Question:
You say we are on a life/death continuum and that our death is simply the continuum of our life not the opposite of it. The opposite of Death is Birth……..and death should not be feared. Why then does everyone try to stay alive? I would guess that we don’t want to hurt the people who love us by leaving them but if death is just a continuation, then why do we try so hard to stay alive? Why do we spend countless amounts of money and train health professionals to prolong our worldly life?
Answer:
Not wanting to hurt those we would be leaving behind with our death is certainly one reason we want to stay alive, but beyond that every biological organism has a basic instinct to preserve itself. That drive to survive is a deep built-in program that every living being has.
But we are not solely defined by our biology, our real nature is the silent consciousness that remains the same through all the physical changes we go through from infancy to adolescence, to adulthood to old age. Our true essence continues in the interim between the death of one body and the birth of the next. When we know ourselves to be that pure consciousness and not the body, then we will not fear the aging of the body nor its death even though the body’s instinct for self-preservation will still be intact.
Love,
Deepak
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About Deepak Chopra
Time Magazine heralded Deepak Chopra as one of the 100 heroes and icons of the century, and credited him as "the poet-prophet of alternative medicine." Entertainment Weekly described Deepak Chopra as "Hollywood's man of the moment, one of publishing's best-selling and most prolific self-help authors." He is the author of more than 50 books and more than 100 audio, video and CD-Rom titles. He has been published on every continent and in dozens of languages. Fifteen of his books have landed on the New York Times Best-seller list. Toastmaster International recognized him as one of the top five outstanding speakers in the world. Through his over two decades of work since leaving his medical practice, Deepak continues to revolutionize common wisdom about the crucial connection between body, mind, spirit, and healing. His mission of "bridging the technological miracles of the west with the wisdom of the east" remains his thrust and provides the basis for his recognition as one of India's historically greatest ambassadors to the west. Chopra has been a keynote speaker at several academic institutions including Harvard Medical School, Harvard Business School, Harvard Divinity School, Kellogg School of Management, Stanford Business School and Wharton.His latest book is
"Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul."
Dear Deepak,
I watched the discussion on this very subject a few days ago on Larry King Live, (screened here in South Africa) and you explained it clearly and insightfully. Well done.
Love,
Bobby
I am so grateful for this article…
When we understand and" know Life" and have realized our identity in pure consciousness,we loose all fear of leaving the physical experience and even welcome death as a beautiful transition into a new experience.
Death is the last so called enemy that each man must overcome-
I am thinking of a maple leaf right now, as I have 5 maple trees in my back yard, all those leaves coming and going every year….The story a single leaf can tell about life—-a leaf is so beautiful, sometimes I pick them up off the ground in the fall and I just look at it, all the beautiful colors it displays, and no leaf is the same, each one though essentially alike, is still uniquely different . Then I think of the beautiful tree that the leaf grew on, and how each tree is very different, but essentially the same. Then I ponder the life of the tree, which without life, the tree nor the leaf could appear…….The invisible Life itself, is the only consistent undifferentiated changeless eternal Reality and substance of all things that do appear…..
The story of the leaf can teach one, to never fear death…..
Oh How I Love Life !!!! Life is me, Life is you, Life is the reality of all things that do appear, Pure formless infinite intelligent invisible Life…..
Celebrating Eternal Life……
Eternal Love,
Gyanama
Deepak,
I so wish I could understand this not just rationally but at a visceral level, that I somehow could believe it with all my being, understand it deeply. I keep on meditating although sometimes I forget that this is the way, and I get lazy and skip.
I have been reading The Upanishads, and I am in awe, I seem to be re-membering all I already learned from your books…
Thank you
Claudia Azula
earthyogi.blogspot.com
Thank you Deepak for this post and thank you Gyanama for the wonderful anology. Well explained anologies are always a great way to reach to others. I use them often in my drug and alcohol recovery meetings, particularly when it im trying to explain the relation of spiritual law to laws of nature and how each affect our daily lives and actions.
This past June a close friend and stong stepping stone in my spiritual foundation passed on after a quick battle with cancer..Durring his last days before death I had the great privilage of spending time with him talking, listening to what he had to teach and laughing at many of his adventures of life.
When he came to pass I was filled with a great inner peace that he was, and still is to this day, with me. Not only is he with me, but, also others I had lost in the past. The realization that this physical life is a mere phase of my existance rushed to me in a whirlwind of understand that enourages me to only delve deeper into my own personal existance and the great things i have to look forward to after.
Through the lessons I learn today and the situaltions I once found too difficult to handle with out a drug or a drink, I obsorb energy through all things nature, people and YES even the those on the internet. The WWW environment can also be a vast medium for life enriching energy, as I see it. It all depends on what you personal intentions are.
To conclude, I have found my life taking on a purpose that maintain my purpose in this life, "Dont worry about everyone knowing me, make sure I am worth knowing." Though I am mortal in matter of life on earth, those who come after me will carry my message to bring a sense of immortality.
