2016 In Closing: A View On Death

2016....

It was this year when I explored Australia and New Zealand for the first time, spent my summer in Scandanavia, Ireland, and the UK, my autumn in Canada and the East Coast, and I became more inspired than ever.  I also learned more about myself than I ever have, especially when it comes to relationships.

Last year ended with uncertainty, doubt, and sadness.  Death is the focus of this post; for in addition to the obvious losses, people whom I have known passed away last year, too.

Borobudur Temple, a Mahayana Buddhist temple in Java, Indonesia,
is the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere
and regarded as one of the greatest monuments in the world.
December 2015.

From my blog on Borobudur

From my blog on Borobudur

In 2016, the The Dalai Lama's philosophy on death was tested in me. 
I will explain:

Kek Lok Si Temple, a wonderful Mahayana
Buddhist temple that is also representative of
Chinese culture and traditions.
Penang, Malaysia, January 2015.

Mahayana and Theraveda are the two major schools of Buddhism; Tibetan Buddhism bases itself in the Mahayana school.  A couple of years ago I started reading some of the Dalai Lama's books, subsequently delving deep into Tibetan Buddhism.  There were several things he mentioned--especially in his acclaimed "The Art Of Happiness," which I highly advocate--at which I immediately scoffed.  One of these initially repellant ideas was his outlook on death.


The more I let the info sink in, however, the less resistant to it I became.
I hope the same thing happens to you, too....





This outlook has a foundation of two facts: death is a part of life; and death can come at any time to anyone.  Therefore, we should make the most of the brief time given to our mortal selves upon this Earth.  Not only that, but we should be comfortable with the acceptance of death as a part of life.




Furthermore, nothing is permanent.  The impermanence of phenomena is an important topic in Buddhism--how all matter in the Universe is constantly changing, and doesn't remain the same even at the atomic level.
Naturally, impermanence and change are the only "permanent" aspects of the Universe.


So when those close to us pass on, reflecting on the impermanence of things (even lives) eases the pain of loss.

This link explains it all in more detail.  It is written by

His Holiness The Dalai Lama.

And so let's all move into 2017 striving to be our best selves. Happiness starts in the mind.  From there, we shape the world....

Disclaimer:

Except for my blog on Borobudur, I do not own the rights 

to any other links provided in this post.