85. 98. Death.
# 98. Death
The mystic Diogenus was standing at a place where there was a heap of human bones and he was staring at it. Alexander the Great was surprised to see this.
Alexander asked with eagerness, 'What are you examining in this heap? What are you searching for?'
The mystic Diogenus said, 'I am searching for one thing which I am unable to find?'
'Is it that hard to find?'
'Yes. I am searching to find out if there is any difference between your father's bones and the slaves' bones. So far I have not been able to find any difference' said the mystic.
- All the differences are seen in between birth and death. Not later than that. When man dies, the body dies. The mind continues its story. Again birth! Again death!
Even if the body is burnt in such a way, that even ashes do not remain, the un-dead mind should die. This incident only is true death.
Only when this auspicious incident of the mind dying happens, man becomes God. A mad person becomes a man of wisdom.
As long as the mind is alive, you don't live. It is only the mind that lives through you. When the mind dies, then only for the first time, you are truly born.
- Man, while being born dies.
- Man who is born some day will die on some day This is Maya or Illusion.
- Every second, birth and death are happening in the body in equal measure.
-- This is a scientific truth too!
- If death is met with, face to face, next moment itself, enlightenment will be attained.
'Commit murder without a knife! Die without effort! To be born in Bliss!'
A small incident to understand the depth of these meaningful Zen lines:
Kesava Rishi delivered a discourse on meditation under the title 'Death at Perumangudi'. As the last line of the discourse, he said,
'I repeat if you do not think about death while living, while dying, you will have to think about life and rave', so saying he took leave.
Next morning, disciple Swaroopan got a big doubt. He went to the Master and said, 'Master, I have thought a lot about death. I don't understand any thing. While I am still alive, how to understand about death?'
'You are dying while being born. Meditate on this. You will understand.' Kesava Rishi said this and left the place.
In spite of trying the whole day, there was no use at all.
Next day, Swaroopan said, 'Master, I don't understand. Tell me some other way.'
Kesava Rishi said, 'You are being born, while you are dying. You meditate on this.' And he went away.
Again even after trying for a full day, Swaroopan could not even understand the meaning of the line that the Master had said.
'I know about spirituality to some extent. It is enough if you help me a little. I will be enlightened.' – These were the words Swaroopan had stated when he had joined as a disciple to Kesava Rishi. The haughtiness which was underlying these lines stated by him, now pricked deeply and painfully in the heart of Swaroopan.
'I am unable to find out the meaning of the single line stated by the Master. Is it mere haughtiness of knowledge only that what I was thinking till today that I knew spirituality?' – When such an understanding began, at that moment itself he was choked with the pain of grief in his throat.
Though he could not understand the statement of the Master, his haughtiness did not reduce even a little for Swaroopan.
He went to the Master and stood there asking in a single line, 'Even this I don't understand. Tell me some other way.'
Kesava Rishi laughingly said, 'All right, die once and see.'
Shocked at this, he loudly said, 'How is it possible, Master?'
Kesava Rishi said, 'Swaroopa! You know every thing about spirituality! It is easy to die, my friend. Sit down calmly, without any movement and murder yourself without a knife. You will die without any effort. See all that happens when you do this and enjoy!' so saying he sent him away.
The whole of the next day, when he came to know that whatever he did or whatever he thought was effort only, he understood the depth of his ignorance and the height of his ego. His pride was reduced.
As Swaroopan was waiting for it to dawn, no sooner than Kesava Rishi came out of his hut, he cried like a little boy, saying, 'Master, please pardon me. I do not know any thing. I do not know any thing.'
Kesava Rishi embraced him and said, 'Don't cry. You have got the fitness. Hereafter, learning will be easy. Come on!' So saying he took him under the banyan tree.
Kesava Rishi asked, 'When you were born what did you do at first?'
'First, I would have breathed in. I would have drawn the breath inside.'
'When you die, what will you do last?'
'Lastly I will breathe out or exhale.'
'Are you not continuously breathing in and breathing out?'
'Yes'
'Know it! When you inhale, you are born. When you exhale, you die.'
Continuously each time when you inhale and exhale, you are dying while being born, or you are being born while dying.
At this minute, the air that you let go outside does not come inside; does it not mean that you have died! If the air that you let out comes inside again, you become alive. You are born again.
Do you understand now?'
Having come out of the confusion, Swaroopan nodded his head silently.
Kesava Rishi said, 'It is enough if you sit calmly and watch your breath. It is a very big meditation. Bring your attention to the tip of the nose. Observe only the breath coming in and going out.
The more and more your awareness increases, the ego, which you are thinking as you, will automatically, leave you by itself.
The ego will die away.'
Swaroopan for his part applied himself sincerely to meditation technique and attained salvation.
Buddha, at the time of leaving his body, gives this meditation technique only to the world in the name of 'Vipassana'.
There are many who got enlightenment by doing this meditation only. There is historical evidence also for this.
You can also try and see. Why not?
'Watching the breath' is a very simple but very efficient meditation. Please try.
Meaningful incident.
When Lord Shiva was explaining the secrets to Parvathi, he said, 'Watching the breath is very difficult only for a person who is not pure.'
The human mind has got stained to such an extent that even for ten minutes one is unable to sit calmly and watch the breath.
The stain must be removed.
Meditation chisels. Chisel No. 53.
You do not live by breathing air. Then by what do you live?
Man does not live only by breathing air, which is a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen.
The essence that is within the air that is breathed in only is the root cause for existence of human life.
A German Psychologist**, William Rich** says, 'I indicate that as 'Argon energy'.
The truth that what we inhale is only oxygen was till few years ago a guess only for even scientists. Only after it is proved man believes it to be true.
Science has guessed today to the extent to say, 'There is one thing which is the life-essence in the air we breathe. It may take a long time to be proved.'
Five thousand years back itself, our Rishis have realized consciously and said,
'Breathing air is only a boat which brings the life-essence of 'PRANA'. Your being alive is not due to the breathing. It is possible only due to the movement of PRANA.'
After watching the breath and after starting to do meditation, what comes first in your awareness is only the boat called breathing air.
As you continue to watch, the awareness will increase.
Only when the awareness increases, you will feel the 'PRANIC ENERGY' which comes into your body with inhalation. Finally, you will become the center of the universe.
Watch your breath, until you feel the pranic life energy which is the essence of the breath.
Make the times you breathe as meditation times.
Secrets will be revealed to you.
Whatever be the action you do, while doing it, watch the breath that comes and goes inside the body.
While observing the breath itself, involve yourself in the action.
While doing the action itself, watch the breath.