Guest guest Posted July 10, 1999 Report Share Posted July 10, 1999 Dear Lists: Our bodies will die. We say we know this. But do we *know* this? You who are reading this message, your body may die in 5 minutes, or an hour, or a day, or a year, or 20 years... is there a difference? These bodies must die, and with them will die everything that we have known. No possessions can be taken into death; No loved ones; No money; Nothing but what is of Spirit. Therefore, is there a reason to focus on this already dying body for even one minute longer? Not only will the body die, but the body of our loved ones will die. Most of us will watch our grandparents, fathers and mothers die. Some will watch beloved pets die. Others may see their own children die. We console ourselves by saying "Death is a part of life," but that is no consolation when you yourself are on the deathbed. If you do not believe it, ask someone with a terminal illness. Death may come suddenly, or it may come slowly. It may come painfully, or without pain. But it will come. It is the only thing that is guaranteed to happen to the body. In some undefined period of time, your body will be lying under the ground eaten by worms, or it will be burnt to ash. All that is seen when you look in the mirror will be gone forever - permanently. What is the body but something that began to die upon its very moment of birth? We are all, now, dying of the disease of aging, and there are many other diseases waiting to speed the process. Therefore, what is the body? What is its value? Who can keep away death? Identify yourself with the body and you are already dead. There is hope for all. We are not these bodies, but Eternal Spirit. Those who focus on the body, anoit it and guard it carefully, feed it with pleasures, will come to ruin and misery and death. Those who put their hope in the Divine only, That which we truly are, will live forever. These things are unquestionable, immutable laws of Being. If we really knew very, very deeply that we are going to die (and perhaps soon) we would go mad for something permanent, something that will not die. That something we have already. Let us not waste another moment on talk of the body, or focus on the body. Let us not waste any more time. Must we be given a diagnosis of terminal cancer before we realize what we are doing? Place all faith, hope, trust and love in That which does not die, That which CAN be taken with us, That which will comfort us as we watch our loved ones drop around us. That is the Atman, the Soul, and that Atman is One with Brahman, the Absolute. We are indeed one deathless Being, so why do we waste time on these shells of meat that encase us? Death lies hidden just around the corner, a cobra. It will strike. It is already waving its hood. Place *all* in the hands of Divinity before death yanks the rug from under you. It will do so soon, first letting you watch your beloved die, then your own body will die. That bodily death is forever. But there is something else that is also Forever, put all faith in that, all hope, all life. Let that be the one goal of life - to *not have to go through this again!* Hari OM, Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 10, 1999 Report Share Posted July 10, 1999 Hari Om! Thank you very much Tim for the beautiful and awakening article on the "The Body". I recall a Sanskrit Sloka that expresses similar thoughts, that I want to share: "Krishna tvadeeya pada pankaja panjaraantah adyaiva mE maanasa raaja hamsa, praaNa prayaaNa samayE kapha vaatha pithaih kanTaavarOdana vidham smaraNam kuthastE" "Hey Krishna, right NOW itself, make my swan-like mind rest in the cage of thy feet! When my last breath is about to leave, I may be suffering from throat-clogging cough and bloatedness and in that condition, how can I remember you? Hence make mind rest in thy feet, right NOW" [it is just my free translation and sanskrit scholars can surely make a better and more accurate job than this.] With regards -Srinivas >"Tim Gerchmez" <fewtch >advaitin ><NondualitySalon > >CC: <advaitin > > The Body >Fri, 9 Jul 1999 23:30:41 -0700 > >"Tim Gerchmez" <fewtch > > >Dear Lists: > >Our bodies will die. We say we know this. But do we *know* this? You who >are reading this message, your body may die in 5 minutes, or an hour, or a >day, or a year, or 20 years... is there a difference? These bodies must >die, and with them will die everything that we have known. No possessions >can be taken into death; No loved ones; No money; Nothing but what is of >Spirit. Therefore, is there a reason to focus on this already dying body >for even one minute longer? > >Not only will the body die, but the body of our loved ones will die. Most >of us will watch our grandparents, fathers and mothers die. Some will >watch beloved pets die. Others may see their own children die. We console >ourselves by saying "Death is a part of life," but that is no consolation >when you yourself are on the deathbed. If you do not believe it, ask >someone with a terminal illness. > >Death may come suddenly, or it may come slowly. It may come painfully, or >without pain. But it will come. It is the only thing that is guaranteed >to happen to the body. In some undefined period of time, your body will be >lying under the ground eaten by worms, or it will be burnt to ash. All >that is seen when you look in the mirror will be gone forever - >permanently. > >What is the body but something that began to die upon its very moment of >birth? We are all, now, dying of the disease of aging, and there are many >other diseases waiting to speed the process. Therefore, what is the body? >What is its value? Who can keep away death? Identify yourself with the >body and you are already dead. > >There is hope for all. We are not these bodies, but Eternal Spirit. Those >who focus on the body, anoit it and guard it carefully, feed it with >pleasures, will come to ruin and misery and death. Those who put their >hope in the Divine only, That which we truly are, will live forever. These >things are unquestionable, immutable laws of Being. > >If we really knew very, very deeply that we are going to die (and perhaps >soon) we would go mad for something permanent, something that will not die. > That something we have already. Let us not waste another moment on talk >of the body, or focus on the body. Let us not waste any more time. Must >we be given a diagnosis of terminal cancer before we realize what we are >doing? > >Place all faith, hope, trust and love in That which does not die, That >which CAN be taken with us, That which will comfort us as we watch our >loved ones drop around us. That is the Atman, the Soul, and that Atman is >One with Brahman, the Absolute. We are indeed one deathless Being, so why >do we waste time on these shells of meat that encase us? > >Death lies hidden just around the corner, a cobra. It will strike. It is >already waving its hood. Place *all* in the hands of Divinity before death >yanks the rug from under you. It will do so soon, first letting you watch >your beloved die, then your own body will die. That bodily death is >forever. But there is something else that is also Forever, put all faith >in that, all hope, all life. Let that be the one goal of life - to *not >have to go through this again!* > >Hari OM, > >Tim > >--------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- > >ONElist members are using Shared Files in great ways! > >Are you? If not, see our homepage for details. > >------ >Discussion of the True Meaning of Sankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy >focusing on non-duality between mind and matter. List Archives available >at: /viewarchive.cgi?listname=advaitin > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.