Am Still Trying to understand Death.

Last night or very early the morning about one my cousins and i were at the home of a childhood friend who had just passed away, he was about 82. In his younger days he was quite well known for being "The captain" or the Pilot, a man well dressed always in the Naval type uniform and an impeccable manners of a gentleman. One of my cousins, the one whom i called "The Pilot of Lumut" in onr of my previous blog entry was his protege and had become a Pilot himself thanks to this man. We call him Mamu Sahak and when i looked down into his deceased face i felt the suffering of man when he finally arrives at the time when he meets his end, all shriveled up and lost half of what he actually was in size. That too would be me one day and not to far into the future. Where has the dignity and pride this man once was gone to and is this all that is left in him for all that he had achieved in his lifelong career? Then as i sat and contemplate over his home and those who walk in and out, perhaps his children and theirs, I came to slowly realize that he has left behind his own legacy, his own lineage both in the spiritual as well as the material sense. His physical body may have shriveled and will decay and decompose in time but his presence will be felt by those he has left behind long after he is gone.
This morning as i was eating my breakfast my cousin again asked me if i would like to go the another funeral and this time somewhere close by in the village and i agreed to follow. The deceased although i did not know personally was not a well to do individual at least in comparison to the late Captain who ies in wake at his home still as both these individuals will be buried according to Muslim practice after the Friday prayers. Their remains will be prayed over by the Friday prayer congregation before they were delivered to the cemetery. So in essence they were fortunate to have died on this day as there would automatically be more people praying for them at their funeral. Off course it raises questions in my mind if there would be as many people or any t all attending to my funeral and so forth and what it entails when it comes living and death and the relationship one has with others around you. Not that it matters off course to you who is already dead but still, who would take the trouble to make sure that you are properly buried with dignity and hopefully some ceremony
.Death, 'The Unknown Country, the land from which no man has return," as Shakespeare calls it;Humanity's oldest question and greatest mystery.

"For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? 
      And what is to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered? 
      Only when you drink form the river of silence shall you indeed sing. 
      And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. 
      And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance."
The Prophet -Khalil Gilbran.

As i sat and listened to the Dalai Lama's lectures on Shantideva's- The Bodhisatva's Vows, about an hour ago His Excellency was on the subject of Death and Transmigration and the affects of Karma towards one's spiritual evolution, my mind still is trying to find the road towards coming to an understanding of how can both the Islamic and the Buddhist views on death can be made to merge in their difference, to help complement one with the other and this has always been one of my ongoing quest in my spiritual studies.  
"Oh nobly born,this now is the hour of death, listen with full attention, thou will experience three Bardos, recognize them, be not afraid,.." from the Tibetan Book of the Dead said to have been written by Padmasambava, the Lotus Born. sometime in 800 A,D, in the Gampodar Mountains, tibet. "For Tibetans death is inevitable, but it is not the end. Death and rebirth is an archetypal process, Archetype is a core primordial image that is shared by all of humanity...Death does not mean non-existent..it is a kind of opportunity for Liberation, it is an expansion of consciousness."
From You Tube:Secret Tibetan Book of the dead.

"It was a Book of Magic, it is a collection of Spells, the chief purpose of which is to enable life after death and immortality to the deceased." "It is the Book of the dead because it tells us what the dead will face in the afterlife,. that is why we call it the book of the dead. It is very important because this is the quest for immortality."
The Egyptian Book of the Dead. from You Tube.

In Hinduism the concept of life extends beyond the two polarities of physical birth and death and much consideration given to the latter. That while the physical body experiences a limited span of life, the underlying principle of life, the atman or supreme spirit, is eternal, and therefore is not subjected to the same laws which govern the perishability of the physiological body. The atman is beyond suffering; it cannot be subjected to the vicissitudes of pleasures and pains. It is pure consciousness or the intelligent principle which operates in each of us. However, when this embodied atman begins to identify with emotions, desires and becomes the enjoyer and experiencer, its witness, non-afflicted nature becomes vitiated and the atman, now called a jeeva or drashta begins to identify with body, senses and mind.

Hindu Concept of Death

April  2006

Prof. Subhas R.Tiwari

The Hindu University of America

"The rituals and ceremonies at the time of death are observed to seek relief from pain and suffering, in addition to ease spiritual afflictions, while the post death observances are conducted to ensure the smooth passage of the jeeva-atman. They are also intended to support, comfort, and relieve the suffering experienced by the dying person, and to support a clear state of mind with minimal interference from memories, pains, etc. They  also benefit families and friends, especially since one of the afflictions which beset humans in life is bhaya, fear of dying. To some extent, the rituals are also intended to honor the deceased person as well as the family and community. This would recognize our interconnectedness in life as well as in death."

"In the history of Christianity, death has been defined generally as the separation of the immortal soul from the mortal body. This belief in the survival of the soul at the death of the body has been expressed in various ways and given rise to such corollary doctrines as prayer for the dead, indulgences, purgatory, intercession of the saints, the eternal torment of hell, etc. Since the time of Augustine (A. D. 354-430), Christians have been taught that between death and resurrection—a period known as "the intermediate state"—the souls of the dead either enjoy the beatitude of Paradise or suffer the affliction of Purgatory or Hell. The disembodied condition of the soul is supposed to continue until the resurrection of the body which will bring completion to the salvation of the saints and to the damnation of the wicked."

