Reflections on Death: Embracing Life and Living in the Present
Date: June 28, 2023
Dear Friend,
Hi! How have you been? It's been quite a while since we spoke to each other. I hope things are going great from your end.
In this week's letter, I want to talk to you about a topic we generally avoid discussing: Death. Unlike other letters, I don't have any advice or profound insights about Death, but I have a few thoughts I would like to share.
Ha, Death! There's nothing much to talk about, actually. Death is an inevitable reality to which we will be subjected at some point.As Sadhguru titled his book "Death: A Book Only for Those Who Are Going to Die,".Death is nature's way of asking us to retire.Technological innovations are going on in the direction of preventing Death. However, few scientific advancements aim to deploy our consciousness using A.I. All of these efforts are aimed at ensuring that people who are alive would not miss the dead, as now they have A.I. that talks like their loved one's who are no more with them. However,at this point nothing brings the dead back to their existence.
Steve Jobs,the founder and former C.E.O. of Apple in his classic Stanford speech, shared a quote he loved the most: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." The occurrence of Death itself is highly uncertain. I remember accompanying my mother to the apartment gate as she left for school. When she waved her hand, I thought she was saying goodbye to me. Little did I know that she was bidding her farewell to me. Unlike our childhood days, I now pay attention to the news of Death. Eight months ago, my close friend lost his mom; a month ago, another dear friend of mine lost his dad. They had only one thing to say: "Everything happened so suddenly. Everything moved so swiftly. We couldn't even comprehend."
In light of all of these experiences, there are four lessons I have drawn from Death:
1. Death = Unknown Dimension: Death, in its essence, means a journey into the unknown. No matter what you thought, read, or believed; nothing will be relevant at the time of your Death. When we are actually about to leave, nothing holds significance. None of us knows what happens once we are gone.
2. Everything pales before impending Death: nothing is more precious than our life. All our challenges, miseries, troubles, and everything else become minuscule in the larger picture of life and Death. There's an essay circulating on the internet, allegedly believed to be the last essay Steve Jobs penned at the time of his Death. One line in the essay got stuck with me: Steve wrote, "At this moment, lying on my sick bed and recalling my whole life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth I took so much pride in have paled and become meaningless in the face of impending death." Nothing is more important, valuable, or wonderful than life itself. Try to be grateful for your life and be more appreciative. Remember, if there's life, there's hope.
3. Future is today. Today is the day you have. There's nothing wrong with working hard and striving for a better tomorrow, but don't be in denial of reality. Work hard to change your reality, which is good, but don't reject your reality and live in a delusional world. This is a recipe for sadness and misery. Don't find reasons to be unhappy. Don't postpone happiness for an unknown, glorious future. Be happy today. Accept the present and find reasons and excuses to be happy now.
4. Try to become wiser. We should spend time with nature, walk by ourselves, and read something about space, psychology, and history. If you believe, learn more about God and try to become a bit spiritual.
These are the thoughts I have about Death. Do write to me if you have anything to share about Death. I'll write to you again next week.
Take care, and always stay happy!
Yours lovingly,
D.S.S.R. Anirudh
(28/06/2023)
