Hello.
Often death is something we believe is far,
Far away,
Or deep down,
Secretly,
We have a fantasy that somehow we will be the first not to die.
Somehow,
Someway.
Perhaps we think if we are important and celebrated that we will live on.
And you might,
For a while.
But then humanity will end and you'll be forgotten anyways,
Like the rest of us.
Death will happen later,
We think.
And that thinking,
I believe,
Keeps us from the fullest life we can have.
And a full life is what you want,
Yes?
Of course it is.
This practice on death is one that is said to be a way to a full,
Rich,
Present life.
I know for myself,
As one who has been historically terrified of death,
It has given me much more ability to be with the truth of it and shift myself into a more loving way of being.
Let's practice.
Bring yourself to a comfortable meditation posture.
Sitting,
Standing,
Lying down,
Or walking.
If you still allow your spine to be straight,
But not rigid,
Don't force it.
Rigor mortis will be there soon enough.
You don't have to make it happen now.
Now imagine you only had a few minutes before leaving this earth,
And you knew it with 100% certainty.
If you can,
Really let yourself feel this experience.
Embody it.
Are you afraid now that death is certain and not avoidable?
Do you have regret?
Peace?
Let that go now.
And bring to mind someone who you know,
But were not close with,
That has died.
Perhaps a famous person,
But any human will do.
Pets,
Of course,
Count,
But are just not ideal for this part.
Notice that this person was once alive and is now dead.
Perhaps you even saw their dead,
Lifeless corpse right in front of you.
Maybe you poked it,
Just to be sure it was dead.
It ain't no judgment.
I'm a curious type as well.
Notice that they had a birth,
A life,
And a death.
They lived,
Had a job,
Went to school,
Had relationships,
Ate food,
Cried tears,
Got angry in traffic,
And fell in love.
All the very same things you yourself do have done or will do.
Unless you're one of those saints that doesn't get mad in traffic.
Notice that there is nothing different between you and them on a fundamental level,
And they are now dead.
They probably also secretly thought they would be the one to live on forever as well,
Didn't they?
Now bring to mind someone you love dearly who is still very much alive.
This could be any being,
Human,
Animal.
Davies and spirits really aren't a great choice here,
Because they are probably tougher to picture than dead,
Since they are not currently in a meat suit.
So imagine this being as they age.
See their skin lose elasticity.
See them get false teeth.
See them lose their memory and return to the dependence on others as much as an infant once did.
Notice what arises in your body as you practice.
How are you relating to this image?
Now see them as a lifeless corpse.
See them gray,
Stiff,
And glistening.
See them start to bloat with rancid odor emanating from them,
The purplish blotchy skin tone.
See the body eaten by maggots and bacteria,
The flesh being eaten,
The muscle wasting to nothing.
See them as a skeleton with only scraps of tissue still attached.
See their cavernous skull,
And now see this waste away to dust.
Be with your reaction to seeing your dear one no longer exist.
So now imagine yourself at the end.
You can choose how you go.
Is he quick and unaware,
Surrounded by love?
High out of your mind in Amsterdam with a few red light workers keeping you company?
Once again,
No judgment.
We're all people with desires.
And then you do die and see yourself die.
Picture your lifeless corpse.
Imagine yourself stiffened,
Lose color,
And start to glisten.
See your corpse bloat and produce gas.
See your body being eaten by maggots,
The muscle quickly disappearing.
See your body decay down to a skeleton,
Barely with any tissue left.
Then,
None at all.
See your skeleton turn to dust and blow away.
How does your death,
The death that will come at any moment,
That could come today,
Encourage you to live?
Does that perfect Instagram post matter?
Does your nemesis having better style than you really deserve your attention?
Does thinking about your job when you're home with your family seem like a good use of time?
If so,
That's perfectly okay.
These are just some of the things that I find matter less in the face of death.
And I hope that you find yours.
Thanks for practicing.
