Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.
If you believe in rebirth, then in the Dali Lamas book "Advice on Dying and Living a Better Life", he goes into great detail about the dying process, and how vital and precious these moments are, as a way to be able to direct what the next life will be like. He talks about what signs and visions we may see at the various stages of death and how we should react to them, to ensure that we die peacefully and give ourself the best chance of a good rebirth. So there is a description in Mahayana Buddhism of exactly what happens when you die, what is experienced and how to react to these experiences to help you direct what kind of rebirth it is in the next life. I found all this information quite helpful in preparing for the inevitability of death.
It's real easy to say you are not afraid of death, but when the plane you are on loses both engines and starts to do a nosedive, that usually changes pretty quick. If you experience that and feel no fear at all, as you are plummeting to the ground, than I think you could say you are not afraid of death. What would I feel, I don't know. It would have to happen first before I, or anyone I think, could really say for sure.
The stress hormones that are released are a physical thing; they have nothing to do with my ideas and feelings about death.
I personally think they do relate. If there was no fear, then the stress would not arise to begin with. If there was no fear, then where can the stress come from? For example, if the Buddha happened to fall off a cliff, I don't think he would experience any stress at all. Did the Buddha have any stress after he knew he ate poisoned food and that he was going to die because of it? I doubt it. Just my opinion.
Hmm, a lot of people are saying that those who don't fear death are misguided. Yet after working in nursing homes for all these years, I have witnessed various reactions to death. Some are scared, some need family, some want to be alone, and others laugh until the end. It's ridiculous to assume that there can only be one emotional response to death.
It is ridiculous to think there can be only one response yes. However, I don't think people are saying others are misguided. I think people are saying that it is just quite easy to trick yourself into thinking that it's not a problem for you, when deep down, it actually is. Especially when you have not literally come face to face with your own death. Since it is possible to believe you are not afraid of death when you actually are afraid of death. Is it possible to overcome any fear with regards to death, of course, many people have. However, for most people, that usually happens as they are confronted with their own death, face to face, for real.
Did the Buddha have any stress after he knew he ate poisoned food and that he was going to die because of it?
Didn't Gautama - or at least the "story" of Gautama - experience a life changing amount of stress when exposed to old age, sickness and death after being shielded from it by decades by his clan. Didn't the stress of internalizing the very real presence of death in each human life prompt his seeking years of ultimately rejected asceticism - to arrive at Bodhgaya - to embrace/repel Mara - to awaken to the 4NT - to the 8FP - to the "cure" for the stress of the fear of aging, sickening and dying?
Death, schmeth. Not a big deal, unless the process is prolonged and painful, as someone already observed. Make the most of life, and you'll be able to face death with equanimity.
My feelings and perceptions are impermenent. As such, there are times when I am afraid, times when I am apprehensive, times when I am confident, and times when I am accepting. The way that I feel and the way that I perceive my death are illusions created by ignorance and grasping. I am training myself daily to witness reality directly in order to break through this illusion and surpass all feelings and perceptions. Ultimately, there is no death to fear.
@Seeker242 I have, although they are not experiences I am willing to share. I agree with you. When you are exposed to the dying process, or have grown up surrounded by the topic, or have had a sudden experience that brings you close... well then perhaps you will know how you will respond with more certainty. However, I think the majority of the fear surrounding death has to do with leaving people behind (especially people who are dependent on you), leaving things unaccomplished, fear of losing identity/self, or fear of the unknown.
I'd like to say that I'm not afraid of death, but I'd be lying to myself and others. On some level I still am. On another level I feel like there's a lot more to accomplish that I haven't done yet, and so I pre-regret dying before then. Still though, my conscious fear of death has dropped so low as to be negligible. I don't want to die and wouldn't throw my life away, but it would be a lot easier to take a bullet for someone now, or to do something dangerous as long as it was for the greater good.
@aura Thanks for the first-hand account! So, now that you're back among the living, do you have renewed sense of purpose? Are you living life differently than before in any way, or are you viewing life differently? Do share.
Death is a scary prospect, having grown quite attached to my illusions of myself.
A while back I began to meditate on the things I know for sure about death -
1. I am going to die. (This life will end.)
2. I don't know when I am going to die. (I could die any time.)
3. When I die all of the things I have accumulated in this life will be taken away. (material possessions, knowledge, memories, relationships)
I bring up these thoughts in my regular practice when the mind is still and calm. I treat this as insight meditation. When I discover thoughts have gone to analysis and stories I return to the present moment awareness of breathing. I just observe the feelings that arise and allow them to be.
One of the purposes of the practice is get in touch with and appreciate what is valuable in our lives. To learn to fully participate in life moment to moment as it happens without avoiding reality. Greater peace, compassion, happiness, and understanding come from acceptance of impermanence.
The following link is a helpful class taught by Ken Mcleod on death meditation and related issues of impermanence -
Death is a good teacher. It reminds us of truth. Teachings tells us to look within so that we may understand impermanence. The more of what we understand of impermanence within ourselves the easier it will be for us to detach and let go.
No. Its a natural process for all living things and has to be accepted.
I think because it tends to be hidden away in western society, and because popular culture celebrates youth rather than old age ,then people might become afraid unnecessarily.
I'm not afraid of death. I use to be 80% "It will be like before you were born" and 10% who knows. Now I'm 80% who knows and 10% like before you were born.
Comments
So there is a description in Mahayana Buddhism of exactly what happens when you die, what is experienced and how to react to these experiences to help you direct what kind of rebirth it is in the next life. I found all this information quite helpful in preparing for the inevitability of death.
Didn't Gautama - or at least the "story" of Gautama - experience a life changing amount of stress when exposed to old age, sickness and death after being shielded from it by decades by his clan. Didn't the stress of internalizing the very real presence of death in each human life prompt his seeking years of ultimately rejected asceticism - to arrive at Bodhgaya - to embrace/repel Mara - to awaken to the 4NT - to the 8FP - to the "cure" for the stress of the fear of aging, sickening and dying?
=[
No offense intended.
A while back I began to meditate on the things I know for sure about death -
1. I am going to die. (This life will end.)
2. I don't know when I am going to die. (I could die any time.)
3. When I die all of the things I have accumulated in this life will be taken away. (material possessions, knowledge, memories, relationships)
I bring up these thoughts in my regular practice when the mind is still and calm. I treat this as insight meditation. When I discover thoughts have gone to analysis and stories I return to the present moment awareness of breathing. I just observe the feelings that arise and allow them to be.
One of the purposes of the practice is get in touch with and appreciate what is valuable in our lives. To learn to fully participate in life moment to moment as it happens without avoiding reality. Greater peace, compassion, happiness, and understanding come from acceptance of impermanence.
The following link is a helpful class taught by Ken Mcleod on death meditation and related issues of impermanence -
http://www.unfetteredaudio.com/podcast/TAN11.mp3
Best Wishes
Spiny
No. Its a natural process for all living things and has to be accepted.
I think because it tends to be hidden away in western society, and because popular culture celebrates youth rather than old age ,then people might become afraid unnecessarily.
.
As for the other 10%... No words