When I was young I would never even think about death And now that I have become old death constantly scares me What should I do? Is it possible to escape from death? Ramnath, It is not possible to escape from death but who told you that you will die? neither you have died before nor you can die now What dies is not you That is someone else. The body dies, That is just a wrap. The mind dies, That is the subtle wrap. Beyond these two ambits the one sitting inside, The owner, He is neither born, nor dies. This life has passed several times You are not something new. You have come several times and gone several times. But the one sitting inside, That is eternal. Neither birth touches it, nor death touches it. Until you do not discover the divine residing within until you do not recognise him, until then this fear will trouble you. And When a person is young, so naturally, the fear of death does not catch hold of him. Why should it! Man is not so far visionary. Man's vision is very faint, very small. He looks just a little ahead, a couple of steps ahead. He has a light of lamps He looks four steps ahead. Death looks so far away to him that he cannot believe, that it will happen. And the mind is very cunning. The mind even says that others die, but you will not die. And the mind says, look, one person died day before yesterday, one person died yesterday, one person died today, but you did not die! People die everyday, However, you don't die! You have always carried several people to the burning ghat, and always have come back home. You live and live without fear - the mind says - Don't fall into these useless worries. And then there are pleasures of youth, unconsciousness, there is a race-- to earn money, to earn status, to earn fame. Where is the leisure! Where is the time That one can sit and think! The one who thinks in his youth, then understand that he is a clever person, understand that he is a great intellectual. Because usually unconsciousness is so dominant in in youth, because lusts are so strong that man seems as though awake but he is not he is drowned in dreams. Desires are also dreams. You weave dreams upon dreams within yourself Who thinks about death! We will see it when it comes. What is the hurry! Sometimes during a moment of leisure even if there is a thought of death then you hurriedly pinch yourself and put yourself to some other task; get engrossed thinking that why am I getting such negative thoughts in my mind! I am still young now! We blanket death in all ways, we hide it. That's why we make our burning ghats outside the villages. Actually we should make them right in between so that if we pass by there twenty five times then that 25 times the burning ghat reminds one that this is going to be the final destination. So it warns us, awakens us, reminds us. Whenever Buddha used to give sannyas to anyone then he would send that person to the burning ghat that asked him to stay there for three months look at burning pyres, turning to ashes look at the the bodies And meditate on one thing only that this is the culmination of life. this is the achievement of all the hustle-bustle and running around Everything is left lying there and in a moment, man is turned to ashes. For three months sitting at the ghat everyday from dawn to dusk, day and night seeing dead bodies burning how can you escape? You will be forced to remember that this situation will be mine too, today or tommorrow. And the one who has come to remembrance of death, that person is fortunate, because along with this remembrance of death there is a revolution in life. When one remembers that this body will be gone only then we will stop clinging to out body only then will we leave our attachment to our body What is going to be anyway destroyed what is the point of tying our attachment to that! That which is going to drop That which has to drop, now or later-- what is the point of holding it! Why should I cling to that! Why should we not just find that which will never be dropped! Why not search for the eternal! Why should we not fix our eyes on the eternal! Sannyas is the name of doing that! Beyond time if you can raise your vision then that is sannyas. But it is very difficult in youth that one becomes conscious of this. This world is very strange. Even if people grow old even then they do not become conscious! Ramnath, you are fortunate At least in old age you have become conscious of this. Else, even till the last breath of life people do not become conscious I have heard, that a Marwadi (miserly person) was dying. Remember, Even a Marwadi has to die! Death does not leave anyone Not even a Marwadi ! All sons and relatives were worried. He was unable to speak Everybody had encircled around him With a lot of difficulty he was repeatedly uttering: Ba ba...jha jha... One son said, Looks like, he wants to say that the box has been buried beneath the tree. Do something and get him to utter the entire matter, Which tree! As there were many trees around the house. The doctor said that there is a very costly injection which when given will enable him to speak one or two sentences Even when his death was certain everyone agreed on giving him that injection. Doctor gave him the injection, and everyone huddled eagerly to listen and they all bent towards the dying Marwadi You know what that old man said! why is everyone looking at me for, there the calf is constantly chewing the broom ! Ramnath, it's good that in old age, at least you are getting the memory of death. Don't deny this memory Don't try to forget this memory This remembrance is very useful Just utilize it. The intelligent person is the one who utilizes