The Beauty of Life in the Face of Death

This is the fifth and final post in the series on Your Precious Life. In case you missed it, here’s Part One, Part Two, Part Three, and Part Four. In it we’ll find the beauty of life even in the face of death.

Some may find this post and experiential practice emotionally intense. Please only go as far as you are comfortable with.

No matter what your religious – or existential – orientation may be, it is an undeniable fact that every year contains two special days.

One you know for sure: the anniversary of your birthday.

One you do not know: the “pre-anniversary” of the day of your death sometime down the road.

Allowing the possibility that this day, this moment, could be the pre-anniversary of your death can add to the preciousness and beauty of every moment of your life.

Interwoven into the beauty of the present moment is the inevitability of decay and death.

Interwoven into the decay and death of the present beauty is the creation of future beauty.

Let’s do a practice together and embrace this preciousness.

Imagine it’s that day, and you are lying in a comfortable bed, with one or more loved ones by your side. There is no pain, you are comfortable, and you know that in a minute or two your body will die.

You accept that and are at peace with that fact. You have lived a great, full life.

You are not bothered by anything that happens. Not troubled, not hurt, not pained, not alarmed, not afraid. You are floating in peaceful, bare awareness as your body starts shutting down.

Your body’s breathing is getting lighter and softer . . . breaths wispy . . . slowing down . . . Heartbeat also slowing down . . . Breath and heart beat coming more intermittently . . . seeming to end for a moment, then another very light breath and another light heartbeat . . . getting softer and softer . . . Awareness remaining peaceful . . . A calm letting go . . . Absorbed in a peaceful well-being . . .

Soon the lights in the brain start to go out … Still calm awareness, floating in peace.

The nerve cells in the innermost, most central structures of the brain stem are the last to die . . . As they go, so go the last shreds of the awareness, of the consciousness, that is a product of the brain. . . .

Physically, it is all quiet . . . .

Floating in peace.

Take some time in silence to reflect on the personal meaning of the meditations you just did. You can leave your eyes closed or open them. You can write things down or simply think for yourself.

Here are a few questions perhaps to consider:

• What are the important messages for you from the meditations?
• What are the key things to be for, in your life?
• What is involved in being for yourself? What could you be for, that would feed the roots of your life?
• What are the key ways, looking ahead, that you want to continue or to start being more for your own well-being and growth?

Anything you do for yourself, whether small or large, will help make your life better, for your own benefit and that of other beings.

You don’t have to make a big lunge in some direction – unless you really want to – and it’s fine to take small steps over and over again . . . which is how anyone climbs the tallest mountains.

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