You prepare for death by living each day as if it's your last and it could be even for the comparatively young and healthy?

And by staying true to yourself and seeking only the truth in all things, rather than this or that confirmation bias.

Every year more people are killed by brain cancer than the national road toll. And in spite of advances, the remission rate has remained stubbornly similar for the last thirty years! AND NOT BECAUSE THERE'S NO CURE!

Other death sentence cancers include pancreatic cancer, myeloid leukaemia and the type related to asbestos contamination, remain virtual death sentences!

So, these folk don't need to be told to prepare for death by some massively misguided bible bashing scholar who would know truth from a barfly!

Resolutely refuses to even contemplate the possibility they could be wrong and given that's the very probable case? Do far more harm than good Or wouldn't recognise the truth if it were a dog that bit him or her in the bum?

Given he or she is completely corrupted by typical brainwashed from birth by religious induction/indoctrination. When the answer has to be to spit in its face and refuse to yield or give up hope.

That somewhere out there are folk with the power to bring in change for the better and as completely unselfish Christians living the master's message. rather than ENDLESSLY TALKING ABOUT THEIR PREFERRED VERSION OF IT! Or euthanasia. Peter.
Alan B.

Thanks, Peter, this is perceptive and useful. I am heading to New Norcia this weekend for a retreat on The Imitation of Christ, the 15th century classic (the second most translated book after the Bible). This book was the favourite of a 19th century missionary priest, whose biography I am writing, and was very widely read as a way to live and as a preparation for death. My missionary priest always wanted to die in New Norcia (and succeeded) because the 'monastics' as you call them showed a way to live that, while it is not for all as is, it challenges us all to examine the ways we shape our lives. Thank God the monastics are still here!
One quibble. Yes, belief is not enough without practice of faith. But that practice cannot be purely an act of the will - prayer, mediation, worship and study - because if my preparation for life and for death depends on the strength of my will, then I am worried. Faith must become an experience, of an event that comes from outside me, and must be sustained by shared living with others.
Keep well.
John

JJK
Thanks for the the comments, I accept your quibble. Enjoy NN, give me regards to Chris P.
Peter

Sells: We live in a time of crisis in meaning. Without a robust practice of faith we find ourselves in bondage to the primal fear: nonexistence.

Personal view Sells.

I don't fear death. When ya dead, ya dead. That's it. There's no great glorious Heaven where every one is standing around dressed in a White Robe singing, "Fa, he's a jolly good Fella." for eternity.

The only people who are unhappy about death are the people left after someone's died, & then, only for a week. Or, in the case of my sister 20 years for her daughter, who was going to die early anyway & she knew it.

Oh, I can hear it now. No compassion, terrible, terrible.

When I kark it, me old Carcass is going to a Teaching Hospital down the Gold Coast & what's left over is going to the Forensic Paddock in SA. Thence it'll turn into dust & get recycled into Stardust eventually. That's what Heaven is, if you want a heaven. So the cycle continues.

Come to think of it. Our Planet is an electron in a Solar System which is only an Atom in a Molecule in an organism which is part of an even bigger something, & on & on ever upwards & downwards. This, I believe.

I do not fear death, given I know that there is life beyond the grave. And as a returning eyewitness! Yet would postpone for as long as I can until my job here is done.

That job? To somehow convince those with the power to make a difference! To use it to make changes for the better for all humanity!

Or if you will walk the Christian message, rather than retreat from it into some august monastery or sanctuary?

That's just a place where the Pagan sun worshiper Contitine's initiated BS is confirmed and recycled!

Study it as much as you like, it won't make you a better person or save your immortal soul!

Nowhere in his teachings (his) did the Rabbi Jesus instruct his devotees that they had the power to hear confessions or absolve sin, or speak for God.

Instead, he said stuff like, suffer little children to come unto me. or, render unto Ceasar what is Ceasar's and render unto God what is God's.

Or, live by the sword and die by the sword, or, seek ye first the kingdom of heaven within(learn to meditate) or, inasmuch as you do unto the least among you, you also do unto me.

Finally and to quote Roman General Maximus in the film Gladiator.

Death smiles at us all. When he smiles at you, all you can do is smile back!

Until he does, trouble him not, but live every day and in the real world, not in your head or volumes of patent control freak propaganda!
Alan B.

Three references on really preparing for death, rather than consoling one's presumed separate self with naive consoling childish illusions.

Preparing To Die by Andrew Holecek - based on Buddhist Wisdom Teachings.

