Remember God at the time of death

God is revolutionary. He promotes revolution through evolution and not revolution. His ends are revolutionary but His means are evolutionary.

This means that spiritual progress is dependent upon spiritual practice. The more investment in spiritual practice, the more significant the progress is likely to be.

If the matter is examined more closely, we will discover that the only reality of life is death. And at the moment of death, it is important that the mind is centered exclusively upon the Universal Self. As Lord Krishna declares in the sacred Gita: ‘Whoever dies in that thought attains Me’.

In many ways, this is the essence of the Gita. The whole purpose of pursuing a spiritual life and engaging in spiritual activities lies in preparing the mind to focus itself on God at the time when life leaves the body.

For this to happen, persistent practice is required. Indeed, this is essential in every area of human endeavor. A tree will not yield fruits the moment the deed is planted. An examination cannot be passed without diligent preparation.

This explains why spiritual practice must never be delayed or postponed. The search for truth must extend over a lifetime.

According to Sri Sathya Sai Baba: ‘Seekers must always be aware of this fact. The yearning must be directed away from how to be born towards how to die! For, birth depends upon how death takes place. Death comes first, birth happens later. Folk believe that men are born to die and they die so that they may be born.

This is wrong. You are born so that you may not be born again; you die, so that you may not die again.

That is to say, the man who dies must so die that he is not born again. When once you die, you should not be born again to meet another death. Death is inevitable, if you are born; so, avoid birth, avoid death.’

‘The sadhaka must not aspire for a good birth; he should seek a good death. You may be born well in a good family or with many favourable circumstances; but subsequent karma may not ensure a good death. So, if a good death is aimed at, the trouble of being born and becoming once again subject to death can be avoided.

‘Attaining such an end, says Sai, ‘is an unmistakable sign of having won the Grace of God.’