Remember Death

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 09 Jul 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Alex	09 Jul 2003
I have been thinking about this subject since Iraq was taken over by foreign nation(s). Each one of us should remind ourselves, on a daily basis, that we are here on a trip. A (business?) trip that shall be terminated any time, without explanation, without forwarn, without re-embursement of investments done, and no rights to take any luggage "back where we come from". How much greed could be avoided, how much more attention we would give to our spiritual life, if we would stop once a day and think about ... Death. Not Death as a "re-birth", a new beginning, a chance for new endeavours. Just Death. The end. The departure from this life, naked, with no maps, a blank ticket... no return. When shall my trip end? When shall yours end? Each time I talk with you could be the last time... Will I ever see you again? It strikes me that humans feel so grandiose, so powerfull... We pass everything by ... everything. We vanish, that's the truth. Why bother trying to conquest power, money, the world?! Why even bother with ... a compliment? There are children waiting to smile. What else should matter so much? Alex.

Moongold	10 Jul 2003
Hi Alex, I think it is necessary to think of Death, the more so the older you get, but the meaning of death depnds so much on culture and values. I am not afraid of death but I think it is more useful to think about life and what living ethically and joyfully actually means. A changing question and a changing answer. Walter Mikac, the Australian who lost his entire family in the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, said to value each day with your loved ones, and to regard each day as the most precious time you will have with them. I sense that is what you are saying too. At least that is what I take from you.

truthsayer	10 Jul 2003
nothing is more eye opening than a brush with death. i know when i had my brush, it turned my life inside out. nothing has been the same since. it is a most humbling experience. some days i don't live to the upmost but many i do. it is very self satisfying to know in your heart that you've lived well that day.

Woof	10 Jul 2003
A wonderful book on the buddhist perspective on death is Living in the Light of Death: On the Art of Being Truly Alive by Larry Rosenberg. By contemplating the contrast, life is more vivid. Woof

Mimers	10 Jul 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Alex There are children waiting to smile. What else should matter so much? Alex. Yes, exactly. My real Father died when he was 44 years old of cancer. He had been a very busy man in his healthy years. Worked in NYC, made lots of money. Very successful. I really don't remember him much, as he usually didn't come home from work until 7 or 8 at night. I remember one vacation that he was willing to take the time off from work and go with us. Then he got very sick and couldn't work. After chemo, he couldn't even walk for quite some time. During his one period of remission, we all went on a hiking trip together. When we got to the top of the mountain, overlooking the Hudson Valley, I remember seeing him look out over the beauty and tears came to his eyes. I asked him if he was ok and he told me that it was the happiest day of his life, because he was with his family and surrounded by beauty. He told me to thank God for every day and for being alive and heathy and to enjoy life. He said that was what really mattered. During his last days, he kept a journal. Of course I have read it and what sticks out most is his comment that what he regretted most was not spending more time with his children. This is one thing I always try to remember. To enjoy my children. Mimi

LaLa	10 Jul 2003
Thank you so much for this thread and your collective positivity I have been wallowing in a fog of depression lately (menapausal I suspect) thinking nothing's worth the effort - life can be so hard... BUT I found this site again (after a long absense - no computer) And I feel truely refreshed it's so worthwhile to read the thoughts of positive people who take the time to find peace and the real point of all this It has lifted my spirit immensely THANK YOU La

Belladonna	10 Jul 2003
I can be hardheaded sometimes, especially when I'm afraid. When I was pregnant, I read a book about natural childbirth and became convinced that anything else was just plain evil. Thus, I endured a 40 hour labour only to "succumb" to an emergency c-section. Afterwards, the surgeon told me that my uterus almost burst, in which case I could have been dead within 15 minutes. Maybe it was a combination of baby blues, post traumatic stress syndrome and a long physical recovery, but I was angry, shocked and depressed for a long time afterwards. I also didn't really have anyone, professional or family, to help me deal with my feelings at all. But now, 4 years later, I'm really thankful for the experience. It was truly a Tower time. It shook me up enough to realize I can't just expect things to go on, to go well, to go as expected, that it CAN happen to me. My brush with death was scary- shocking. But it made countless moments of my life since then truly precious. I don't take things for granted as much as I used to, anymore.

Astraea	10 Jul 2003
Yes, we need to be brought back to the present moment again and again -- the opportunities inherent in each breath, every encounter. It's so easy to project ourselves forward in anticipation, or backward in hindsight, that we can lose sight of where we are now. Thank you, Alex, for this reminder.

Alex	10 Jul 2003
mine was 50-hour long. The only reason why I didn't have a c-section was that I'd refused anesthesia from the start, there was no time for a peridural anymore: the baby was suffocating in the birth cannal. A big heavy man pushed my stomach down, and that did it. But I felt miserable 4 a month or so, from so much pain, stress and afterwards, the doc saying to me that, for a min, he thought he was gonna lose both. He also told me that I must sign up for a c-section if I plan to have another. He isn't gonna participate in such toruture sections anymore. All that cause my boy's head was an inch diameter larger than the ultra-sonography had revealled... Alex. Quote: Originally posted by Belladonna I can be hardheaded sometimes, especially when I'm afraid. When I was pregnant, I read a book about natural childbirth and became convinced that anything else was just plain evil. Thus, I endured a 40 hour labour only to "succumb" to an emergency c-section. Afterwards, the surgeon told me that my uterus almost burst, in which case I could have been dead within 15 minutes.

Alex	10 Jul 2003
I guess nothing is worthy the effort; and that's what I tried to say, and it is a liberating thought, a reminder that could bring humankind so some kind of sense. It's not worthy accumulating goods, trying to conquest the world, trying to impose your values on others, stealing, murdering, in the sake of money and power. We are all gonna die. So let's... live. Alex. Quote: Originally posted by LaLa Thank you so much for this thread and your collective positivity I have been wallowing in a fog of depression lately (menapausal I suspect) thinking nothing's worth the effort - life can be so hard... La

LaLa	11 Jul 2003
Yes let's one breath at a time one smile to the next

The Remember Death thread was originally posted on 09 Jul 2003 in the Spirituality board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Spirituality, or read more archived threads.