Zen And The Art Of Being Alive

You're worried about death?

Don't worry - you'll die for sure."

Kodo Sawaki

There are many people who spend a lot of time worrying about death, and what will happen to them when they finally leave their bodies. Though much of what we think about death is simply specualtion, the one thing that is for certain (as the above quote from Zen Master Kodo Sawaki reminds us), is that we are defintely going to die. All of the worry and fear that we may engage in around the subject is not going to change this fact: one fine day, perhaps when you least expect it, you will draw your last breath, and on the out-breath will leave your body as though dropping an old costume. Since we all know this is true (whether we want to face it or not), the question arises as to what we can do right now to overcome our fear of death and the worry that accompanies it.

Luckily, in the Zen and Taoist traditions we find the simple answer to this question: if you want to let go of your fear around death, start living your life fully right Now, because right Now is all you've ever got. I'll say it in another way; since our whole life unfolds in the Now, the more we are actually awake in the present moment, the more satisfying and fulfilling our life will become. It's that simple, yet most people are convinced (or perhaps hypnotized) into believing that something needs to happen in the future before they can experience the joy and sense of being fully alive that they long for. When we realize that this is the grand illusion; that nothing 'out there' in the world is ever going to happen in the future that will bring us the fufillment that we long for, it leaves us with the truth that, what we are looking for is right here under our noses, and in plain sight.

When we start to make the commitment to keep our awareness right where we always are (this is what the practice of meditation is all about), and actually pay attention to what is going on right Now, we begin to rediscover what a miracle this ordinary life actually is. Small things; like breathing, a cup of coffee or a delicious meal become causes for ecstatic appreciation. As we live our lives with an increased awareness of Now, we lose our fear of death, realizing that it is not only an inevitable part of the cycle of our life, but a giant waste of the precious time we've been given to be fully alive right Now. The more that we practice being Here, the less we will worry about being 'there', in the concepts and beliefs that we may have about what happens after we leave the body. To overcome death, all we have to do is live well, remembering that why we are here is to know who and what we are, and when we know that, life becomes an epic and enjoyable ride on the train of Now. All Aboard?