Ask The Master: 22 Nov 2007

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

Let me tell you an important incident. When the British were trying to establish their supremacy over India, they were very keen on taking control of a small village in Central India for strategic reasons. There were only about 100 tribal people living there. (This village does not exist anymore.) The villagers were highly esoteric and mystical. They were deeply into meditation and it is said that they never fell sick. They were such highly evolved people that even if they hurt someone in their dream, the next morning, they would go and apologize to the person. They did not even want to have unconscious vengeance or hatred. They were such a mature and spiritual group that had nothing of the outer world but everything of the inner world. When the British tried to force their culture on them, they would not give in. They resisted. Even when they were threatened to give up or face dire consequences, they refused to do so. They gathered in the center of the village and right in front of the British soldiers, they chanted some mantra (mystical saying) and dropped dead. Every single one of them dropped dead. The soldiers could not believe their eyes. They had anticipated the villagers to commit suicide. This incident has been recorded by British soldiers. They also said that for the first time, they felt guilty of being responsible for the death of such innocent, simple yet great people. These people knew the art of dying. They could just drop their body and leave this world.

In Mark Twain's words, 'The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.'

The Bhagavad Gita says, 'Death is just like changing your coat.' Learning to die is the one and only art that you are supposed to learn while you are living.

There is a great fear of death, of the unknown, in most people. A beautiful story from the Katopanishad: (to be contd.)

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