Erasing Death by Sam Parnia - extensive multi-disciplinary research on the all important topic of death.

And of course this one featuring the most beautiful prose every written about what death (and thus life) requires of us. http://www.easydeathbook.com/purpose.asp

Preparing for death is a neurosis reserved for the rich!
The poor of this land, live at deaths door and are naturally prepared!

Death and suffering are two forces that affect how we look at life and reexamine what's important in life. But death does this more so.

Peter, you've presented a good topic, and good paper. It brings to mind Jesus's teaching that to follow him we need to carry our cross. Which I've found thus teaching as part of either being willing to suffer or die for our faith, or as an extension of the teachings of dying of the self and living for Jesus. But the way you've presented that faith is (among other things) a preparation for death adds to that idea of carrying our cross. Living in a way that we are prepared for death.

Richard Bramston, of Virgin Airlines fame. Tells an interesting story in where he invites a highly placed, Flat Earth Society official, for a ride in his spaceflight enterprise.

They take the flight and the world is exposed for all to see as an ovoid globe!

They land and Richard asks the highly placed official for his opinion, which he gives. As, the graphics and special effects were extremely realistic!

And underlines the false premise, that faith and belief are paramount in all and every manmade cult and or even trumps the irrefutable truth!

Irrefutable truth that escapes those who remain willfully blind to it and live in a world of self-created or self-imposed invention?

Why?

Because it what their brainwashed from birth idealogical imperatives compels of them!

Incidentally, meditation is not applying the thought processes to this or that teaching or work or walking while reading a book!

But rather the very opposite and a shutting down of the endless mostly senseless chatter that is the conscious mind!

So you can sit in contemplative silence and just be.

Allowing the universe to fill the space you've created with ancient wisdom as old as time itself!

And importantly, completely free of any religious instruction, dogma or involvement!

And only for the genuine seeker of the truth rather than the follower of this or that MANMADE dogma.

Some would it seems, happily die for!

Little wonder the world is at war with itself and the irrefutable truth!
Alan B.

Al..:-))

I've asked this of you before; are you sure your not Barry Jones?

BTW you forgot to mention "Death"...can we start again?

Thank you Peter, I loved this article.

---

Dear Dan,

«The poor of this land, live at deaths door and are naturally prepared!»

A poor person (unless poor by choice) who fails to make any effort and take charge of their life, at least to some extent, once their physical body drops will likely be born to a poor family again and again and again until they finally learn their lesson.

Yutsie: A poor person (unless poor by choice) who fails to make any effort and take charge of their life, at least to some extent, once their physical body drops will likely be born to a poor family again and again and again until they finally learn their lesson.

If that's what you believe Yutsie. Good for you. It's a part of the Philosophy of Hinduism. Hinduism not really being a Religion, but a Philosophy on living a good life, an all.

Me. When ya dead, ya dead. No Heaven, no Hell, no Rebirth. Unless ya pushin' up Daisy's.

*...until they finally learn their lesson. (The poor)!...*

and the lesson is?

Your twisted!

Dear Dan,

The lesson is to use one's will to overcome passivity, darkness, sloth and other bad habits that dampen and dissipate one's energy. Lack of money/wealth is simply a sign of lack of energy.

(now I'm not saying that having lots of money and energy is the goal of life, but one needs to have it first before it can be given up)

Is Yuyustu correct? Are born again and again until we get it or use up all our time.?

The universe will self-destruct in less than 15 billion years and with it all elements of (time's up) physical life. There's often compelling evidence for life beyond the grave in various examples.

As chronicled in a book titled, life after life. The research of an ivy league university academic, who chose subjects to be hypnotised then asked to go back in time to their earliest memories.

Some of which appear to be recounting of earlier lives. And published with permission, if those memories could be validated by recalled topical events, newspaper headlines and facts only the individual and closest surviving relatives could have known.

Then there have been some interesting and widely reported events, that saw folk waking from long-term comas able to play the piano perfectly, even though never had lesson or piano in this lifetime. Or upon awakening able to speak fluent mandarin although never ever exposed to it or Mandarin speakers.

The question then is how and where did these memories come from? And if not from this life then where and when? This is eyewitness evidence for reincarnation?

Or in the teaching of the Master. Verily verily I say unto you, to reach unto the kingdom of heaven, ye must be born again.

Whereas none whatsoever for zip/zilch/NOTHING beyond this life.

And given reincarnation is true?

