Buddhism, and a perspective on Death...

There are certain times in life where you re-evaluate and try to find meaning in this existence. This is not so much the practical thing to do, as it is more a reaction to circumstance. So, by way of introduction, suffice it to to say that this is one such time (I refrain from explaining further in respect of another's privacy, for reasons that I'd rather not try to explain). I also say at the outset that this is merely my view, and anyone is free to disagree as they please; what I do not want is a psychoanalysis of what is to come, because its a personal perspective. If you agree and feel there is something positive in what is said, you are free to take whatever this has to offer. If you do not, please respect my wishes not to merit opinion, and forget you read this.

I'm not entirely sure I can be said to be of a particular religious persuasion. What I WILL say, though, is that Buddhism or the teachings of Lord Buddha (I say Lord here as a mark of respect for one who I feel has understood Life) is the one philosophy I agree with. You will note that I say "agree" here instead of "believe", because that is what it is; I agree with how he saw things. What my understanding of the concept and teachings of Lord Buddha is that it is an analysis of what IS, rather than the REASON for the way things are. In essence, his teachings embody understanding of our surroundings in every sense of the word, without trying to find a MEANING to existence. Therefore, the very statement "I believe in Buddhism" is a clear indication that the concept has not been understood. I am by no means criticizing Buddhists who think so, merely observing a misunderstanding. "Belief" means acceptance with the lack of proof, and the perceived requirement of proof itself is indicative of a misunderstanding. Lord Buddha advocated UNDERSTANDING, not BELIEF. And this he taught through awareness, which is the analysis of things as they are; as in present tense. There is nothing to BELIEVE, but rather to UNDERSTAND and BE AWARE of. That is why Buddhism is not a religion, but a philosophy. True, belief in his teachings will lead to a better life, which in turn will lead to progression towards the truth; however, the problem lies in the fact that belief is trying to gain understanding through another's perspective. My view is that Lord Buddha understood this eventuality as well, which is why he used simple examples to illustrate, and went a step further to state what he saw as correct. But the true principle unfortunately eludes most of us.

Here is my view of Life (which, I will admit, has stemmed from the teachings of Lord Buddha, but which at some point deviated and became my own personal experience). Life is inexplicable, in the sense I cannot explain what Life is to you. I can only know what Life means to ME, as life itself is a personal and solitary journey. So to understand Life, one must understand it for oneself. By "understand", I do not by any means imply that there is a PURPOSE. On the contrary, there is no purpose to life. There is, though, a reason. And the reason is (to me) the capacity to "feel". Feeling is an inexplicable thing, though at times one can make another understand that feeling through the inducement of similar thought. The reason for feeling is in turn, the attachments we form. Attachment comes in many ways and forms, be it material attachment to physical items, to attachments we form with our family and friends. The key, I believe, is the understanding of the futility of such attachments; that there is no REASON for attachment in terms of one's existence, and that attachments are made to be broken. Once one can truly comprehend the meaning of this, the necessity to form attachments ceases to exist. This in turn leads to one's "being" having no more reason to continue in the endless cycle of Life, which in turn leads to the conclusion of one's existence. This, I believe is what Lord Buddha termed "Nirvana", and which I believe Christians call "Heaven", and so on...

And now to the all important question; I'm sure you are asking where in this cycle do I fit? Even as you ask, I'm sure you have come to a conclusion as to where you think I believe myself to fit, which I'm sure you have already concluded is going to be wrong. I shall not comment on this, but rather just tell you where I think I fit; I would fit in the category of knowing what I NEED to understand, but still not being able to comprehend it. I have yet to understand the true futility of attachment, as I still feel that that is my "purpose". I have come to terms, to some extent, with the finite nature of attachment, but only as a means of dealing with the inevitable end to it. I still cannot avoid attachment, as I still cannot comprehend the unnecessary nature of it, to not feel the need to form it. So that is where I think I fit. I will leave it at that.

And finally, the main reason that sparked this post- the all important end to a phase in the cycle of Life. This is what we call "Death". Many cultures, religions and philosophies attempt to season us to this impending end, yet the concept of attachment and the lack of understanding is yet to let us open our eyes. I write as one who is well aware, for all his apparent understanding, that he is among the blind. But Life is an effective, albeit harsh, teacher and it has led to my contemplation of the subject often. It is my understanding that life is merely a phase in the journey towards the conclusion of our individual existence. I don't agree with the concept of "hell" or at least in the concept of "regression" on that journey. I merely understand that there is action and reaction within the phase of life, and that is what we call "Karma and Effect". It does not stretch from one life to the next, apart from deciding to what degree one progresses towards the conclusion of one's existence. Once we experience and understand something, it cannot be undone; which means that our actions in the phase of life is either a step forward, or us standing still. It is true that if you intentionally cause harm to another, the imbalance created will be corrected by harm coming our way, but that is it; nothing lost,nothing gained. In short, creatin a negative impact on another's existence is an exercise in futility.

So where does all this lead? Well, my final thoughts (to which all this was background), is that our conscious existence and attachments are limited to each phase in our journey, a phase which we call "Life". We form attachments, we let ourselves be controlled by our emotions, we learn... In short, we live. Death is merely another beginning to another existence, which means that which we had to offer and that which we had to learn in that particular phase is completed. Once the lesson is learnt, and those lessons we have brought with us have been taught, we move on. To another existence, to another lesson, to another class. It is for those of us who are left, in that phase where the attachment was formed, to come to terms with the void created, to learn the lessons we have yet to learn, and to teach the lessons we came to teach; It is those of us, to struggle to come to terms with the fact that Death is but a beginning for the person departed. The comprehension in itself is an personal experience, which cannot be shouldered by another (believe me, I have been there, wishing this wasn't so). My only hope is that this may be some sort of comfort to anyone who has had to go through this, by way of helping them understand; and I hope that I will also be among those capable of seeing things in this light when the inevitable happens.

Finally, this post is dedicated to all those who have lost someone near and dear to them, in whichever way that may be. Just remember, you are not alone.............