Humans have always feared and disliked death. The reason behind this is their static mental attitude. Human nature likes to stay in the same position without the change if it is possible. Death comes in the way of this nature. We know that everything changes in this world and yet we wish to keep our surroundings as it is without change. Death is necessary transformation in this situation. Even though the purpose behind the death is for the good of the humans, they fail to welcome the event. How can the humans tolerate death when they have spent all the energy behind their lives making and executing the plans; have taken enormous interest and pleasure with lots of expectations and all these vanishing completely in an instant? We developed attachments as per our nature, took interest and thought that all these belong to us. We cannot bear this transformation that happens as per natural order. It is absolute ignorance and blindness in not accepting this necessary transformation when it is a natural order of the things. Habit of taking interest in this illusory world made up of bones and skin has caused this pathetic situation while forgetting the reality.
There is lots of attachment behind expressing grief, sorrow and lamentation and there may be unknown and deep selfishness too. Our feelings get awakened due to the attachment with the deceased. Sometimes we see the death of the swajan conflict with our gross or subtle self interest and we cry for our own self interest. We even do not realize this since we have not developed inner wisdom and keep on believing that our grief is due to true love we had towards the deceased. There is no sattvic (honest and truthful) quality behind the grief. There is no new creation or development of life from these negative feelings. So we should continue to use constructive feelings for the development of our lives. If we can keep equanimity towards these negative feelings at the time death then we can make good use of it in our sadhana. Since we cannot keep equanimity towards negative feelings in the beginning of the sadhana, it is safe and easy to keep constructive feelings for development of our lives.
Death means great necessary (and unavoidable) transformation.
Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sandesh,
Edition 3; pages 236 - 238.