Makes absolute sense out of postcode poverty traps and the parlous state of our world, Death and suffering of innocents? Pain, suffering and infant mortality! Some years ago (1938) a young Jew returning from Paris to Berlin to get his Parents out and in Britain, before they could be interred in a Nazi death camp!

Needed to take a meal break and was afraid he'd be refused service in any German establishment. Then to his relief, spied a Chinese establishment.

Went in and asked the proprietor, do you serve Jews? The Proprietor said, yes sure, what kind of Jews you want? we got apple Jews, orange Jews or grape Jews!
Alan B.

*...Lack of money/wealth is simply a sign of lack of energy...*

That statement would rate the most stupid ever! Do you live on Earth?

.

Dear Peter,

.

Preparing for death as you describe it is a purely egotistical affair : recourse to religious belief (“faith”) in order to overcome one’s own, personal, existential anxiety.

For ordinary people, such as myself, preparing for death is something quite different. It means organising one’s departure so that loved ones, family, friends, business associates, employees, etc. do not have the worry, burden and responsibility of taking important decisions on complex matters of a very personal nature, affecting the lives of one’s survivors, dépendants and others.

Religious belief, and what you refer to as “faith” are, in my view, less unequivocal than love, for the simple reason that the former two are directed to a hypothetical god or gods, whereas there is nothing hypothetical about love.

Is there life after death ?

From a purely biological point of view, yes there is. Birth is not the beginning of life and death is not its end.

Life is a self-sustaining process that began a long time ago. It shows no signs of ceasing despite all the wars and destruction and irreversible damage caused by mankind to the eco-system. Birth is not the beginning of life. It is its continuance. Living cells are constantly renewed, some more frequently than others. Life is relayed by the individual members of each species, in exclusivity, to the next generation of the same species.

On the other side of the coin, death is the permanent cessation of the vital functions of a living organism or cell, due to either natural or accidental causes. It affects each and every member of the species individually or, in some exceptional circumstances, collectively. When all the members of a species are affected by death, the species is said to be extinct. But life is not extinct.

.

(Continued …)

.

.

(Continued …)

.

Our problem, our unease, or “existential anxiety”, is the insupportable thought that nothing eternal exists. Many of us cling desperately to the belief that there must be an afterlife for each individual and that “by faith alone we will be saved”. Faith may or may not get us to “heaven”, but, at least, it may, possibly, alleviate our “existential anxiety” - at least, to some extent.

Irrespective of whether we suffer from “existential anxiety” or not, the fact remains that as we can see neither a beginning nor an end to the cosmos and everything it contains, I, personally, consider that the eternal does, indeed, exist - until proof to the contrary.

I am less affirmative about life. But there is no doubt in my mind that, even if life is not eternal, love is.

I consider that either love is or it is not, and if it is not, then it never was. In my mind, there is no such thing as temporary or partial love. Either it is total, eternal and indestructible or it is not, and never was.

The biological anthropologist, Helen Fisher, suggested that " Love may be understood as part of the survival instinct, a function to keep human beings together against menaces and to facilitate the continuation of the species".

I, personally, like the definition of that well-known Australian biologist, Jeremy Griffith: "unconditional selflessness" – to which I should add Aristotle's definition : "to will the good of another". I also consider that there is necessarily an element of self-sacrifice in love.

Thus defined, love is a purely altruistic phenomenon, aimed at resulting in a concrete benefit to another individual rather than oneself. Nevertheless, the loss of a “loved one” can have a profound effect on some individuals – to such an extent that they do not survive the loss.

That, too, is, undeniably, a manifestation of love.

.

Well said Banjo.

Dear Banjo,

Many indeed do refer to God as Love. They are one and the same, the only difference being looking at It from different angles.

How could it ever be possible to love someone who is completely and truly disjoint from us? Altruism could not have been possible other than due to the connection that we all deeply share: in essence I am God and so are you - recognising this to some degree or another is what allows love to flow!

.

Dear Yuyutsu,

.

You wrote :

« Many indeed do refer to God as Love. They are one and the same, … »
.

Well, that’s what some of the contributors to the bible wrote, Yuyutsu, and I suppose many people believe that if it’s written in the bible it must be true, but just how many they are, I really have no idea, Yuyutsu. Do you ?

One of the contributors, a certain “John” (who wrote the fourth gospel) was one of the most fervent promotors of the idea that “God is love”. However, it seems that there is a general consensus among scholars that the gospel of John is the least authoritative of the four.

The other three, the synoptic gospels (from the Greek “synoptikos”, meaning “giving an account of events from the same point of view”) do not corroborate much of the narrative of John. In particular, they do not “refer to God as love” (to cite your expression).

