Knowing Death Knowing Life

Any one who run away from death will never understand life, this  is a message that is often heard in the deep spiritual realm. After reading the book of Sushila Blackman titled Graceful Exits: How Great Beings Die, this message is really true. By understanding death, people not only understanding life, but also can rediscover the lost home. Blackman’s  book that contains the story of the death of 108 saints, can simply be condensed into three paths: the path of devotion, the path of knowledge, the pathless path.

The Path of Devotion

The unique quality of inner seekers who follow the path of devotion, everything is done as a series of offerings. Thoughts, words, actions and complete with its own fruits, are all dedicated to the Guru. As a result, on the one side the ego disappears, on the other side a sense of deep devotion to Guru is written clearly in the heart. Consequently, when the soul is called back home through death, the first thing that appear in the mind and heart is the name of Guru complete with deep devotion.

For that reason, it is easy to understand that Mother Teresa often calls herself like this: "I am a pen in the hand of God". There is no self and I there, there is only sincerity to serve the Guru as perfect as possible.

Mahatma Gandhi was also on the path of devotion. His peacefulness, balance, serenity were all illuminated by the belief that Guru is presence in every step. When the bullets penetrated his body to death, no spirit of anger there, the last voice that emerged from Gandhiji was like this: "Shri Ram, Shri Ram, Shri Ram". Series of sounds that call upon the name of Guru.

The Path of Knowledge

There is nothing more precious on the path of knowledge than silence. It is like digging well. Initially there is only rock, soil, mud. If one digs with diligent, love and sincerity, then clear and clean water of knowledge will appear. And the cleanest water of knowledge is silence.

This explains why one of the poems of Rumi is like this: "Life journey is like peeling onion. Outside the color is brown and dirty. When it is peeled the colour is white. The more it is peeled the whiter the colour will be. When nothing is left there is only tears drop".

Such deep knowledge of silence is sometimes called Vidya. Sort of the king of all knowledge that makes people do not get lost in the dark forest of life. With this knowledge, every step - include death - is peaceful and beautiful step. Sometimes it is also called Vipashana. An insight which is similar to full moon. A perfect circle that represents silence. Out of silence appears light of compassion. Moment of death on this path, is like the birth of baby eagle. As soon as the eggshell is broken, eagle will fly. The left wing is silence, the right wing is compassion.

The Pathless Path

The pathless path is the most difficult path to explain. It can only be understood by one who live it. It is as difficult as explaining the taste of banana to those who never eat banana. As soft as butter but not butter. As sweet as sugar but not sugar. When butter mixed with sugar, it is not banana.

For that reason, the experience of this group is very rarely recorded. It is similar to bird flies in the sky, it is completely traceless. In the language of Tao: "One who understands does not talk.  One who talks does not understand".

That's why, in one part of Sushila Blackman's book she concludes: "To die is to rest". To the saints, to die is to take a sacred rest. Inner seekers on the path of devotion rest in service. Inner inquiries on the path of  knowledge rest in silence. On the pathless path, even the word silence can not explain it.

Now it is back to everyone. Borrowing the message of a Guru, the king of knowledge is the knowledge of who you are. Using this latest knowledge, then one chose the suitable path. No matter what path to follow, to the one who is home already, compassion is something natural. As natural as water which is wet, like sugar which is naturally sweet.