Even though we cannot decide the time and type
of our death but we can certainly decide as
to with what state of mind we should die.
Time of death and type of death (death by old
age, by disease, in sleep or by accident etc)
depend on various factors such as destiny, past
karma, present actions, habits and impressions
on the sub-conscious mind. The state of mind
with which we wish to die solely depends on
our Attitude and Behavior. Most of the people
aspire for a peaceful, minimally painful death
condition such as death in sleep or sudden death
while being fit and healthy. Nobody aspires
for a death through accident or after prolonged
sickness or hospitalization or after being bed
ridden. But can it be our choice to die in a
way we want to die?
Normally it is not our choice to decide the
type of death we want to die (though spiritually
it is still possible by evolved souls) but we
can always decide the state of mind with which
we want to die. What is more important is ‘with
what state of mind we die’ rather than
‘how we die’.
At the time of death, depending on our state,
the soul may leave the body with ease or it
may struggle and leave the body painfully. If
the mind is free from attachments and aversions
then the soul leaves the body peacefully but
if the mind is full of attachments, aversions,
ego, jealousy, revenge, hatred and dissatisfaction
then it would struggle to leave the body. It
will experience high pain while separating from
the body. And depending on with what thoughts
and impressions it leaves the body, the next
birth gets decided.
Even in the Bhagwat Gita it is said that the
predominant impressions on the soul’s
mind at the time of death decides the kind of
next birth for that soul. Gita also says that
the predominant impressions at the time of death
will be based on the attitude and behavior one
has lived with, during one’s life time.
It is not possible that one’s death will
be peaceful if life long one has lived a life
full of ego, attachment and aversions.
Based on the fact that death can strike anybody
at anytime one should practice to live a pious,
positive, contented and meditative life all
through; so that the death is peaceful and the
soul gets an evolved rebirth. In the evolved
rebirth soul will gain saintly hood and will
achieve its ultimate goal of realizing the supreme
divine SELF and be eternally blissful thereafter.
- Ramesh Jain
