Journey

Journey

 October 2023

THE ART of dying 

Shivi Verma explores the possibility of a death experience that is beyond the confines of the conditioned  mind— one where we can witness reality as it is 

A few days ago, I was having  a conversation with a dear  friend. We gel quite well  and can discuss any topic under  the sun. She is deeply spiritual by  nature and this is the reason why  we get along with each other. 

We were discussing a few videos we  had seen on the topic of near-death  experiences and how a few themes  run common in them like the dead  person’s soul going through a dark  tunnel, seeing light, feeling loved, or  being welcomed by a divine figure  that the deceased person had deep  faith in while they were on Planet  Earth. My friend raised a pertinent  question: “Isn’t faith a subjective  matter? I mean I have yet to come  across incidences of a Christian who  met a Hindu god on dying or a Hindu  who met Jesus on crossing over or  a Jain meeting Guru Nanak Dev  on his deathbed. Most people who  report their experiences on coming  back, cite meeting their Ishta Devata (favourite deity) only. What is the  truth? Truth be told, as a pursuer of  liberation, I have intensely reflected  on this topic. According to Hindu  philosophy, it is said that whatever  is in your mind at the time of death  will become your reality after dying.  King Bharat was reborn as a deer  after he developed an extreme  attachment to a fawn while living as  an ascetic in a jungle. Therefore, if  one chants the name of the Divine  at the time of death, one will go to  the abode of God on passing away. 

Yet it cannot be denied that  despite the strength of these  beliefs, they are only as true as  the extent of the reach of our  minds. We store information  that has come to us through a  medium. It becomes a part of our  consciousness. And memory can  only go as far as our experience,  imagination, or knowledge allows  it to. In my spiritual experiences,  I have seen that the highest  is achieved only when mental  activity has become virtually nil.  In such a state, you are completely  raw and open to whatever shows  up. When death approaches, a  sincere seeker will try to use that  moment too as an opportunity to  learn and experience a new reality  beyond what the mind already  knows. They will endeavour  to dispassionately witness the  process of passing away without  letting their mind interfere with  it. Only this can ensure that what  we see or experience post death  is not just a projection of the  mind or stored beliefs but what is  actually out there. I know that it’s  not going to be easy. The unknown  is where all our fears exist. To not  hang on to divine names and forms  that we know of and not cry for help  during our last moments is difficult.  Who knows where we will land after  passing over? But other than this,  I see no other foolproof method  of attaining the perfect liberation  wherein all ties to the human mind  have been dropped. It has been  reported that George Ivanovich  Gurdjieff, the famous 20th century philosopher, was decidedly  conscious while dying. He made  sure that at no point did he become  faint or unconscious while passing  away. He kept on observing and  commenting about his inner state  till his voice allowed him until he  was no more. Perhaps he met angels,  ancestors, or demigods on his way  to liberation as cited by near-death  experiences, or he experienced a  world beyond what is known to the  human mind. No one knows. But  the possibility of the second aspect  can only be ensured when we follow  the path shown by Gurdjieff.

Editor of Life Positive, Shivi  Verma is a devotee who found  all her answers in loving God  

passionately. We welcome your comments and suggestions on  this article. Mail us at editor@lifepositive.net