Guest guest Posted November 20, 2002 Report Share Posted November 20, 2002 Namaste, Brad. I've been there too, on awakening at night and also in meditation, and I don't like it! I call it " the void " . One of our Ramakrishna swamis told me not long ago to keep on meditating through it. It never occurred to me to try that - it had always seemed to be the end of everything. Good advice. I also found a helpful discussion of this in several articles on the website of Lorin Roche. Here's a short excerpt: " ...it is quite a trick to get yourself so deeply established in serenity so that your fears can freely flood through you and be healed. You have to stay at ease and breathing easily, otherwise the healing process will stop of its own accord. So cherish the experience if and when your fears and pains come up during meditation. Know that this is healing. " The rest of the article is titled " Allowing Fear to Wash Through You " and is dated November 4 2002, located on the following page: http://www.lorinroche.com/ Hope this helps. Pranams, Shivaram Das 11/19/2002 10:18:57 PM, " Brad Stephan " <brad wrote: >Greetings: > >I also enjoyed the comments on the value of pondering the inevitable. I had >a most realistic dream about death two nights ago. I awoke from the dream in >the middle of the night and the sensation of the " last breath " before death >and the passing into the " abyss " persisted and became even more real. It >brought a most fearful sensation, along with the strong realization that no >material pleasure or object on the entire Earth would lessen that fearful >sensation at that moment. The sensation of dread was a combination of the >physical loss of life, i.e., the last breath, as well as the loss of >mind/self/identity/ego. The fear did not decrease even with my strong faith >which assures me that the moment after death - all would be well. It's just >that moment before death that I am, apparently, not ready for! The dream >drove home the point that the most important goal of my life should be >preparing for death - so that I can enter into that dark night with joyful >expectation and without attachment to mind, ego or body. Interestingly, I >could not recall any details about the dream or what caused the sensation of >impending death. The only thing I could recall was reading the name, > " Ramana. " The letters of the name were very vivid, unlike most writing in my >dreams, which usually is very fuzzy and nonsensical. I had been reading >about Ramana Maharshi just prior to sleep. > >In retrospect, I wish I could have surrendered to the dream or to the fear >it produced - and seen where it may have taken me! > >Any words of wisdom or similar experiences? > >Jai Ramakrishna, >Brad > > > >Sri Ramakrishnaye Namah >Vivekananda Centre London >http://www.vivekananda.co.uk > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2002 Report Share Posted November 21, 2002 This is uncanny! Brought goose bumps. One wonders however, would it really have been possible to surrender to that fear? Can it be willed? I might sound too much of an ignoramus, but right now I am feeling like one. Jai Shrikrishna scribe57 Catch all the cricket action. Download Score tracker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2002 Report Share Posted November 21, 2002 Dear Brad, I never had any dreams about death. But I came across a situation in real life when I had to reflect on my past and on my casual attitude towards God. Interestingly this situation cropped up after I visited Sri Aurobindo Ashram at Pondicherry and marvelled at the spiritual atmosphere prevalent over there. I had already set my eyes upon Thakur at an early age and sustained it despite my atheistic nature. I was totally against any form of ritualism and thought that the deities were figments of ones imagination. I wanted a more tangible presence whom I could relate to on a more earthly plane. Clearly Thakur was what I had in mind all the time. Even after I became a regular visitor to the Ramakrishna Mission my troubles persisted. Later I read that spiritual aspirants have to go through such ordeals either at the beginning or at the end of their spiritual lives. I guess mine was at the beginning. I cannot say that my troubles are over but today I am confident that Thakur will take care of me both in life and death. Regards Jagannath --- Brad Stephan <brad wrote: > Greetings: > > I also enjoyed the comments on the value of > pondering the inevitable. I had > a most realistic dream about death two nights ago. I > awoke from the dream in > the middle of the night and the sensation of the > " last breath " before death > and the passing into the " abyss " persisted and > became even more real. It > brought a most fearful sensation, along with the > strong realization that no > material pleasure or object on the entire Earth > would lessen that fearful > sensation at that moment. The sensation of dread was > a combination of the > physical loss of life, i.e., the last breath, as > well as the loss of > mind/self/identity/ego. The fear did not decrease > even with my strong faith > which assures me that the moment after death - all > would be well. It's just > that moment before death that I am, apparently, not > ready for! The dream > drove home the point that the most important goal of > my life should be > preparing for death - so that I can enter into that > dark night with joyful > expectation and without attachment to mind, ego or > body. Interestingly, I > could not recall any details about the dream or what > caused the sensation of > impending death. The only thing I could recall was > reading the name, > " Ramana. " The letters of the name were very vivid, > unlike most writing in my > dreams, which usually is very fuzzy and nonsensical. > I had been reading > about Ramana Maharshi just prior to sleep. > > In retrospect, I wish I could have surrendered to > the dream or to the fear > it produced - and seen where it may have taken me! > > Any words of wisdom or similar experiences? > > Jai Ramakrishna, > Brad > > > Mail Plus – Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 Dear Jagannath, Thank you for writing so openly about what so many of us have experienced. Perhaps you will find some help in an inspiring suggestion from the Hindu monastary in Hawaii: " Accept your karma as your own, as a healing medicine and not a poison. " Of course, easier said than done, especially amid the challenges of poor health. ew On 4/24/04, you wrote: >Dear Edith, > >Yes, death has different connotations for different people just as >religion and spirituality does. Death is inevitable, we all know >that. But why are we, or what in us, is so afraid of dying? I >remember the sayings of The Mother of Pondicherry who talks of the >vital being. This body is composed of our desires, aversions, >passions, material yearnings etc. This body separates the soul from >the universal force and creates the individual ego. This individual >ego is afraid of dying. It retains its identity after death, often >not knowing that it is dead. It is this vital body and individual >ego that suffers during and after death. > >Many years ago when I was bedridden and doctors could not make >anything of my illness I had certain peculiar experiences. Often I >used to have notions that it was early evening and birds were flying >back to their nests. There would sometimes be a deathly cold feeling >which would creep up from my legs and travel upwards. I was also >very very afraid of dying. There used to be a lot of repentance that >I had not lived a life worthy of attaining God, this in spite of >having spiritual yearnings and awareness since early childhood. All >the events of my life used to flash before me and even minor >shortcomings would release pangs of remorse. I used to be afraid of >having to move towards another life on earth and again go through >the inconviniences of early childhood. What sort of an environment I >would get then, I used to wonder. I would intensely pray to God to >give me another chance so that I could devote it extensively to Him >and get a release from the cycle of births and deaths. > >Years later I read a book " The Tibetan Boook on Living and Dying " By >Simgyal Rinpoche (I hope I have got the name right) and found many >of the death experiences similiar to the ones I experienced. It made >me want to yell and say " Hey man, this guy is right! " . > >Today many years have passed since then but I still feel >dissatisfied with my spiritual progress. Maya compels me to stay at >home and suffer the inevitable suffering of family bickerings. I was >invited to join the monastery many a times but maya made me feel I >was indispensible for my family and I repent now. The intelligent >person within me feels that I would have to go through some more >nasty experiences before vairagya becomes natural to me. > >To those wishing to take to a monastic life I would ask them to go >ahead. Thakur was right when he said that family oriented persons >were of a different kind. There is no point in trying to help them. >They are like the camel who tongue bleeds when it eats thorns but it >continues chewing. What pleasure they get out of it God alone knows. >No amount of advice would help them see the right way. This world is >one lousy place for those who wish to lead a spiritual life. > >I am sorry for having ended on a pessimistic note. > >Regards, >Jagannath. > > > > > > Photos: High-quality 4x6 digital prints for 25¢ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 Dear Jagannathji could you share some of the thoughts in that book, for having not read that book,(Tibetan book of living and dying) i would really like to learn more from you and as to what struck you as being right thank you jairam _______________ http://join.msn.com/?pgmarket=en-ca & page=byoa/prem & xAPID=1994 & DI=1034 & SU=http://\ hotmail.com/enca & HL=Market_MSNIS_Taglines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 15, 2009 Report Share Posted November 15, 2009 BHAGAVAN had many times mentioned about KARMA and its effects.let us pray to BHAGAVAN and HE only can give the consoling BLESSINGSOM SRI SATHYA SAI PARABRAHMANE NAMAHAjoseph The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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