Death

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Someone has just asked me what my views are about death and what might happen after death.

"Death" is huge topic and I would normally need a lot more time to prepare an appropriately thorough answer for these questions. However, I gave this person the following response as a brief and interim version of my views.

My short response is: 

Death is an inevitable part of life. I don’t know and believe that nobody can know for sure what happens after death.

My long response is:

Because death is just a part of life, we need and should talk about death in the same manner as we talk about any other normal phenomena in life.

Nobody can avoid death, because of that we should just accept it when it comes. It is useless to worry too much about it. Because of the natural survival instinct, we all need and will do anything to delay death (to lengthen life) as long as possible. However we should also prepare ourselves (mentally and spiritually) for death. One of the ways of preparation is reminding ourselves regularly that death could happen to anybody, at any time and anywhere. We need to remember that one should live to the true value of life and of oneself every minute while we are still alive. Enjoy and apply the compassion, truthfulness and beauty of human and of the universe in the span of time that we are still (somewhat) in control of our own existence. If one has been prepared thoroughly and consistently, one might not be as terrified and suffer when death comes as much as one would otherwise be terrified and suffer without any preparation.

Just a side notes here: I believe in the law of conservation of energy. I don’t object the idea that besides the physical shell consisted of numerous cells perhaps there could also be a form of energy operating in parallel to constitute the whole person, that is the Self, for each individual. Only "perhaps" because nobody has been able to scientifically prove this. And even if it is possible to prove the existence of such form of energy, I think it may or may not retain the personal and cognitive characteristics of the Self after the physical brain has ceased to operate. Again, nobody has been able to prove this.

However, the issue of "another form of energy" mentioned above is not important at the time being. Until science could prove exclusively what happens after death, all explanations are only guess-works. Those religious promises and “affirmations” about Heaven or Hell are all delusions and baseless dreams.

I look at death as a far away trip, not knowing when I will leave and where I am going to . And because I know that once I have left I will not come back, I tend to live with my loved ones, friends, people and with myself as if the trip may take place tomorrow. In this position, I tend to see each blade of grass, each leave; listen to a voice, a sound with sharper and deeper appreciations. In other words, I tend to live a fuller life.

I don't see the need to delude myself that there is a God who would save me and extend this life forever for me. Especially when that promise comes with too dear a price tag: I would have to be a slave abandoning my own mind, confining my own life to obey blindly those absurd and immoral doctrines. I don't see the need to wish for a forever existence after death. If (a big "If") it is to happen then even if I didn’t want it would still happen; if it is not to happen then regardless how much praying and begging in front of those wooden statues it would still not happen.

My life is with me, most of it right in my hands. I don't see the need to create and advertise those delusions, nor I think advertising them is a moral thing to do. If I were an egg merchant and not sure whether the eggs are rotten or not, I would not make loud statements "guaranteeing" that the eggs I sell are not rotten. I do not accept the argument "must have faith that they are not rotten then they won't be rotten".

Unless I want to use this argument unwittingly or deliberately to deceive others, and myself.

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