If we shift our contemplation to birth, what do we observe? Some children are born healthy, some dumb, some deaf, or blind. Some kids are born in families that are blessed with good fortune, while some are born to parents who live a life of misery and suffering, be it their poverty in wealth or impoverishment in health. Why this discrimination? What is the fault of the infant that is just born? Is this some kind of a random luck or is the Creator cruel? If we carefully reflect, we will realize that the young child may look like a baby, which it is, but inside that little new-born baby is a mind and ego, the ME that has lived before. A child is born in circumstances that are based on past actions. Remember, when somebody died, the one who was alive moved on? Who moved on? The body soon became ashes, but the mind and ego, the ME who actually directed the body to act, moved on to take a new birth along with Karma, their past actions.
Those who realize the truth about death, largely overcome the fear that is caused when we think of dying. It is not very easy to realize the truth about death because we often get confused about who dies. We are taught fairy tales about the soul that confuses us further. The soul is just like electricity in a bulb. It gives power to the body and the ME – Mind and Ego, to live. When the Soul departs, death happens. The Soul doesn’t take rebirth. Very few people are
TAKEAWAYS
WHY FEAR DEATH?
fortunate to realize the truth about the Soul. It is important to know that we, the ones who are alive never die. Our body dies, but we, the ones who are actually alive, move on.
To understand this, compare our body to a computer. A computer has both, hardware and software. Our body also has a gross body—bones, blood, flesh, and skin. It also has a subtle body—the mind, the intellect, the memory, and the ego. This is subtle in nature and cannot be touched, just like software in a computer. Both hardware and software are needed to make the computer function, just as we need both the gross body and the subtle body to live. However, the most important factor is the power supply. Without the power supply, the computer cannot function. We human beings also need the power within us to live. This is what is known as the ‘Soul’, the Spirit or the Atman. Death happens when the life inside us, or the Soul departs. The body is nothing. It returns to dust. The ME, the Mind and Ego is reborn based on Karma.
If only we realize the truth about death and realize that the Law of Karma will determine our future journey, we will be able to transcend the fear of death and live a life of virtue, compassion and kindness. This realization will not only liberate us from the fear of death but also help us overcome the triple suffering that causes our misery throughout our life. What is this triple suffering?