The Art of Living --------- A Ten Part Series by a Modern Day Yogi -------------- Part 7: Death and Birth
The Art of Living – Part 7: Death and Birth
This week we mourned the deaths of nine people who were
taken from their loved ones in an instant due to an unthinkable act of violence inside
a church. And we prayed for them to pass into the next realm of their soul’s
journey in peace. When a baby enters the world we witness this blessed occasion with joy, and then we are sad and troubled when
death descends upon someone we know and love. One can grow from early childhood to
adulthood under normal conditions of life rarely thinking about death, though it
is approaching with every breath. Some people believe that death is a
cause for celebration of a souls journey into a place called heaven. Faith that
this other realm of existence awaits our loved ones gives us comfort in those
moments of loneliness and pain for our dearly departed. As time passes we somehow find the
strength to move back to our daily life with less remorse. And we accept that death can happen to anyone at any time, either
through natural causes, an accident, sickness or an unbelievably racists act by
a group or individual.
One day I saw a small bird murdered by a few larger birds,
while the small bird’s friends and family attempted to save its life by
challenging the larger birds. Even with all of their attempts to preserve the
little birds life in an instant the little bird was gone. My initial reaction
was a bit of anger, and then I thought that the other birds could have tried
harder to save their little one’s life. I wondered about the thought process of
the larger birds who struck out to attack the little bird. It was all too much
to take in at once. So, I spent some time to calm my own thoughts enough to
allow what was the bare truth to be present and real in that moment. The little
bird was dead. Its family was very upset. The larger birds had some kind of
satisfaction and little remorse for what they had just done. All of this was
true in the moment. And after more time had passed the little bird’s family
moved back into the trees. The larger birds flew off in the opposite direction
leaving just the feathers of the little bird to blow away in the breeze.
I think about all of the souls that have crossed over. And
especially about my grandmother, whom I was very close, and loved deeply. I
think sometimes that if I call her name she might hear me. I still celebrate
her birthday though not so much my own. I offer prayers for her morning and
night as part of my daily Buddhist practice. And although she raised me as a
Christian I don’t think she would mind if my offerings and prayers now take
another form in honoring her memory.
We are part of such a vast reality and an unseen
intelligence, that we have not the capacity to comprehend. But when we witness
something that is as unthinkable, as life suddenly struck down, we feel
an immediate connection with the other person. Our heart aches for a life that ends
tragically. Although we know that so many lives on our planet
are lost every day for a myriad of reasons, we find the capacity from deep
within to celebrate the lives of those who we mourn. And from that same well
from deep within we find joy as we welcome the new babies with love in our
hearts and hope for them to live long, happy, healthy, loving lives far into
the future.
Namaste,
Dee Williams
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