Death is an inevitability, so do not wish for it, but believe in it, accept it, and prepare for it mentally, spiritually, and even physically
It is a fact that we are all living to die, and it is also a fact that death appears to be a horrible prospect. Most people are so consumed by the possibility of death that they stop living.
Let us try to examine the reasons we all are afraid to die:
We do not know much about death; Death is part of the unknown, and it is natural to have a fear of the unknown; Death is permanent, and once we pass through it there is no turning back; Most of the time, the stage prior to death is very painful
These are the most common factors that clearly justify the fear of death.
Now, let’s look at it from a different angle:
We see death all around us all the time in different shapes, Every flower dies after a few days; Every leaf dies during a particular season every year; Every living organism, big or small, dies right in front of our eyes
BUT DO THEY REALLY DIE? NO, NOT AT ALL:
They all come back in the same form after a short period of time; New flowers emerge on the same plant; Fresh, new leaves emerge in the same places on the same tree; Butterflies, insects, fish, and all other forms of life come back after a specific interval
Arguably, every death gives birth to a new life. This cycle of death and birth has existed from time immemorial and will continue until time unknown. Science has proved that matter is never destroyed, it only changes form.
All religions, irrespective of their different practices and beliefs, share one belief in common that there is life after death.
Just like any other matter, our bodies CAN (I am purposely capitalizing “can”) change shape. CAN’T they? Intelligent, highly educated, extremely logical individuals will ask for proof of life after death. I am sorry; I cannot provide any proof until we all die. But this has been ingrained in everyone’s subconscious and is consistent with a powerful desire to achieve eternity, which, according to my logic, is not baseless.
Our desires are always based on some possibilities: Every child wishes to grow up, become strong, and so forth, and he or she does. No child desires to become an elephant when he or she grows up, or to turn into a lizard, irrespective of how much he or she loves and admires these creatures.
One consciously or unconsciously only desire to become what is possible and life after death is definitely more than a possibility.
Lately I have been studying various books written by very liberal, non-religious people of different faiths and from different geographical locations. This has provided me with a glimpse of those who have experienced some form of a very enormous life after they experienced death temporarily.
Once again, I am sure that my learned readers and friends will come back with the argument that while dying the brain is deprived of oxygen and therefore creates these images due to our subconscious desire for eternity. But recently I have read a book written by a neurosurgeon whose brain was destroyed by an extremely rare virus. He was declared brain dead but being a prominent surgeon and a very important scientific figure, he was kept on life support for two weeks, after which he finally woke up and described in great detail his experience in the New York Times bestselling book Proof of Heaven.
I unashamedly admit that I am a believer in the afterlife. I have a firm belief that this elaborate system and this most sophisticated machine (a human being) has not been created to be buried, cremated, or fed to the birds, thereby destroying the efforts of sixty/seventy/eighty years. And while I am a little scared of death, I am also quite excited to discover the next chapter, which will be everlasting.
My purpose is simply to give my mortal friends the message that they do not need to be terrified of death, which is inevitable, but to look forward to the possibility of a better and more fascinating and everlasting journey ahead.
Lets start living for the life ahead!
Rais Khan is a Chartered Accountant and an author. He has worked in corporate sector for 40 years in a variety of corporations ranging from IBM to Etisalat in UAE. He has worked and lived in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, USA, Africa and the UAE. Currently he is a freelance business consultant and part-time writer. He is the Editor of Pehchaan and can be contacted at rais3002@gmail.com
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