THROUGH DEATH TO LIFE

Death, now here is a topic guaranteed to let the air out of a room, a polite conversation killer. Yet we all have/will deal with it. First the death of those around us and finally, and I think you would agree the most important, our own. Get a chill down your spine? Want to quit reading huh? I understand, but try to stick around if you can. It is curious how differently cultures mark/celebrate a passing. Western culture typically tries to make the event a clean straightforward affair handled almost exclusively by professionals. Family and friends provided with a regimented schedule, body pick up, prep for interment, “viewing” or pay your respects time, religious/remembrance service and ultimately the final destination for the “remains.” Juxtaposition this with Tibet where the family and friends personally take care of the loved one, celebrating the life and transition in spirit of the departed. The body is then given over to monks who chop up the remains, feeding them to vultures, returning the departed to the sky. Kinda takes recycling that final step. Might be a little too green even for Al Gore. Death is inevitable. What happens to our physical remains after we have translated from this mortal coil matters little. What matters is everything that takes place right up to the moment we somersault into eternity. You are eternal. The spark of the divine, the connection to all that is, your consciousness, your soul has always existed. It was never born and will never die. It has always been and will always be. We are not human beings in search of the miraculous, we are spiritual beings experiencing the human condition, this flesh a conveyance. So mourn the passing of those you cared for, for they have passed from our sight for a time and we miss them, but celebrate their transition as well for it comes for all and is as natural as the rising/receding tide. Still not quite sold on the vulture thing though.