The path to Tranquility (spring)
70. Feel the eternity of existence in the life and death
Life and death are two inseparable extremes in life, just like sunrise and sunset and the changing of seasons, which are natural and cannot be violated. In the grand cycle of all things in the universe, death, as the end point of individual life, is not only an end, but also contains an opportunity for rebirth. We often feel fear and anxiety because of our ignorance of death, but if we can draw a deep understanding of survival from the challenge of death, we can learn to cherish the present and give every moment the most real and eternal meaning.
In the past, people generally avoided talking about death; the mention of death made people feel fearful. For example, some elderly people buy coffins and cemetery plots in advance, as if booking an inevitable funeral. This mentality of "knowing death but fearing death" is both a perception of the fragility of life and a manifestation of human's most primitive self-consciousness. It's as helpless as a child who is suddenly afraid of ghosts. It is because of this fear that we learn to have compassion for ourselves and then extend that compassion to others; and those who are indifferent to death often cannot understand the vulnerability of others.
However, different cultures may also give different colors and meanings to death. In some places, people not only mourn the dead, but also commemorate them in a festive way, symbolizing the passing of life and heralding the birth of new life. This positive attitude transforms death from a source of fear to a respected part of the natural order. From such cultural practices, we might as well learn how to transform death into inner revelation and live with deeper awareness and an open mind.
If we cannot get rid of the fear of death, we may fall into a fantasy that is detached from reality and ignore the most real and subtle feelings in life. Many fears that seem unrelated to death, such as fear of loss, fear of failure, or anxiety about the unknown, can be traced back to deeper anxieties about the eventual passing of life. Fear can also lead to excessive greed, causing us to ignore our real needs in life and causing life to slip away faster.
Chinese Taoism emphasizes adapting to nature and maintaining health, Buddhism guides people to face up to impermanence and seek spiritual liberation, and Confucianism emphasizes that people should maximize their talents and benevolence in their limited lives. These wise teachings point out that only by keeping a clear head and facing death positively can we not be bound by fear at the moment of death, but instead understand the true meaning of life.
On the contrary, some dying people show amazing calm and wisdom. They view death with a detached attitude, believing that only by accepting death can life truly transform into another form of existence. This open-mindedness comes from the sublimation of individual consciousness, allowing people to let go of their attachments in the last stage of life, focus on the most real present, and thus capture eternal moments in impermanence.
When facing death, we should not wait passively, but prepare for it with a positive and healthy attitude. This is not to encourage us to rush to end our lives, but to remind us that when we realize the inevitability of death, we should pay more attention to our daily health and safety. People who stick to a regular diet and exercise regimen over a long period of time tend to achieve a state of physical and mental harmony that allows them to be more at peace at the end of their lives. Establishing a correct understanding of death from an early age will not only help stimulate creativity, but also enable us to understand how to live calmly and fully in our limited life.
Without facing death, we cannot truly understand the full meaning of life. Excessive fear of the final outcome may limit creativity and even lead people into destructive emotions; on the contrary, bravely incorporating death into the perspective of life can make us calmer and more confident when facing loss. After losing their loved ones, many people choose to turn their grief into motivation for action, investing in charity, environmental protection, social services and other fields, turning their personal pain into a force for social progress. Like a dancer interacting with her partner, we walk with death not to defeat it but to continually raise our awareness and grow in the game of transcending death.
As leaves fall in autumn and new buds sprout in spring, nature shows us the wisdom that transcends life and death. Every fallen leaf heralds the revival of the next season, which is the perfect interpretation of death and rebirth. This tells us that only by looking at the end of life with a calm mind can we allow life to shine beautifully in a limited time.
If the fear of death still lingers, faith may bring us some comfort. Many people believe that the deceased have reached the other side of light and hope, and hope to be reunited with their loved ones one day. More importantly, only by focusing on the present can we let go of regrets for the past and worries about the future. When we are truly immersed in the present moment, we can experience a kind of peace that transcends time and space and witness the eternal power of life.
Death is not scary, what is scary is not truly living. When we learn to understand and accept death, we can draw infinite wisdom from it, reduce our fear of the unknown, and treat every moment more positively. This is not about fighting against death, but about seeking infinite possibilities in a limited life, just like dancing with the closest partner and achieving each other. Ultimately, being able to die peacefully is the best testimony to a fulfilled life; all of this stems from an understanding of the eternal meaning of existence and a gratitude for the value of life.
69. Courage to accept the test of adversity
End of this volume
