The moment of death

Dear _____,

I too have been curious about death and after and most of what I have read matches with the article you have shared with me. Love is very important. In fact as you grow spiritually love also grows within you. All your struggles, conscious or subconscious, are to awaken the love within you. The day you love the world more than yourself and distribute that love without any thought of return, you leap into the lap of God.

I have had a few NDEs. I did not go over to the other side but felt death coming. It is very difficult to face death if you are not prepared for it. It is very easy to get flustered and scared. You do not know what is on the other side and you are afraid of losing all that you have and own. When your very existence is at stake some very important thoughts arise within you, specially if you have lived a "normal" mundane life.

The first is the realisation that you have not prepared for the other side. That you have lived a selfish life in vain. That the goals you had set for yourself and achieved are really of no consequence. That you have wasted your life in pursuits that will not help you now that you are about to leave the world.

You suddenly realise that you are alone. That sense of aloneness cannot be described enough. You realise that nobody can help you, your wealth cannot help you, your power cannot help you. You are naked and helpless before the massive force that seeks to wring you out of your comfortable humdrum existence, the comfort of your body.

All your past flashes in front of your eyes. Bits and pieces that you had forgotten, that you had considered to be of no consequence. You may become full of remorse for actions as trivial as scolding a tramp or the counter sales girl. For those who have committed greater crimes this is the time when they spontaneously go into the repentance mode. One cries out for another chance, a few more years, maybe days to set right the wrongs.

It does not matter what time of the day it is, you feel as if you are in the twilight zone, you sense the dimming light, the change of mood that overcomes you when the sun goes down. You can even feel and hear the birds flying back to the nest. You become nostalgic and cling ever more to your fading senses.

I will not dwell much the changes your body goes through. You realise that while within the protection of the body you were safe from many an influence. You realise that once your body is gone your emotions may engulf you as never before.

You start remembering the scriptures, the small pieces of advise that seemed to be childish and of no consequence as you surfed through your religious book. "Pray without ceasing", "The only time that is well utilised is the time that you utilise in prayer", "It is the meek and the humble that shall inherit the earth", "Erase yourself so that God may be", "Be kind unto others", "Judge not for you too shall be judged", "Do unto others as you would like to be done unto yourself", "Love thy neighbour", "Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee".

If you are fortunate to get another lease of life you would do well to change for the better. Grip on to the experience that you would have faced. Go through it over and over again and let the whole purport sink into you. Be detached from the world and seek the self within. Be unselfish and help all those who come to you. Do not loose any oppurtunity God sends unto you for if you refuse it will simply be offered to another. Reset your goals and make the unseen your target. Realise that your "real and tangible" experiences are but momentary and superficial.

In short, imitate Krishna, Christ, Buddha, Allah, and such other guides who have shown the way to the world beyond. Heal yourself and then remind the others of their goal in life.

Love & Regards,
Jagannath.