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Thanatopsis
Recently, I read a poem by William Cullen Bryant called 'Thanatopsis' on the nature of death and our somewhat muddled perception of it. Now I am by no means a fan of reading poetry nor writing as I used to, but I found this meditation on death to be quite a stunning piece of work. To think that he was only 17 when he wrote it.
http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Bryant/thanatopsis.html
How do you cope with death? I have always been rather intrigued by it. As a little child, I enjoyed walking around the cemetery where my grandfather had been buried. Not to say that I don't fear death somewhat, I mean we all need to a little. But I have found that accepting death knowingly without any hope of what is to come afterward (if anything) is quite liberating. Of course you could always ignore death but it only is more difficult when it is knocking on your door.
The Suffis say, "Die before you die and you shall never die." What is meant is the death of the ego. We can truly live when we accept our mortality.
http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Bryant/thanatopsis.html
How do you cope with death? I have always been rather intrigued by it. As a little child, I enjoyed walking around the cemetery where my grandfather had been buried. Not to say that I don't fear death somewhat, I mean we all need to a little. But I have found that accepting death knowingly without any hope of what is to come afterward (if anything) is quite liberating. Of course you could always ignore death but it only is more difficult when it is knocking on your door.
The Suffis say, "Die before you die and you shall never die." What is meant is the death of the ego. We can truly live when we accept our mortality.
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Comments
I know that I will die someday.
I vow to cherish the present moment.
or....
Breathing it, this could be my last...
Breathing out, this could be my last.
I know they don't appear very uplifting, but perhaps more than you might think. It helps set priorities. Care to share any of your own thoughts or sayings?
Maranasati (mindfulness of death) is an excellent antidote for complacency as well as a good way to arose heedfulness (AN 6.19). The Buddha often recommended such practices to his disciples, and if practiced correctly, they can have immeasurable benefits (AN 6.20).
Jason