"The Westminster Confession (1646), regarded as the definitive statement of Presbyterian beliefs in the English-speaking world, states: "The body of men after death return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls (which neither die nor sleep) having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them. The souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received unto the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies: and the souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torment and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day."5 The confession continues declaring as unbiblical the belief in purgatory."

THE BIBLICAL VIEW OF DEATH

Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D., Andrews University

How Do Muslims View Death?

Muslims believe that the present life is a trial in preparation for the next realm of existence. When a Muslim dies, he or she is washed and wrapped in a clean, white cloth (usually by a family member) and buried after a special prayer, preferably the same day. Muslims consider this a final service that they can do for their relatives and an opportunity to remember that their own existence here on earth is brief.

 The explanation that the Quran gives about the necessity of life after death is what the moral consciousness of man demands. Actually, if there is no life after death, the very belief in God becomes meaningless or even if one believes in God, it would be n unjust and indifferent God, having once created man and now not being concerned with his fate.

By World Assembly of Muslim Youth¹

Death is not pure annihilation, but rather both the living and dead are aware, but there is a difference that can't be compared. Death is merely movement from one world to another. It can be described as a journey through a wormhole to a separate dimension of existence.

By Huma Ahmed

Islamic Information .Net.

“God causes you to live, then causes you to die; then He will assemble you for the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt,” but most of the people do not know.  (Quran, 45:24-26)

[For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes to one of them, he says, “My Lord, send me back that I might do righteousness in that which I left behind (i.e. in that which I neglected).” No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected. So when the Horn is blown, no relationship will there be among them that Day, nor will they ask about one another. And those whose scales are heavy [with good deeds] - it is they who are the successful. But those whose scales are light - those are the ones who have lost their souls, [being] in Hell, abiding eternally. The Fire will sear their faces, and they therein will have taut smiles (i.e. their lips having been contracted by scorching until the teeth are exposed).  (Quran, 23:99-104)

Death

In Judaism, death is not a tragedy, even when it occurs early in life or through unfortunate circumstances. Death is a natural process. Our deaths, like our lives, have meaning and are all part of G-d's plan. In addition, we have a firm belief in an afterlife, a world to come, where those who have lived a worthy life will be rewarded.

Mourning practices in Judaism are extensive, but they are not an expression of fear or distaste for death. Jewish practices relating to death and mourning have two purposes: to show respect for the dead (kavod ha-met), and to comfort the living (nihum avelim), who will miss the deceased.

Care for the Dead

After a person dies, the eyes are closed, the body is laid on the floor and covered, and candles are lit next to the body. The body is never left alone until after burial, as a sign of respect. The people who sit with the dead body are called shomerim, from the root Shin-Mem-Reish, meaning "guards" or "keepers".

Respect for the dead body is a matter of paramount importance. For example, the shomerim may not eat, drink, or perform a commandment in the presence of the dead. To do so would be considered mocking the dead, because the dead can no longer do these things.

Most communities have an organization to care for the dead, known as the chevra kaddisha (the holy society). These people are volunteers. Their work is considered extremely meritorious, because they are performing a service for someone who can never repay them.

Autopsies in general are discouraged as desecration of the body. They are permitted, however, where it may save a life or where local law requires it. When autopsies must be performed, they should be minimally intrusive.

The presence of a dead body is considered a source of ritual impurity. For this reason, a kohein may not be in the presence of a corpse. People who have been in the presence of a body wash their hands before entering a home. This is done to symbolically remove spiritual impurity, not physical uncleanness: it applies regardless of whether you have physically touched the body.

In preparation for the burial, the body is thoroughly cleaned and wrapped in a simple, plain linen shroud. The Sages decreed that both the dress of the body and the coffin should be simple, so that a poor person would not receive less honor in death than a rich person. The body is wrapped in a tallit with its tzitzit rendered invalid. The body is not embalmed, and no organs or fluids may be removed. According to some sources, organ donation is permitted, because the subsequent burial of the donee will satisfy the requirement of burying the entire body.

The body must not be cremated. It must be buried in the earth. Coffins are not required, but if they are used, they must have holes drilled in them so the body comes in contact with the earth.

The body is never displayed at funerals; open casket ceremonies are forbidden by Jewish law. According to Jewish law, exposing a body is considered disrespectful, because it allows not only friends, but also enemies to view the dead, mocking their helpless state.

Welcome to Judaism 101!

One of the fundamental beliefs of Judaism is that life does not begin with birth, nor does it end with death. This is articulated in the verse inKohelet (Ecclesiastes), “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to G‑d, who gave it.”1- Chabad.org.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe would often point out that a basic law of physics (known as the First Law of Thermodynamics) is that no energy is ever “lost” or destroyed; it only assumes another form. If such is the case with physical energy, how much more so a spiritual entity such as the soul, whose existence is not limited by time, space, or any of the other delineators of the physical state. Certainly, the spiritual energy that in the human being is the source of sight and hearing, emotion and intellect, will and consciousness does not cease to exist merely because the physical body has ceased to function; rather, it passes from one form of existence (physical life as expressed and acted via the body) to a higher, exclusively spiritual form of existence.

 To be Contd.