Are we able to conquer the Fear of Death?
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Are we able to conquer the Fear of Death?
Death is not a direct experience but a concept deducted from our observation of what is happening in the external world. The conquest of death is the overcoming of this concept, but it cannot be achieved by our intellect even though it is the originator of such conceptual thought. Our individual existence and ignorance of the non existence of an individual self creates the impression of a permanent ego. In reality, neither death nor ego can be experience directly. If death is real, it should be something that each of us would be able to experience. But as long as we are able to experience anything, we are not dead. On the question of our Ego; we have unquestionably a feeling of our personal identity, our own self, which accompanies every state of our consciousness. When we perceive something and at the same time have a nice feeling about it, this is the feeling of the condition of our Ego.
If we are able to observe the process of dying or the moment of death, then we may be able to prove that death does not destroy the experiencing subject. If it cannot be experienced itself, why should we be afraid of it anyway? Needless to said, we all fear death and this go to prove how much we are under the dominance of our intellect. Intellect is necessary and justified as long as we are dealing with objects or things, but it fails us when it come to the question concerning the very essence of man and the meaning of individual existence. The only way out of this dilemma is to replace this intellectual attitude with a subjective experience.
We can only speak of the cessation of bodily functions and the decay of the physical body. What happens to the forces that built and maintained it when it is alive is quite another question. The conquest of death is, but purely subjective that can only be solved by a direct inner experience. We need to become conscious of it by turning our attention inward to solve the problem. Ego arises with the notion of a self. By recognizing the illusion of a separate and unchanging ego and accepting that everything is interdependent and ever changing as the very nature of life, we can destroy this presupposition on which the concept of death is based. The annihilation of the ego illusion made it possible to see beyond the limit of the impermanence self and recognized the connection between passed and possible future form of life.
But of course, realistically most of us would unlikely to reach this state of realization to get pass the fear of death. In that respect, the description on the process of dying in the Tibetan well-known funeral text, the Bardo Thodol, commonly referred to as the ‘Tibetan Book of the Dead’ should give most of us, the less enlightened folks, some degree of comfort on what one can expect in the process of dying and allay some of the fear in us on the subject of death. The Book describe the process of the dissolution of our various sense consciousness including finally the mind consciousness and the process in which how finally this subtle consciousness leave the physical body, taking on the body of an intermediate state being before seeking out another ‘body’ to be reborn into. Where this intermediate being will be reborn is uncontrolled and is propelled more by one’s own past actions.
Man is mortal and is subject to death as long as he tries to hang on to his present state of mind and body, as long as he does not try to rise above his present condition and continue to live in a state of ignorance. Immortality does not consist in the preservation of our ego. It is in the awareness that in reality our present is nothing more than just a fleeting moment. In that knowledge, lies the liberation from death leading to the experience of immortality.
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Hi, this post I made recently might be of relation: http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2011/06/unborn-dharma.html
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————大安法师开示May be those who are afraid of death, may give it a try ha ha ......
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when you face Death twice in the face, it is no longer scary.
I am more concerned whether i can go to Pureland. Or to the Pureland of my choice.
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Originally posted by Wiser:
when you face Death twice in the face, it is no longer scary.
I am more concerned whether i can go to Pureland. Or to the Pureland of my choice.
This is fear as well.
Thus I have heard
While sages/venerables celebrates their last breath of farewell to take on another meaningful task of liberating living beings under delusion in all deluded realms. Your fear is palpable. On a lighter note that your understanding of the reality on reincarnation processes had with you endless opportunity to regain back your full potential of super consciousness of buddhaness. Probably, you may wish to look forward on heaven beings status by cultivating more blessings on givings, at least it is so much easily achieveable, while simultaneously eyeing on buddhaness. However, sowing more blessings of giving, and vow to the western pureland is much more easier than cultivating seeds purely on the status of heavenly beings.Om Pra Ma Ni Da Ni So Ha on behalf for the well beings and blessings of all. _/|\_
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Right , most people fear of dying. I fear of not going to a good rebirth.
There is nothing wrong to fear that, it motivates me to practise harder during every waking moment. To sow as much good merits as i could sincerely.
On the other hand, i know i have done my best in this life, so even if i should end up in the Hell, i would just take my punishments and then my good deeds will reap fruit after that.
At least i know i could do the latter part more. Accumulate merits in as many ways as i could.
It's not burn in Hell for eternity.
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"I fear Death", what if there is no "I" ?
For what am "I", if not impermanent ?
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No ego no fear
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Be it in hell , in heaven, there is no "I". No more .
Free to reborn, free to suffer , free to become another shape, another human, another animal.
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but then not totally free. Your karma follows. Your as in "I".
So MY good and bad karma follows. So it goes back to "I".
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Originally posted by Weychin:
"I fear Death", what if there is no "I" ?
For what am "I", if not impermanent ?
What is "I' but the collection of fives skandas?
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When I am near my death, I will know that my father will be waiting for me and will be holding my hand and walk with him to another world.
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Originally posted by likeyou:
When I am near my death, I will know that my father will be waiting for me and will be holding my hand and walk with him to another world.
Then it should give you the same comfort as knowing the process of dying as described in the Bardo Thodol.
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Originally posted by Weychin:
"I fear Death", what if there is no "I" ?
For what am "I", if not impermanent ?
If there is the realization of no 'I', then it is liberation and the experience of immortality. -
...
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Originally posted by 1982782636:
thank u smartass for quoting
What an ingenious way of advertising your product. Do you do it on all your postings? But be careful though, as I believe some moderators of forum sites may not like it.
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Everyone is scared of death la.
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I wait for shinigami to take me away.
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Originally posted by Almond Cookies:
Everyone is scared of death la.
but, what about those despressed people? they not scared plus sucide leh -
Originally posted by rachel876:
but, what about those despressed people? they not scared plus sucide leh
I think when they commit suicide that time got fear. -
hypnosis can be used and programmed against fear of death...
it could lead to voluntary suicide without consciousness of fear and the consequences of death...where being approaches nothingness ..
a very dangerous technique
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Those suicide victims also fear death de la but their desire to die too great more powerful than fear.
Of course some have mental illnesses like maybe hearing people asking them to die or hearing voices commanding them to die.
Pychosis.
Depression can accompany sucidal thoughts and the person choses to act It out.
Like a japanese kamikaze pilot have fear of death but out of love for their country choses to do It.
Same for terrorists.
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Be natural .. No need to force ourself into any form or concept, accept things as they come, enjoy and go with the flow.
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When the time come, you will not be able to escape. You will pass thru the death once in your life.
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Some people faced death more than once. Like those who were struck by the lightenings and survived. There is a real case of someone who had such freak accidents 5 times.