[ATTILAGLIC]

Thought this post may have legs.
What is death;
Why are most people afraid of it;
What dies;
Is it a form of cessation.

[Ingeborga]

Hmm.. or just change the body.

[art_fan_12]

Morning y'all:
I think most folks think of death, or are afraid of death, b/c of they fear the extinction of Self. It's something you feel in the gut, instinctual.
As a Buddhist, I practice, I study Buddhist thought, but I until faced this, anatta is just a word.
I had a cancer scare last year, so, during my practice, I explored the dissolution of my self. The best way I can describe my mind's initial reaction to this thought was that of small child; crying out, genuinely grieving for some lost, precious thing. Over time, that reaction is dissipating. The paradigm of anatta is gradually replacing the Judeo-Christian concept I carried before.
Now, in thinking of death and fear, I find the contemplation of something tragically befalling my son is the only thing that causes me any great angst.
Yes, I'm attached to him, but I don't feel terribly bad about it.
Y'all have a good day,
Bill

[Suvuseh]

Thought this post may have legs.

Hope this topic can walk a long path with us...

from post #2

So we change the body but if not have reach enlightenment there is a kind of conssiusness continuity about our attachments and ingnorance. In Sogyal Rimpche's Tibetan Book of Living and Dying he states that the only unavoidable thing is that we will die some day... so we should be working to have a "good dying" thorugh mindfullnes...

Any ideas about this aspect of "dying"...

What does realy dies? as Frank is asking in # 1
What should die?
Dying is about impermanence?
Dying is about the cessation of the attachment to the idea of a solid self and an "I" and "mine"?

I think that Frank's question: "Why are most people afraid of it?" is very important... I realy think that even for very advanced practitioners the moment of dying can be difficul to afford.

As we advance in mindfulness and the development of a pacefull mind we will be less afraid of dying... this can be a very good marker about how we have advanced in our spiritual path... but anyway... do we know "how" to die is about?

It would be helpfull to have a good sutta that can be taken for disscusion about this topic... Any suggestions?

Thich, in a peotich way, tells that dying is an ilusion of mind... there is just a manifestation and cessation of it depending in a specific causation and specific conditions...

Help is needed any way...

[nabsgood]

It would be helpfull to have a good sutta that can be taken for disscusion about this topic... Any suggestions?

Kaarine, from accesstoinsight take your pick;

Five subjects for frequent recollection: AN 5.57
Understanding of ~ as a basis for Right View: MN 9
Why do we grieve when a loved one dies?: SN 42.11
As one of seven beneficial reflections: AN 7.46
As a call to abandon grief and lamentation: Sn 3.8
The greatest protection for the layperson: Sn 2.4
Overcoming ~ by regarding the world as empty: Sn 5.15
Overcoming fear of ~: AN 4.184, Thag 16.1
Heedlessness leads one to ~: Dhp 21
No need for worry as ~ nears: SN 55.21, SN 55.22, AN 6.16
Citta's deathbed conversation with some devas: SN 41.10
Sariputta's teachings to a dying Anathapindika: MN 143
Ven. Ananda's grief over Ven. Sariputta's ~: SN 47.13
The Buddha's reaction to Ven. Sariputta's ~: SN 47.14
Kisa Gotami's grief "cured" by her search for a mustard seed: ThigA X.1

Think it was the 'mustard seed' that most worked for me when l first read it.

[Hitfaromarf]

Think it was the 'mustard seed' that most worked for me when l first read it.

I have read about this story of the mustard seed, when the Buddha told Kisa to get a mustard seed form a home where death has never been known... she never found that mustard seed.

But why this has worked best for you?

[Koayrbzh]

from post #5

Thanks for this generous list of suttas frank dear, do you have a recomendation to start with one of all those?

[cmruloah]

do you have a recomendation to start

No not really,just start at the start and read through them.
Think the 'mustard seed' worked for me because it idea was not so far from my heart. It's simple to understand,and l thought very moving.

[DeedPatmeda]

"Buddhist Reflections on Death"

URL

"Buddhism and Death"

URL

[NarunapyCalry]

from post #9

Thanks Aloka,

[shanice]

from post #9

from post #5

Thanks Aloka and Frank

[boltondd]

I am afraid of death. I am afraid of physical pain, of my body processes being out of my control (as if they are under my control now?). I am afraid of this my most special "me" ending.

Yet I have come close to dying and I understand that when the time comes, it is like taking a trip to somewhere you have never been ... You walk through this new airport, climb on a bus for your destination, and watch things you have never seen before pass by you. "Oh! Look at THAT! I wonder what I'll see next!"

I am afraid of death. I am not afraid of death.

[Mambattedge]

You walk through this new airport, climb on a bus for your destination, and watch things you have never seen before pass by you.

Well, my desire is to not keep taking the same ol' train outta Samsara Station, by cracky!

[Phlkxkbh]

from post #13

[Uzezqelj]

from post #13

[Yyaqyped]

Hi all,

Well I can only speak for my own feelings, but what I am afraid of is not the actual death, but the way we have to suffer pain and fear of more pain before the event.
Also it hurts to leave the loved ones behind, that I will never see them in this form again. Like the way children suffer when there family breaks up, they lose familiarity of the place they live.
If we are able to reach old age, we have to slowly watch our body deteriorate, sometimes our mental faculties too. We become totally dependant on the care of others. Therefore death may become welcome as we don't have the 'self' left.
As to how to make this event feel different I don't know the answer, but I will keep reading the posts and the urls. thank you.

[bWxNFI3c]

from post #16

Hello Icelindsey,

Nice to see you again here,

[ananciguinter]

from post #16

Really good to see you again icelindsey !

[EmpokemyMok]

I recently read a book by HH The Dalai Lama called Seeing Yourself as You Really Are, this talked a lot about the difference between me and I. This made me think a lot about life and reincarnation and death. I ended up thinking about being a flame or energy source currently within a human frame. Once I had that in mind it was easy to see how the energy would go on and move from one frame to another, depending on karma, as and when the current frame is old and worn out. On seeing this it was suddenly senseless to worry about dying in the way that it is senseless to worry about my house falling down or my car breaking down. The car isn't the transport or the journey, its just a car. I can get where I am going in any number of vehicles. I appreciate this is a deep concept but it works for me and may work for others. So I will just put it out there.

Namaste

[Grenader]

Hi David - lovely to hear from you again !