Commenting Death

The Island of the Dead by Arnold Böcklin

Death as Physical demise

The body, as we know it, at some point (and for any given reason) demises. The ones staying behind usually throw themselves into the sea of sadness and mourn the departed ones. However, many of us celebrate the expiration of our loved ones since we believe that a new cycle of existence begins (one that is much better than the cycle spent on earth). Yet, sadness invades our being and gets comfortable on the fluffiness of our hearts. Why do we shed tears or feel sad? It’s certainly not for the “lucky one” who crossed over; it is rather for ourselves, for our own feeling of abandonment and temporary loneliness.

This raises a question: is it correct for us to focus upon ourselves and pain; instead of rejoicing at the fact that the soul of the loved one is freed from the burden of matter and praying that it goes to the light?

Death as a Symbol

In symbology (needed to interpret dreams, visions and tarot [for instance]), death means change, cutting through the entangled webs of life (symbolised by Death’s scythe) and the end of a stage. And that is why it is very hard for an esoteric individual to tell a consulter whether someone will die or not (since physical death is not viewed as an end but as a continuation of the cycle of existence, subject to a change [i.e. mutation of body]).

This raises a question: being people so ego-centred how could they be informed, for self-appeasement, that a loved one would crossover; what’s the symbol of physical demise?

Death as Transformation

In each life, we are born once yet we die several times (implying several re-births) before we move on to the after-journey. Everyday our body witnesses the demise and re-birth of each cell (for instance, when we’re healthy, our hair falls and grows each day). Whenever we get sick, we die a little and when we convalesce we are re-born to an exciting life. Each time we experience an existential vicissitude the way we deal with, and react to, life demises and then nativity to a whole new form of inhaling existence takes place. When a relationship dies, our heart tends to be born again for love and happiness.

This being said, daily death (which can be straining and painful, in so many ways) represents an opportunity for utter transformation: our bodies mutate everyday; recovering from a disease equals a deep transformation of body, mind and soul (either positive or negative); life hurdles, fights, break-ups, heart-breaks etc, they all pose as a true path to transformation, leading thus to burning off karma (for mystics) or to atonement of some sort.

This raises a question: if we die everyday, why then are we so afraid of what is perceived as the Ultimate Death?