The beginning of Autumn has me thinking about impermanence and the certainty of my own forthcoming death. It is ironic, I think, for as much as we humans crave certainty, we certainly seem to turn away from the certainty that is death.
Good evening and welcome to Monday Group Meditation. We will be sitting from 7:30 to 11:00 PM Eastern Time. It is not necessary to sit for the entire extended time, which is set up to make it convenient for people in four North American Time Zones; sit for as long as you like and when it is most convenient for you. Monday Group Meditation is open to everyone, believers and non-believers, who are interested in gathering in silence. If you are new to meditation and would like to try it for yourself, Mindful Nature gave a good description of one way to meditate in an earlier diary, copied and pasted below:
"It is a matter of focusing attention mostly. In many traditions, the idea is to sit and focus on the rising and falling of the breath. Not controlling it, but sitting in a relaxed fashion and merely observing experiences of breathing, sounds, etc. Be aware of your thoughts, but don't engage in them. When your mind wanders (it will, often), then return to focus on breath and repeat."
Sangha Co-hosts for meditation are:
7:30 - 10:00 Ooooh and davehouck
9:30 - 11:00 thanatokephaloides
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Years ago when I learned about the sages in the east who could control the time of their own deaths, I was intrigued and wanted to learn as much as I could about that; underlying that interest was an unconscious desire for being somehow able to control the time and means of my own departure. There are some wonderful books, Graceful Exits by Sushila Blackman is my favorite, however Living With The Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama, while not being specifically about how the sages die, is filled with wonderful accounts of miraculous deeds by adepts, including some fantastic stories of sages’ deaths. It seems we humans are much more powerful than most of us ever really know.
In the years since learning that there are those who can control their own deaths, I have attempted to come into some sort of balance with my ever approaching demise. It has resulted in subtle differences as I move from my own version of clinging to youth, to trying to support my body so it can serve me as well as it can while I am in need of it. I suspect merely thinking about how I want to age and approach death is much better than flying through life with my head turned away from my ultimate destination. It’s much better, I think, to look where I’m going and do as much as I can to support this earthly endeavor, and surrender to what I can’t know or control. So as I matured my intent altered to arrive at death with all my own parts in reasonably working order.
Watching my mother’s descent into old age and death resulted in some adjustments to my intention though, now I also hope to arrive at death’s door with my faculties reasonably intact, and to simply be able to take care of my body myself. I want to remain limber enough to be able to trim my own toe nails for as long as it needs to be done.
These are not idle hopes, the energy I used to expend in a fruitless effort to cling to youth is now directed towards living the rest of my life, and dying, as gracefully as I am able. Since I have both physical and non-physical properties, it seems to me the process is twofold. I take care of my body so that I may live in it as comfortably and harmoniously as possible for as long as necessary. And I practice the Dharma, so that I may be prepared mentally, emotionally and spiritually to meet my unknown friend, death.
It hasn’t been long since I shared this but it just feels appropriate to offer it again, so here from The Daily Enlightenment is another version of the Nine Point Meditation on Death:
Root: Death is certain.
1. No being has ever escaped death [unless one becomes enlightened].
2. I am constantly becoming closer to death.
3. There is not much time to practice Dharma.
Conclusion: I must practice Dharma
Root: The time of death is uncertain.
4. The lifespan of human beings is not fixed.
5. More conditions endanger life than support it.
6. This body is extremely fragile.
Conclusion: I must practice Dharma now.
Root: Nothing can help at the time of death except my Dharma practice.
7. Wealth can’t help.
8. Friends and relatives can’t help.
9. Your body can’t help.
Conclusion: I must practice Dharma purely.