everything. Make a ladder out of this too. Death is a very valuable thing If there was no death in this world then there would have been no sannyas if there was no death in this world then there would have been no religion if there was no death in this world then no one would remember the Supreme Self There would be no prayer no ritual, no adoration; there would have been no Buddha nor Mahaveer, nor Krishna, nor Christ nor Mohammad. this earth would not have been able to give birth to Divine beings or even to human beings. this earth would have been full of animals. It is death that gave us a jerk This is the great blessing of death Its great grace Death shook us and reminded us Buddha also remembered only after seeing death a dead person's body, when he saw he asked his charioteer what has happened to him? The charioteer said that this man is dead Then Budhha asked, will I have to die too? The charioteer hesitated, How could he say? Buddha said, do not hesitate. Tell me the truth, don't lie to me. Will I have to die too? With no recourse, the charioteer had to tell him How can I hide from you! Your father's orders are not to let you know about death because in your childhood the astrologers said that the day the memory of death comes to you that day you will become a sanyaasi but I cannot lie either! Death comes to everyone to you too, master! No one can escape death There is no solution to it The same night Buddha left his house The revolution had occured When death is going to happen anyway then it took place right away; So whatever days of life are left in one's hands in that time, lets search for that which does not die Ramnath If you are feeling scared of death then it is not inauspicious it is auspicious You ask: 'What should I do?' In fear of death there is nothing to do except meditation. Now immerse yourself in meditation Colour yourself in sannyas Transform life into a sammadhi so that connection with the eternity could be established so that within you you see that which never dies. only when you see that, fear will go. only when you recognise that, the fear will go. Its good that old age has come. Now there is yet no end Youth lives in such thoughts Now there is yet no end It has come just now Into my forest a soft spring Now there is yet no end Lush green are the leaves The branches and the buds sing gently I will make my dream tender I will caress the sleeping buds Awaken them to a new morning In every flower there is sleep's laziness I will snatch away the desire I will cheerfully water the divine nectar of my new life I will show the door then to those who are there in the eternal- My end will not be now. This is my life's first phase, Where is death in this? There is just life, only life. In front of me lies all of youthfulness The child like mind flows on the golden sun rays, from my undeveloped raga (melody) will I develop in the direction of the far away horizon; My end will not be now. Youth Is good at expressing falsehoods But old age cannot hide How can it hide! The feet starts to tremble the body becomes a skeleton The breath becomes unstable The first steps of death begin to be heard The waterfall of love has flown dry Like sand, the body is left Like a dried mango branch is saying 'now buds or shoots do not come I am a sentence that was written with no meaning--' life has collapsed i have given the world flowers and fruit, i have impressed people with my aura but each budding moment was immortal-- The splendor of life that has collapsed Now the beloved does not come to the shore to sit in that incomparable twilight. Now the heart lives in the dark moonless night; Goalless I am; This the poet has said. The waterfall of love is become dry Like sand, the body is left life has collapsed the splendor of life is only that which has collapsed Goalless I am, this the poet has said Those who have known have always attempted to awaken you that death is at the doorstep. and is knocking! and how much ever you run, or guard you will not be able to save yourself but whoever goes deep within himself he reaches the other side You're asking, Ramnath: Is it possible to escape from death? It is not possible to escape from death, but it is possible to transcend death Death will happen Even Buddha has to die, Even Mahaveer has to die, Ram and Krishna too. It is not possible to escape from death. But There is an art of dying too, as there is an art of living. The art of dying is: In peace, silence and meditation. The same is the art of living: Live in meditation Whatever days are left, Live in meditation - in peace, silence and in awareness. So that you can die too in peace, silence and in awareness. The one who becomes successful dying in peace and silence, he dies consciously that he is not dying. he dies in an awakened state that the body is being left behind, the mind is being left behind; but i am as i am. Consciousness is as it is Untouched! This immortality of consciousness one who has witnessed there is a shower of happiness in his life Flowers of ambrosia rain on him The same flowers can rain on you too. So use this fear of death Don't treat it as an enemy, This is a friend. Death is also a friend, If there is understanding but if not then life itself becomes your enemy. Mahaveer has said: An individual is his own friend, and his own enemy. If we awaken and learn to utilise all of life's possibilities In life, death's possibility is also aligned then we are our own friends; Otherwise we are our own enemies. Most people in this world lose and return. Ramnath, It is not necessary that you too lose and return you can earn before returning. Wake up! While there is still time, wake up!
