(This post is the third in a series of posts on how meditation can be relevant to life and death)

How to Meditate, How to Die – Meditate on Death…(Really?!)

In the previous posts, How to Meditate, How to Die, Part 1, and How to Meditate, How to Die, Part 2 – Even Famous Rappers-Buddhists Die, (please see related posts below) I broached the subject of using death as the object of your meditation. Now the question is, have you read these posts? Do you use the technique of meditating on death as a way to learn how to be in the present? Yes? Great, read on. No? Why not?! And, read on…

Meditating on Death is Scary…Isn’t It?

For many of us, the thought of death can be scary or something that we try to avoid. In fact, for most of us, the thought of death scares the shit out of us!! After all, life is full of…well, life! So, why meditate on death? It’s so morbid! It’s so scary! It’s so…real!!

Meditation is about being in the present, experiencing the immediacy of the present, taking the “now” and showing up for it. Yet we rarely reflect on the immediacy of death and the potential that death…can come…at any time.

We fret about losing our wallet, or our car-keys, or – on a more serious note – losing our job or a relationship. Yet how often do we reflect on our own death as a means for living fully in the moment? How often do we reflect on losing our life?

Meditation is About Working With Impermanence

Just a bit about impermanence here because, after all, death reminds us about impermanence.

Today I pulled up to my favorite coffee-shop to sit down and write this blog post but…it was closed! Just like that, it was closed. “My” favorite coffee shop, disappeared, poof, gone! Impermanence in action. But wait, I had plans. I was all set to sit down and write. I knew which table I wanted to sit at and what coffee-drink (decaf!) I was going to order. Impermanence messed up my plans! My coffee shop…died!

Every day we’re presented with thousands of “little deaths” that we rarely think about. Thoughts come, then go – gone. Each moment, every breath, is something that we’ll never have again. It’s like life is trying to remind us about the preciousness of the moment, yet – like me with my coffee-shop – we expect things to remain, permanent and fixed. But it just ain’t so!!

Meditation teaches you about impermanence by allowing you to observe how each thought, each breath, each moment comes and goes. It teaches you to show up in each moment, present and aware.

Meditation on Death is Powerful

When we think about death, what comes to mind? Well, I suppose that it depends on what you believe.

Here are a few beliefs that you might have about life and death. I’m not promoting any of these beliefs or ideas; I’m just presenting them along with examples of how meditating on death can be powerful within each belief.

• Nihilism. This way of thinking sees life as a temporary period of time, after which…it’s all gone. Zap! That’s it. There’s no soul, no afterlife, no reincarnation, no heaven or hell. Just the end of your life. Period. In this case, if life is over and there’s nothing left, then why not have your mind completely aware at the end of your life so that you get to savor the final moments because baby, there’s nothing after this. This is it! And, since this is it, why not enjoy your life fully present, awake and alert, in each moment?!
• Eternalism. This is the opposite of nihilism. This way of thinking assumes that after you die, part of you – your soul, spirit, etc – lives on for eternity. In Christianity, one is eternally in heaven or (if you’ve really screwed up!) hell. And the basis for whether or not you end up in one of these two places is how you lived your life. Why wouldn’t you want your acts in this life to be based on being present in each moment, mindful and aware, as a way to be prepared for your entrance into a heavenly place? Wouldn’t it be great to use a meditative awareness of your mind as a way to meet your maker, fearlessly, when your life is at an end?
  
• Somewhere in between. In spiritual traditions like Hinduism and Buddhism, it’s believed that your actions in this life and the state of your mind at the end of your life, will determine what your next life is like. In this case, you’ve got to work with your mind so that at the time of your death, you’re ready to enter into the next incarnation aware and able to determine how you’ll be born, the ultimate goal being to come back to serve others (as a bodhisattva.)
  

And if you’re unsure about your beliefs, then why is meditation on death powerful?

Meditation by itself is powerful because it allows you to connect with a mind that is focused and centered in the present moment, not lost in thoughts about the past or anticipating the future. However, part of the difficulty that you may encounter with meditation is that it also brings up challenging moments when you find yourself unable to remain in the moment with your thoughts and feelings about whatever is going on at the moment. Now, magnify that 1000-times and imagine how your mind and emotions will be as you near the end of your life. Are you ready…?

Meditating on death throws you into what for most people is the most difficult thing to think about. Having presence of mind at the end of one’s life can be really important because…

I’ve Seen Thousands of People Die

…as a Registered Nurse, I’ve seen thousands…yes, THOUSANDS of people die. I have to tell you, it ain’t Hollywood! Too many people come to the end of their lives expecting some lovely scene, only to find that they’re encumbered with pain, fear, anxiety and a host of other difficult emotions.

The people who I’ve witnessed who have died in peace are those whose minds aren’t lost in these difficult emotions; they embody peace. AND, the greatest peace that you can give your mind is through the practice of meditation.

Okay, so I guess I’ve hammered my point home. I hope that I haven’t lost you. It’s just that too many people make too many excuses not to meditate. And, too many people make too many excuses not to think about the fact that someday, at a time and in a place that you may least expect it, you’re going to die. So, why not prepare your mind for it now?

Of all footsteps, that of the elephant is supreme; of all mindfulness meditations, that on death is supreme.  – Quote by the historical Buddha.

Learn To Meditate and it Will Free Your Mind

If reading this post stirs up a lot and you need resources for meditation or to work with this kind of material, please see the Related Posts below. Also please check out other posts on this site. As well, please also feel free to contact me if you need clarification on anything that I’ve written or suggested. I’m also happy to discuss this one-on-one with you if there are specific questions or if you need clarification on anything that I’ve presented.

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For More Information on How to Meditate

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