We, as a society, live largely in denial of death. Those who contemplate death are often deemed life-denying and hope-sapping pessimists.
In marked contrast, the Bhagavad-gita (13.09) declares that knowledge is characterized by contemplation on the distresses of material existence, especially of death. Why does contemplating death contribute to knowledge? Because it brings a sobering sense of life’s precariousness.
Our existence, the existence of our loved ones, and the existence of all things dear to us can be wiped out in one moment. Catastrophes like earthquakes can bring the whole city to the ground, whereas an earthquake inside our body, a heart attack, can bring us to the ground. By remembering the precariousness of our existence, we all feel impelled to focus on the things that really matter. Without such prioritization, we end up losing the opportunity to put our life to the best use.
Gita wisdom expands our vision for the best use of our life. It explains that we are at our core eternal beings; we are souls who are on a multi-life journey of spiritual evolution. During our present human life, our consciousness is evolved enough to seek enduring meaning and spiritual purpose. We can further evolve and realize our eternality, by studying wisdom texts like the Gita and practicing yogic processes such as bhakti-yoga. When we evolve spiritually, we can experience sublime peace amid the world’s strife. And we can do our best in this world in a mood of service, thereby helping further others’ spiritual evolution.
Unsentimental awareness of our mortality is a primary spur for embarking on a spiritual journey. Therefore, contemplating death is not morbidity; it is a vital spur for prioritizing and putting our life to the best use.
One-sentence summary:
Contemplating death doesn’t have to be hope-sapping or life-denying; it can be spirituality-activating and life-affirming.
Think it over:
- How can contemplating death be helpful?
- How does Gita wisdom expand our vision of the best use of our life?
- Have you ever experienced the beneficial power of contemplating death? How can you tap that power now?
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13.09: … Renunciation of the objects of sense gratification; absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; … [ – all these I declare to be knowledge].
To know more about this verse, please click on the image
Explanation of article:
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हरे कृष्णा! First, please accept my obeisances….
I pray that someone (perhaps even me one day) could plain talk these beautiful words (and clarifying examples) so that I could feel comfortable sharing it; I hesitate to do that now.
Best wishes for you to do it, soon.
Hare Krishna Prabhu,
Thanks for bringing new changes to the format of gita daily , With the new one-sentence summary , its more attractive. Thank you.
Thanks for noticing and appreciating. Good to know that it is helping.
Life is preparation and death is an examination. As students, if we don’t focus on the examination coming and while away our time we fail the exam. Similarly society at large has been oblivious of death and prioritizing sense gratification over self realization. Everyone is surging towards their examination with absolutely no preparation.
So true.