Fear of Death

Renunciation is realizing that samsāra is full of shit.

Chogyam Trungpa: Wisdom of No Escape

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The question was posted on facebook: “If you were given a book with the story of your life, would you read the end?” My snide answer was, “Sure, why not. Most of it fiction anyhow.” I should qualify my answer: That depends on who is writing it. It would be okay with me if I was the author because I would have been in control of the ending. If it is written by the great magician of samsara; Kama-Mara, then it would not be so bad either because I would know that this too is an illusion. I would know that the bag of skin I call George drops away. It does so eventually at regardless of who writes it.

            Death is where the rubber hits the road in spiritual practice. A life well lived, while not exactly welcoming death, is certainly most prepared for it. Once I thought that all this preoccupation with death of most spiritual disciplines were fear based but I came to realize that death is always near us. The seemingly randomness of it can be frightening until it is accepted. There are combat veterans that can relate to the way a bullet or a bomb can zap… crack the illusion of life in a nano-second. In that nano-second the veil of karma is exposed as part of the delusion that one life is more important than another. It just doesn’t matter how good or bad you are, how brave or cowardly, or even how well trained… in the field of combat there is no choice. Shit happens and then whew! Gone.

            Religions can be based on fear of death; but, in actuality, religions merely present a door to be opened to the realization that death is nothing to fear. A better question for this idea is: “Where were you before you were born?” The answer for me would be: “OM.”

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