Daniel P La Huis
"Our life is not so much threatened as our perceptions." -Emerson
Take this cup from me. Nevertheless my will is subject to the cup's provider
Wakey, wakey!
Dear Daniel,
So happy to read your post and share in the delight of knowing life with you as beautiful unfoldment in eternity.
A divine thought from Mrs Eddy just came to mind right now…".As light destroys darkness and in the place of darkness all is light, so Soul or God is the only truth giver to man. Truth destroys mortality and brings to light immortality. Mortal belief(the material sense of life) and immortal Truth(the spiritual sense) are the tares and wheat which are not united by progress, but separated". So also, "Perfection is not expressed through imperfection".
So to conclude…
Mortal sense ceases in proportion as immortality is recognized and realized as our True identity and being. in God…
And Daniel I want to tell you that you are worth knowing…..this you can be sure of….
Thank you for all your divine thoughts and ideas…
Love,
Gyanama
Hi Micheal,
Thank you for sharing that beautiful quote from Emerson….So true…
Love,
Gyanama
I have to speak on Jan. 16th to a group of people associated with my program of drug and alcohol addiction. The group consists of both, those with the addiction and those it has effected. In my own progress over the past year I have found that the only true perfection is constant progress. Your words once again inspired me as to how I will approach this in my daily life and in my speaking to others. Thank you.
Dan
Nice Ed!! So many sit and wonder if the glass is half empty or half full, but, no one takes the time to see whats in the glass in the first place. When we live a life of possitive intentions and acceptance that the provider is not ourself, the contents of the glass will always be nourishing, even if it doesnt taste the greatest.
Hi Gyanama,
Thank you for your consistent nurturing and enlightening posts.
I had to participate when I read your analogy of death and a leaf. Nature reveals our true nature.
It is no accident that the background of my Intent pic are trees in their autumn garb. Your analogy is one reason trees are in the pic. The other is the leaves provide an orange to yellow vignette that I thought would be consistent with the color scheme on this site.
Love,
Michael
Dear Deepak
Thank you, so simple yet so profound.
Marie
Reincarnation seems a lot like watching reruns on television. When they're over, you never remember them.
Jesus was a high level child because he had high level parents. 98% of people are at the level L1, L2, L3 – the animal levels Like I said in my books: If the mother has the level of Evolution L3, mother=3(like Energy of system Mother), and the father has the level of Evolution L2, father=2; the level of Evolution of the child will be 2+3=5 maximum; they can't have a child with the level of Evolution L7=7
Adrian,
With all due respect, how do you know Jesus had "high-level parents?" Who created these categories of evolution? I'm reminded of my ex-wife's involvement with Wicca: A bunch of people who called themselves "old souls" apparently here to guide the newer, less-evolved souls. You know, everybody who was not in Wicca!
Thank you Deepak – As usual clear, simple, and straight to the core. It's easy to forget this and slip back into fear, so we need reminders like this to bring us back. http://www.liveinfreedomtoday.com
You were great on Larry King. I must have watched the segment it five times!
Death is a part of life. We all die. There's no need to fear. Understanding that reason why we even exist will help us accept it more freely. People have different views on this matter because of different beliefs and understanding. In that alone we won't expect everyone to have the same behavior when it comes to death. Different traditions have been passed through generations and is being practiced until now. There are those who think they know everything about life because they have studied theology, or for some they are scientists, and maybe some may think they belong to this or to that.
The interpretation of an Atheist can be different from that of a faithful Christian, from that of a Buddhist. So this will be a long discussion and people of different backgrounds won't agree with each other even if it takes a lifetime. But for me this is my belief that if we do good we die happy and if we do evil we die sad. Believe it or not that's the secret.
Hi Larry1
And all the some's you speak of, all are essentially "One Life"…..and beyond belief there is Self Realization, true understanding that transcends all theology and mortal notions…..
dieing every moment, living eternally…..
Peace..
Hi Micheal,
I am glad you shared that about the background of your photo and that Nature reveals our true nature…The Natural unfoldment of the universe can teach us so much…..Life in it's Natural Essence is so beautifully harmonious.—-
When I would sit on my back porch I would watch life revealing it's beautiful harmony and divine plan to me when the bee would seek a flower to draw from it the sweetness of life, and the open delight of the flower to give of it's sweetness back to the bee…..
Sharing the divine essence of life is what it is all about…..
Leaves, bees and flowers are beautiful aren't they….Oh the story they tell….
Love,
Gyanama
We all struggle to keep onliving BECAUSE LIFE IS SACRED, precious beyond our comprehension. The Great Spirit gave us life from his very self, made us from the stuff of this magnificent universe. What could be more precious?
Hi Gyanama,
The magic of interdependence is so humbling to observe and appreciate. As you know, there is no separate Self.
Love,
Michael