Fear & Death
Why I decided to write about both is these together? Hmmm it might get clear as you read further.
Oxford defines Fear as “a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined.” Fear is an emotion, just like joy, sadness etc. It’s mostly perceived as a negative one, although it can be translated to positive results, as fear has vigor. Here I am talking about situations like fear of an interview; fear of a big game (say for an international level player), etc. In such situations fear might cause the performance to deteriorate or if channelized in a proper manner it can be helpful, as already said, fear bring with it certain amount of energy.
Now, what is a situation to be feared to one person might not be a fearful situation for another person. All of us have our own set of fears, someone might fear heights another person might be thrilled with the same. There could be some common fears for two individuals but not necessarily. So now the definition of fear changes from merely what is given above, to a very broad one. It is an emotion but the causes are much more complex to be stated here as at one time you might fear a particular situation / thing etc and at other time you might not even bother about it.
Oxford defines Death as “the end of life; the total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions of an organism.” Again, I view death in a very broad sense. When ones body dies or ones body ceases to function, at that moment a person leaves behind all the materialistic things, all the relations, all the human aspects of life at one single moment. Bringing it to a lower level we experience death everyday. Let me try and explain. Say, if you loose, a loved one or simply a mobile or money etc then it can be considered death as we have parted with someone or something. So death is not mere decay of the body, it’s a process, for we start dying right from the moment we are born.
So why fear death? Though we know there is no escape from it for us mortals. Maybe, because DEATH, is always thought as THE END. So, it’s natural and human to be afraid.
But can’t it be just another beginning or just a beginning. So, the question, of what?
Here I would like to put down, from my teeny-weeny knowledge, all that I have though about death. A few might agree and a lot might not.
Possibilities after death in my view:
1. Dead and gone for ever
2. Dead and born again
3. Dead and frozen in the state (may be of intellect) for ever. May be becoming a ghost.
4. Dead and free for further movement / learning in universe etc.
It is the first possibility that might cause fear to most of us. And in my view it should, because it is quite a possibility. You are dead and you would never know what will happen after your death, just as you don’t know anything about what happened before you were born. It could cause nervous breakdown to a lot of us. But to some other’s it’s a better preposition, we don’t know what happened before we were born and we won’t know anything after we are gone.
Now, the second possibility, to me this brings chills down my spine, Born Again! Everything All Over Again! It scares the hell out of me. To a lot of us this one might be better. Death, going to heaven or hell, and finally born again.
The third idea looks like a funny one to me, but let me also admit that at times I am afraid of ghosts. And, I turning into a ghost look’s like a bad bad preposition to me. To someone it might be an exciting or fun idea.
The fourth idea. It is a very logical idea in my view, or may be what my limit human intellect can find solace in. You lived live on earth, a short or a long one. Then you are free for further growth, as you were on earth, to do whatever you want to do in the universe or may be another world whole together. This can also be compared to what according to the Hindu mythology is called “Moksha”. In other word, salvation, freedom from life and death.
Now fulfilling certain criteria’s for achieving salvation doesn’t look logical to me. Bring born, seeing the suffering, bearing the sufferings of the world (mental / physical etc.), looks enough for salvation. Giving a choice, after death, from the four options I will chose the fourth one. You chose yours (or make up yours, as I did). Finally whatever happens in life or after death, happy or sad, it again a matter of choice, I am prepared to die any moment, for this keeps me going better and stronger and that’s my choice.
Oxford defines Fear as “a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined.” Fear is an emotion, just like joy, sadness etc. It’s mostly perceived as a negative one, although it can be translated to positive results, as fear has vigor. Here I am talking about situations like fear of an interview; fear of a big game (say for an international level player), etc. In such situations fear might cause the performance to deteriorate or if channelized in a proper manner it can be helpful, as already said, fear bring with it certain amount of energy.
Now, what is a situation to be feared to one person might not be a fearful situation for another person. All of us have our own set of fears, someone might fear heights another person might be thrilled with the same. There could be some common fears for two individuals but not necessarily. So now the definition of fear changes from merely what is given above, to a very broad one. It is an emotion but the causes are much more complex to be stated here as at one time you might fear a particular situation / thing etc and at other time you might not even bother about it.
Oxford defines Death as “the end of life; the total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions of an organism.” Again, I view death in a very broad sense. When ones body dies or ones body ceases to function, at that moment a person leaves behind all the materialistic things, all the relations, all the human aspects of life at one single moment. Bringing it to a lower level we experience death everyday. Let me try and explain. Say, if you loose, a loved one or simply a mobile or money etc then it can be considered death as we have parted with someone or something. So death is not mere decay of the body, it’s a process, for we start dying right from the moment we are born.
So why fear death? Though we know there is no escape from it for us mortals. Maybe, because DEATH, is always thought as THE END. So, it’s natural and human to be afraid.
But can’t it be just another beginning or just a beginning. So, the question, of what?
Here I would like to put down, from my teeny-weeny knowledge, all that I have though about death. A few might agree and a lot might not.
Possibilities after death in my view:
1. Dead and gone for ever
2. Dead and born again
3. Dead and frozen in the state (may be of intellect) for ever. May be becoming a ghost.
4. Dead and free for further movement / learning in universe etc.
It is the first possibility that might cause fear to most of us. And in my view it should, because it is quite a possibility. You are dead and you would never know what will happen after your death, just as you don’t know anything about what happened before you were born. It could cause nervous breakdown to a lot of us. But to some other’s it’s a better preposition, we don’t know what happened before we were born and we won’t know anything after we are gone.
Now, the second possibility, to me this brings chills down my spine, Born Again! Everything All Over Again! It scares the hell out of me. To a lot of us this one might be better. Death, going to heaven or hell, and finally born again.
The third idea looks like a funny one to me, but let me also admit that at times I am afraid of ghosts. And, I turning into a ghost look’s like a bad bad preposition to me. To someone it might be an exciting or fun idea.
The fourth idea. It is a very logical idea in my view, or may be what my limit human intellect can find solace in. You lived live on earth, a short or a long one. Then you are free for further growth, as you were on earth, to do whatever you want to do in the universe or may be another world whole together. This can also be compared to what according to the Hindu mythology is called “Moksha”. In other word, salvation, freedom from life and death.
Now fulfilling certain criteria’s for achieving salvation doesn’t look logical to me. Bring born, seeing the suffering, bearing the sufferings of the world (mental / physical etc.), looks enough for salvation. Giving a choice, after death, from the four options I will chose the fourth one. You chose yours (or make up yours, as I did). Finally whatever happens in life or after death, happy or sad, it again a matter of choice, I am prepared to die any moment, for this keeps me going better and stronger and that’s my choice.
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