved ones came to an end. " understood if we

perform Bhakti yoga and achieve perfection then we all can meet again in

spiritual world never to be separated again. $rila ,rabhupada* founder

)charya of "$>A# once said* 2+hen we go back to spiritual world we will

have another "$>A# there!3 ,ath of Bhakti yoga is best welfare activity for

the family members and all. 6ven if one performs bhakti yoga alone he can


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deliver his beloved ones. "n the holy pages of $rimad Bhagavatam 8th canto

the story of Dhruva Mahara: appears where his mother guided him to

practice 1oga in forest to achieve 0ord. )t the culmination when Dhruva

achieved perfection and was about to leave for spiritual world he asked his

beloved mother also to be taken along although she didn’t practice yoga

herself. $o if " practice seriously enough and when time comes for soaring

back to spiritual world " shall take my beloved ones along. Then we shall live

happily ever after together with ;od in the kingdom of ;od!!! 2(appily ever

after3

art of living is to master the art of dying

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