The very word ‘death’ creates agony and fear. Even talking about it is considered inauspicious as we may invite it by even mentioning it!
Death is seen as an enemy. That is why in all the religions, in all the cultures, death is painted as black. In Hinduism, Yama is black. In Christianity, Satan is black. In Buddhism, Mara is black. In all religions, death is painted as black. We paint death as a villain, never as a hero. The idea of death is always approached with negativity. We feel death takes away everything from us. Whatever we want, whatever we enjoy, whatever we have, everything is just taken by force from us. So most of us live either in denial of death or in fear of it. We think, ‘Why should we think about it now? We will handle it when it arrives.’ Or we consciously avoid even thinking about it.
Somehow we always want to escape from death. From time immemorial, all the traditions, all the civilizations are trying in all possible ways to conquer death. Scientists are trying through medicines, which gave birth to allopathy. Siddhas and ayurvaidyans, the Eastern mystics, are trying through herbs, which gave birth to the whole siddha tradition and kayakalpa. The yogis are trying through mantras, which gave birth to Mrutyunjaya mantra and pranayama techniques. The Buddhist Lamas are trying it through meditation, which gave birth to techniques like Mahamantra meditation. Almost all the traditions, all the cultures are trying to conquer death, to go beyond death.
Why is the whole of humanity struggling against one thing, the only thing that is a certainty in all our lives? Continue reading →