The path to Tranquility (spring)
70. Accepting the inevitability of life
In the past, many people avoided discussing death, and even the
mention of it would evoke fear, akin to hearing a curse. Some elderly people
would buy coffins and cemeteries for themselves in advance, in fact, they
are worried that they will not be able to be buried after death. These
elderly people felt that they were close to death, yet continued to live for
more than ten years, and they were constantly in a state of waiting for death.
Without getting rid of the fear of death, we will live in illusions and ignore the real experience of life. We have many other fears, all derived from the fear of death, which can also push us into excessive imagination and even harm our lives.
The Taoists discuss how to cultivate health, while the Buddhists talk about facing death, but only by maintaining sufficient awareness can we accurately receive the information from death, so that we have the opportunity to transcend when death is approaching. Alternatively, when death arrives, the chance to see the truth of the last moments of life.
Regardless of how we maintain health, we cannot live forever. However, be prepared to die at any time, we also shouldn't wait for death. Therefore, we must deeply understand the meaning of death and understand its role in life. The more we discuss death, the more we can think about it and avoid being caught off guard. And avoiding discussions about death not only fails to escape it but also brings more anxiety. This is especially important as our minds become less agile with age, and if we delay too long, we may no longer comprehend it, only carrying immense fear and struggling through the final journey of life.
Since everyone will inevitably die, we must first accept this necessity and allow our limited life to be more relaxed. If we can follow our own consciousness, do what we like and are beneficial, with a calm and untroubled mind, then we will have no regrets in the end and no inner turmoil. To peacefully depart from this world at the end, that is the fulfillment of a complete life.
If we still cannot get rid of the fear of death, we can also seek solace in faith. Imagine that those who have passed away have simply arrived in heaven a little earlier, where we will all eventually reunite. This can provide a way out for death and perhaps reduce the fear to the minimum.
69. Courage to accept the test of adversity
End of this volume