A number of fervent religious zealots have come up with some fairly fantastic ideas over the years. Some say God is love. Some say God is truth. Some say God is hope. Some say God is life. Some say God is light. There is no limit to their imagination. It just goes on and on.

I guess when it’s all boiled down, that’s exactly what they’re all doing : just guessing.

You then ask :

« How could it ever be possible to love someone who is completely and truly disjoint from us? »

Are you alluing to Aristophanes’ fantastical account of the origins of love in Plato’s Symposium ? :

« Love is born into every human being; it calls back the halves of our original nature together; it tries to make one out of two and heal the wound of human nature. Each of us, then, is a ‘matching half’ of a human whole…and each of us is always seeking the half that matches him »

If that’s the case, I agree. I have found my “other half” and we are one.

.

Repentance and faith in Jesus Christ is the only sensible way to prepare for death. Eternity is a long time.

Dear Banjo,

«A number of fervent religious zealots have come up with some fairly fantastic ideas over the years. Some say God is love. Some say God is truth. Some say God is hope. Some say God is life. Some say God is light. There is no limit to their imagination. It just goes on and on.»

It's the old story of the blind men who touched an elephant for the first time:

The one who touched the trunk said "Elephant is like a thick snake".
The one who touched the ear said: "Elephant is a kind of fan".
The one who touched a leg said: "Elephant is a pillar".
The one who touched the elephant's side said: "Elephant is a wall".
The one who touched the tail said: "Elephant is a rope".
The one who touched the tusk said: "Elephant is hard and smooth like a spear".

All six experienced the same elephant, and yet...

«Are you alluing to Aristophanes»

No, I was not aware of that account. I was only reflecting within.
Self-interest is like a smooth hard wall without a key or any other way to break out. I might try to love others, but then I discover that I was just deceiving myself, that I only really did it for myself and no matter how lofty my ideas are, I cannot wilfully do anything unless I believe it to be for myself, even if it is in very indirect ways.

However, one can arrive at Love (and at God) by expanding and recognising one's self to include other bodies as well. Our cage of selfishness is a result of thinking "I am this body and only this body", but that thinking is in error - realising your error and the truth of who you really are, to include all other bodies too, will set you free!

.

Dear runner,

.

You wrote :

« Repentance and faith in Jesus Christ is the only sensible way to prepare for death. Eternity is a long time »
.

I do not like the word “detest” and avoid using it, but I can find no other way of expressing my extreme dislike of the meaning of the word “repentance”. It is particularly repulsive to me.

I consider that repentance or “regret” is the acknowledgement of one’s incapacity and, worse, the acceptance of one’s incapacity, to assume the consequences of one’s behaviour. It evokes a lack of foresight, a lack of control of one’s impulses, and not only a lack of courage, but a clear sign of cowardice.

I distinctly recall reflecting on this as a young boy and deciding that I would exercise my brain and my will to the best of my ability, as long as I live, and never regret (or have to repent for) anything.

Today, I can honestly say that though I have by no means lived the life of a saint, I have never regretted anything, and hope I never shall. Whatever I do, I hope I shall continue to have the courage to accept the consequences of my acts, right to the end.

Need I add that I have absolutely no sympathy and no admiration whatsoever for those individuals who show little or no respect for others during their lifetime and “repent and have faith in Jesus Christ” (or some other hypothetical deity) on their deathbed. As James Bond would surely explain, without the slightest hesitation : “it’s a licence to kill”.

If that is religion, I strongly disapprove of it and prefer to go my own way - alone - come what may.

Allow me also to suggest, Dear runner, that eternity is not “a long time”, it’s beyond time, and space.

.

To Banjo Paterson,

Your comment on repentance caught my eye. Something I think is with talking about. Repent as I understand it is turning away from something. Regret is probably always there to motivate the change, but repenting isn't an understanding that you can't do anything about it, nor is it only a regret. It's a change in behavior. To turn from what you use to do.

In the context of Christianity repenting is usually also assoicated with confessing one's sins, or turning to God. But the act of repentance itself in my opinion is a needed element in everyday life. Know you hurt someone you love by your actions and say "no more, never again." Or see the results of your actions on your life and do it to a change. People do this when they make a drastic mistake that harms their family, or are in a spiraling habit of alochol abuse, or even in the cross hairs of getting older and have health concerns that drastically changes their diet to fend off diabetes.

