Human beings fear death. Nobody wants to die. Death is the most dreaded phenomenon among human beings. Tell anyone that they will die in the next few days and you see desperation written immediately on their faces. People do a lot of things consciously and unconsciously just to avoid death.
What is death?
Death is the end of life on earth. For the religious people it is a transition from one life to the other. It is the line that divides our existence here from the existence hereafter. Christians, Moslems, Jews believe that there is life after death which is the gate to the other life. Those who believe in reincarnation believe death ends one life so that the soul can come back into a new body.
What causes death?
The causes of death could be divided into two broad domains; natural and unnatural. Natural death occurs with age. The human body is just like a machine. The older it becomes the weaker it gets. Unfortunately there are no real spare parts for it as it is in the case of a machine. It cannot keep on working for ever and ever. There comes a time when the heart is too week to pump blood through the system; the blood cells themselves lack the ability to carry the load of nutrients and oxygen to the various parts of the body; the brain cells become worn out and are incapable of receiving the many signals that the senses throw at it daily. Unnatural death occurs through accidents and certain diseases. This is the most feared death.
How do human beings become aware of death?
As humans grow, they become more and more conscious of the fact that this life they live is for just a while. It seems true that children do no know about death in their early years. At a point in time they get acquainted with the word, yet then it is almost meaningless to them. Then comes the stage of playing death. During play, one dies, gets up and dies all over again. At this stage death is just like one of those things that can happen to a person again and again. The fact that it is a definite transition does not occur to the child at this stage. After this, the real meaning and effect dawns gradually. The first time its definite nature is realised, it becomes the greatest fear. This fear dies down with time. Each time a close relation is lost to death, its certainty becomes clearer. At the age of seventy and above it becomes most certain. At this stage people even wish for it.
Must we fear death?
Death is the most certain stage that a human being should expect. No amount of worrying will take it away. We can never wish it away. The most sophisticated medicine can not take it away. What worries about it is the total ignorance about what happens after passing on. Is there another life? How is that life going to be? If you are religious you are sure to find some answers to the above questions, even though to the rational mind they might not be enough.
Why then be afraid of what is most certain? The best thing to do is to make every effort to live a fulfilling life. Live the best that you can. Live right so that if judgment day is really true, you don't get into trouble; if it happens that there is none you don't loose anything by living right. The best you can do is to leave an indelible footprint on this earth after you are gone. You can face death if you know you have left something for which you would be remembered. Fear not! You will surely die… one day.
