"The Glorious Death" by Meghna Choudhury (H.G. Mathura Vasi Devi Dasi)

When we think of the word 'death' we are immediately overtaken by a swarm of morose emotions - shadows of pain, torrents of tears and disconsolate grief. The darkness of fear grips us and we shudder at the slightest dint of this inexorable phenomenon.

However, being mortal conditioned souls, we need to accept the inevitability of death, comprehend the unalterable temporality of our bodies, and most important, about the eternal nature of the soul. 

Real spiritual practice teaches us that life is a preparation for one moment -- the moment of death. Devotees of the Lord believe that whatever a person thinks about at that crucial moment determines the next destination of the soul. Therefore, they aspire to remember the Lord at the moment of death and thereby return to His home in the spiritual world.

According to the principle of transmigration of the soul, as given by enlightened sages in bonafide Vedic scriptures, we can understand that the real self, the real person, is different from the perishable body. The body dies, but the soul goes on to take another body according to its deeds or karma in this life. Because the soul is eternal, we should not overly lament the death of our friends, relatives, or thoughts of our own death.

A wise man never laments at death, rather utilizes his present condition in preparing for this unforseen fact of life. The injunctions in our timeless Vedic texts, should be a constant reminder that life is the preparation and death is the examination. The best process to prepare for this ineludible occurrence is explained below:

D: Doorstep - Death can knock at our doorstep at any moment. We may never get another chance. We cannot escape our final destination.
E: Endeavour to end the repeated cycle of birth and death. Engage our mind and senses in his service, by keeping in mind what is our ultimate purpose of life i.e. to go back home, back to Godhead.
A: Associate with self-realized souls to ascertain we remain fixed on the path of devotion without mundane distractions.
T: Take shelter at the Lotus Feet of the Lord. Knowing well that He is our only saviour, our sole protector, seek refuge under His wings by imbibing the wisdom He has imparted to us in our daily lives.
H: Holy name - Chanting the holy name is the prescribed method in Kaliyuga, to revive our lost connection of eternal love with our Creator. 

The Garuda Purana explains that the pain endured at the time of death equals the intense affliction of being bitten by 1000 scorpions. At such times, when the soul is about to leave the body, when our consciousness begins to recede, when the limbs, senses and organs begin to fall apart how can remember God unless and until we have sincerely practiced it during our lifetime? Thus, we can save ourselves from this greatest misfortune, by practicing the art of pure chanting of the Holy name and being in association of self-realized souls.

The analogy of airplane pilots explains this. On the ground before take-off, a squadron of pilots may sit closely together for training and briefing sessions. But in the air, each pilot is on his own. Similarly, at the time of death, when we finally lose control of this body, we are externally all alone. But because spiritual relationships are beyond the body, the devotee still has spiritual association. At the time of death, he tries to remember his eternal friend Lord Krishna and chants His holy name. Lord Krishna states in Bhagavad Gita that "...whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt."

Just as a person prepares for a 'successful birth' when conceiving a child, there is also means to a 'successful death.' When someone is as pain-free as possible given their diseased condition, has had time for closure with relationships and has reflected on various issues within one's life, has been cared for by loving family and friends, and is surrounded by transcendental sound vibration such as the chanting of the Mahamantra, we consider one's passing away to be a success and very auspicious.

Therefore we must constantly seek spiritual alliance as they are the anchors who navigate our life and ensure we lead our lives in an exemplary manner. They ascertain that our energies are dovetailed towards satisfaction of the Divine, ultimately leading us to our final destination, assisting us in our endeavour to meet a glorious death as we would at once be transported to the Lord's magnificient Supreme abode. 

Article by:

Dr. Meghna Choudhury

(H.G. Mathura Vasi Devi Dasi) 

Life Coach | Spiritual Guide | Author | Social Activist