Understanding Death

Death is a difficult topic to talk about. It is believed by some that just before death all diseases leave the body. The reason for this may be that life wants you to go unto death with full awareness. Now, not every one has to believe in that. But the fact remains that if you live your life with full awareness, if you have taken risks in life with full awareness, if you have participated in crisis (be it natural or planned adventure), you will die with full awareness too.The Process of Death
(From a Hindu Holy Book The "Brahadaranyaka Upanishad")

Just as a heavily loaded cart moves along, creaking, even so the self identified with the body, being presided over by the Self, which is all consciousness (the Supreme Self), moves along, groaning, when breathing becomes difficult (at the approach of death).

When this body becomes thin - is emaciated through old age or disease- then, as a mango or a fig or a fruit of a tree becomes detached from its stalk, so does this infinite being (the self), completely detaching himself from the parts of the body, again move on, in the same way that he came, to another body for the remanifestation (unfoldment) of his vital force.

Now when that self becomes weak and unconscious, as it were, the organs gather around it. Having wholly seized these particles of light, the self comes to the heart. When the presiding deity of the eye turns back from all sides, the dying man fails to notice color.
[Note: ' Presiding Deity ' the sun in its microcosmic aspect is the presiding or controlling deity of the eye. This deity helps the eye to function as long as a person lives, as determined by his past actions. At the time of death the deity stops his help and goes back to the sun. He again returns to the eye when the man takes another body.]

The eye becomes united with the subtle body; then people say: 'He does not see'. The nose becomes united with the subtle body; then they say: ‘He does not smell'. The tongue becomes united with the subtle body; then they say: ‘He does not taste'. The vocal organ becomes united with the subtle body; then they say; 'He does not speak'. The ear becomes united with the subtle body; then they say: 'He does not hear'. The skin becomes united with the subtle body; then they say: 'He does not touch (feel)'. The mind becomes united with the subtle body; then they say: 'He does not think'.

The intellect becomes united with the subtle body; then they say: 'He does not know '.
The upper end of the heart lights up, and by that light, the self departs, either through the eye, or through the head or through any other part (aperture) of the body.

All ripe fruits must drop down from the tree. Even so a man has to wait the inevitable hour of death. Even as a mansion with firm and massive pillars dilapidates, so do mortal men, decayed and withered by efflux of time, fall a prey to ruthless death withered by old age and eventually die. Death closely follows a man wherever he goes and wherever he sits, and returns with him until his journey ends, however long may be the distance traveled.

The signs of approaching death
(From a Hindu Holy Book "Shree Shiva Mahapurana" and "Uma Samhita")

When a person fails to notice the light emanating from the sun, the moon or the fire; what he sees is only black, then know it that his life expectancy is about six months or less. When terrific uproar or noises are not heard immediately, then know that the person's death can occur within six months. When the body suddenly becomes pale and the face turns red; death can occur within six months. The mouth, ear, eye or the tongue suddenly freeze-up; death can occur within six months.

When a man's left hand continuously keeps shaking for seven days; death can occur within one month. When the organs of the body cease functioning and start pulling, when the upper part of the mouth feels dry all the time; death can occur within one month. When the tongue thickens, and the teeth all become and remain coated with greasy substance; death can occur within six months.

When a person cannot see his or her reflection in water, oil or in the mirror; otherwise sees the reflection in the mirror in a distorted form or sees only flesh; death can occur within six months. He who sees his own shadow without the head, or he cannot see at all his own shadow; death can occur within one month. When the eyes see the sun without rays, sees only red blob; death can occur within fifteen days. When the rainbow is being seen at night, when falling stars are being seen at midday; when vultures and crows seem to surround the person; death can occur within six months."

When each succeeding night, passing away lessens the allotted period of one’s existence, the man of wisdom should regard the day to be fruitless. When death is approaching steadily who is there that would, like a fish in a shallow water, feel happy? Death comes to a man before his desires have been gratified. Death snatches away a person when he is engaged in plucking flowers and when his heart is otherwise set, like a tigress bearing away a ram. Do thou, this very day, accomplish that which is for thy good. Let not this Death come to thee.

Yes, the process of dying ultimately is an opportunity to know what death is all about. But awareness is the key. Socrates was telling them not to cry. He asked them to take it as an opportunity to know what was happening to him in that process of dying. Socrates kept describing to his disciples detailed events until he could no longer speak. You have to be aware throughout your life to be able to be aware in the last moment. But, there are other techniques to know about death during life. And these techniques have something to do with using awareness as the light to travel into your unconscious levels. We all know the power of hypnosis. You may have heard about people who were fully conscious during a general anesthesia (having some sort of surgery). There are also techniques available to be aware during sleep. The deepest level of sleep takes you to the same level as death. You touch death every night when you fall asleep, you simply do not know in your conscious level about it.

Death drags its victims before their acts are accomplished. The acts of tomorrow should be done today, those of the afternoon in the forenoon. Death does not wait to see whether the acts of its victim have all been accomplished or not. Who knows that Death will not come to him even today? In prime of age one should betake oneself to the practice of virtue. Life is transitory. If virtue be practiced, fame here and felicity hereafter will be the consequences.

Death after all is the ultimate surgery. The surgeon is the nature or to many, God. Life energy is removed from the physical body during this final surgery. What happens to it after is a different issue. People will differ about the next step. Whether it is a surgery like appendix or like a heart transplant will remain to be known. To me, being a scientist, energy cannot be destroyed, and hence it probably is more like a transplant. This forms the basis of life after life where the life energy is transplanted to another physical body.
By Dhananjay Kulkarni