In the cases of repenting of our sins, it's about actively turning from them. That's a good thing to do.

.

Dear Yuyutsu,

.

You wrote :

« It's the old story of the blind men who touched an elephant for the first time:

The one who touched the trunk said "Elephant is like a thick snake".
The one who touched the ear said: "Elephant is a kind of fan".
The one who touched a leg said: "Elephant is a pillar".
The one who touched the elephant's side said: "Elephant is a wall".
The one who touched the tail said: "Elephant is a rope".
The one who touched the tusk said: "Elephant is hard and smooth like a spear".

All six experienced the same elephant, and yet... »
.

That sounds like the story of the snake in the Garden of Eden and the young Aboriginal boy.

It goes like this :

« The snake wriggled up the wall into the fan
The Aboriginal boy threw his rope around the pillar and climbed up the wall
He prodded the snake with his spear and it turned into an elephant

It takes six blind men to see the moral of the story for the first time … »
.

You also wrote :

« Self-interest is like a smooth hard wall without a key … to break out. I might try to love others, but then I discover … that I only really did it for myself and no matter how lofty my ideas are, I cannot wilfully do anything unless I believe it to be for myself, even if it is in very indirect ways »

Next time, try taking a good, hard look at your conscious intentions, Yuyutsu - the ones you can clearly identify, analyse and control. Perhaps that is how you will find the key to your freedom from self-interest.

Anything that is unknown to your conscious mind cannot be a deliberate intention on your part, nor a wilful act of self-interest. Even if what you do, coincidentally, also happens to serve your own, personal interest, it is not an act of self-interest if it is not part of your conscious objective.

.

.

Dear Not_Now.Soon,

.

You wrote :

« Your comment on repentance caught my eye … Repent as I understand it is turning away from something. Regret is probably always there to motivate the change, but repenting isn't an understanding that you can't do anything about it, nor is it only a regret. It's a change in behavior. To turn from what you use to do »
.

I think you are reading more into the meaning of the word than what is generally understood in the English language – independent of any religious influences, Not_Now.Soon.

Here is what the OED has to say :

Repentance : The action of repenting; sincere regret or remorse.

Repent : 1. Feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one's wrongdoing or sin.
2. [with object] View or think of (an action or omission) with deep regret or remorse.
3. repent oneself [archaic] Feel regret or penitence about.

Penitence : The action of feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentance.

The additional meaning you inject into the word “repentance” sounds like a logical second step required by the Church – following “repentance" – but it is not part of the meaning of the word "repentance", per se.

.

Fair enough Banjo Peterson. But to be fair your views on regret and repentance aren't matching the defination either. In your earlier post you matched repentance and regret with an incapacity in a person. Something I read as meaning being unable to change.

And with that in mind I see it differently. Even with the OED dictionary of repentance, deep sincere regret can lead to a great amount of healthy change.

.

Dear. Not_Now Soon,

.

You wrote :

« Even with the OED dictionary of repentance, deep sincere regret can lead to a great amount of healthy change »
.

Of course it can, Not_Now.Soon, but whether the regret is “deeply sincere” or not does not change the meaning of the word “repentance”. It is, nevertheless, a fact that the so-called “regret” is all too often short-lived. As I indicated previously, a person who has repented often falls back into his or her same old ways.

Some people are incapable of controlling their natural impulses, aggressivity and propensity to do harm to others.

You will recall that I was commenting on runner’s post on page 4 of this thread. He wrote :

« Repentance and faith in Jesus Christ is the only sensible way to prepare for death. Eternity is a long time »

This incantation of the Christian rites of repentance, confession and absolution are what I liken to James Bond’s “licence to kill”. The Secret Service agent, 007, of the UK’s MI5 counter-espionage organisation disposed of a “licence to kill” in the defence of the State.

In a similar fashion, the Christian Church, perhaps inadvertently, grants its devotees a “licence to sin” through the mechanism of its rites of repentance, confession and absolution.

No need to control one’s natural impulses, aggressivity and propensity to do harm to others. That requires strength of character, will power, courage and self-control. It’s so much easier to give free reign to one’s instincts and have regrets after the fact – even shed a tear or two – and promise never to do it again. No need to accept the consequences of one’s acts. The Church grants its absolution, no doubt, in good faith. That’s all that matters – in heaven !

I hope this additional explanation clarifies my position on this matter a little better for you, Not_Now Soon, but please be assured that I am not seeking to convert you to my way of thinking.

These are my personal thoughts, though I suspect they are not all that original.

.