Ask The Master: 21 Nov 2007

What actually happens after death? What is death? Why should we analyze death? (continuation from an earlier post)

According to me, your concept of death is the one basis on which you live. There is a beautiful Zen saying, 'Learning the art of dying is learning the art of living.'

A Zen story: Once an enlightened master declared that he was going to die the next day at 6 am. Of course, enlightened people know about their death. The disciples requested the master to wait for a few hours as it would be very cold early in the morning. That would also give them sufficient time for the funeral. The master, out of compassion, agreed to do so. He gave them the time of his death as 12 noon. Exactly at the stroke of 12, he left his body.

Enlightened masters truly embody Friedrich Nietzsche's words, 'Death of one's own free choice, death at the proper time, with a clear head and with joyfulness, consummated in the midst of children and witnesses: so that an actual leave-taking is possible while he who is leaving is still there.'

Let me tell you an important incident. (to be contd.)

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This excerpt has been taken from the book: Beyond Life And Death