I RECENTLY HAD the priviledge of attending an "Awareness of Death" retreat at the Bhavana Society near High View, West Virginia. Teachings and guided meditations were led by Bhante Rahula, one of the resident monks. Here are thoughts from my weekend there.

ALTHOUGH THE FACT OF DEATH is one of the most obvious in our experience of life, it is also one of the most ignored or denied. In our culture, death is often considered at best an unfortunate accident, at worst a frightening catastrophe. But an awareness of death, its inevitability and its unknown timing, can be very helpful in our spiritual journey.

For one thing, such an awareness can help us to set our priorities. Buddhists say that human birth is a precious and rare occurence, and should not be wasted. If the goal is spiritual growth or enlightenment, then that is what we should attend to. If we have "unfinished business" such as anger or unforgiveness to ourselves and others, then now is the good time to deal with that. The many daily activities which fill our lives, while not unimportant, can at least become less dominating.

It is also helpful to contemplate the nature of death, to see what it is that actually dies. Of course, the body dies, as well as the mind with its various attributes. What the Buddha understood, however, and what we can realize through our own experience, is that there is no enduring "self" to die. It is mindfulness which can give us this experience, and it is this realization which can relieve any fear of death.

So here is the admonition which I brought from the retreat: to live in awareness of each moment, knowing that death can be imminent; at the same time remembering that, in reality,
no one dies.

PREVIOUSLY:
Eyewitness, Issue 2:
Talking Monk Underwear in the Doe Shack
by Bonni McKeown.

RELATED ARTICLE:
At the Autopsy, Issue 1:
Keeping Your Head as They Dismantle a Former Human Being

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