Death and the Way of Life
Remember the importance of death. This would seem a ridiculous statement, but the majority of us ignore it at all costs. For much of the western world we simply pretend that it does not exist, rarely seeing a non living body, and yet it is the primary mover in our lives.
This goes beyond what we would think. We deal with death with every breathe we take. As the Sufis say about God, it is closer than our jugular vein. It is present in anything we do not be, even in the most minor details. When we feel our well being is at risk we fear death..
The the loss of a job, the of loss of social status, of financial standing; at some basic level our deep consciousness we face death. To bring this hidden motivator to the surface frees up energy and clarity of vision. It helps us to act in a conscious fashion, and become comfortable with the nature of our lives. It helps us to access intensity in our present that actually has us living, being with our children and as we choose to be. In not hiding we become powerful.
When we think of what motivates our life, we find elements such as health, sex, religion, race and financial status. The root of each of these elements is the fear of death, and the desire to hide from it.
We should ask ourselves at any point in our decision what role is discomfort with death playing? How does my sense of identity play a role in what I am choosing to do? Anxiety proves to us that running from death is not an effective strategy. Facing it, living with the truth of our end provides many benefits. It helps to see and do what really matters.
The beginning and ending of things are important. When one recognizes their presence we have a greater intensity in what we do and experience. We pay closer attention, and have access to energy and intuition.
We are simply living with the meaning of our lives. Some of us we die in painful ways, some in our sleep. Some will die suddenly, and some in protracted illness. But truly each of us will die in a way that is perfect for our individual story.