Fear of Death

Fear of Death

We prefer the crumbs of our own individuality

MURRAY: Why am I so afraid to die?

GURURAJ: Death is the thing that should be least feared. The reason why people fear death primarily, there are secondary reasons as well, primarily is this that they do not want to lose their individuality. They would prefer the crumbs of bread of one’s personal individuality instead of losing it in the vast king’s feast. So the primary reason is not wanting to lose one’s individuality. In other words, they think they fear annihilation, although in reality they are not annihilated at all. Because their spiritual self is forever eternal and immortal. Then again, people form attachments and they do not want to lose‑‑if they die they lose all their things that they’re attached to, their children, their wives, their furniture, their mansion, their cars. They’ve worked so hard to make fortunes and they don’t want to lose that. So they fear death because by death they’re going to lose all that. So those are some of the basic causes of why people fear death and yet death is so so beautiful‑‑I’ve died a million times‑‑you can ask any coward he’ll tell you that. I’ve died a million times, not cowardly but intentionally, to see what the experience is. It’s so easy. You just stop your breath and there you go. Goodbye. But you must have the ability to bring your breath back so you exist in the body. To do the work you have to do.

So death is not to be feared, it’s to be welcomed. It’s a pleasant, pleasant experience. Oh yes. People think it is painful. It is not. Birth is more painful than death. A child does not get any trauma. That’s what modern psychologists will tell you, that the birth was traumatic and therefore they suffer of this and they suffer of that. It’s not so. Because the baby has not developed that consciousness as yet to know of traumas. Birth is never traumatic. It’s traumatic for the mother perhaps, yes. But not for the child. Because she goes through labor pains. But that trauma is soon overcome when she holds the baby in her hands and feels totally happy. And all those labor pains are forgotten. Because if they were not forgotten they would not pine to have another baby soon. Do you see. [laughter] They do that. I know of women that have 3 or 4 children and they would like to have another child. And one or two of them have been bold enough to ask me, «Won’t you help me.» [laughter] We don’t want too many gods around this world. No.

So it’s not to be feared at all. In any case, to be afraid is just a mental concoction because the real self within you knows of no fear. And yet all the religions and theologies tell you to be fearless. And they are the ones that implant more fear in you. And yet on the other hand they tell you be fearless, have courage. That’s how all the churches and organized religions were established. When they couldn’t win you with love they instilled fear in you of eternal damnation. So they kept you there. Business. Beezness. Nothing to fear at all. It’s a lovely transition. And I think you should be happy because you’ll be throwing away the old suit and getting a new suit. And that’s your real birthday present when you get born again. See. The organs, as everything else, do decay; birth, decay, and death is inevitably there. And that was the reason Buddha, for example, was kept in his royal palaces and he had the best of the best. Because when he was born some astrologer said that this man will conquer the world or he’ll become a spiritual giant. So the father and mother did not want him to become a spiritual giant, but, being a king, he wanted his son to become the emperor of the world. So he kept him in all the pleasures, sensual pleasures, etc, and one day Buddha escaped out of the royal gardens and saw an old man age, saw a sick man, saw a corpse. And saw little children, birth, decay, sickness and death, and he wanted to find the answer. That is why he renounced, in the middle of the night while his wife was sleeping and his little baby, he just walked out. And his friends accompanied him to the edge of the city and discarded his royal robes and went off in the forest to meditate to find the secret of birth, decay and death. And he found that there is no birth, there’s no decay, there’s no death. Everything gets worn and so the body must also wear out. It’s a natural phenomenon. It has to wear out. It gets old and then you die and take on a new body which is fresh and gives you another opportunity to come back to school again and learn more. So death is something to be loved, something to be welcomed, never to be feared.

This one fellow died and went to the Pearly Gates. They asked him what his name was. So of course they have computers at the Pearly Gates now as well, so St. Peter pressed the buttons and he says, «Sorry, we can’t find your name here. Perhaps you belong to the other side. You’re in the wrong place. He says, «No, no, no, Your Holiness. I’ve lived a good life. I’ve never done anyone any harm. I’ve never thought a bad thought of anyone. I’ve always been generous and charitable. I used to help people and I’ve lived a really good life. Could you please check again.» So St. Peter felt sorry for him so he went to the big computer and checked him there. So he found his name. And St. Peter comes back and told him, «The big computer says you are due here at this place, but in another three years time. Not now. So you’ll have to go back down there to earth. But first tell me one thing, who was your doctor?» [laughter]

Yes. And this other chap he was in hospital and of course the doctors had to work on him and of course they had those curtains that they draw around the patient’s bed‑‑you have it here, huh? And when this chap came to, he saw the curtains wrapped around him. So he asks the nurse, «Why did you pull all these curtains around me?» So she says that opposite the road there was a big fire going on and the flames could be seen through the window so therefore we pulled these curtains so that you might not think you were in the other place. [laughter]

Oh, is it time? Quarter to one. Ok. Fine.

…this brother was such a fellow that all the girls ate out of his hands. He was a waiter.