Facing mortality and embracing the end

What is common between the legendary figures Ramana Maharshi and Richard Feynman? Apart from the fact that they are both dead, it is their outlook on death that bears a common thread.

When Ramana was 16, a sudden, violent fear of death arose within him for no apparent reason. Instead of panicking, he lay down and said to himself, “Now death has come; what does it mean? What is meant by dying? This body dies.” That was his starting point on his journey in spirituality.

The theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate Richard Feynman addressed the issue from his scientific outlook. “Death must be interesting to go through, step by step, to know what happens next.” It was marked by his desire to understand it scientifically. 

Those who lack the initiation into spirituality or an interest in deep science look at death from a different angle. 

I have this neighbour whom I used to come across frequently. I didn’t see him for several months, and then one day I saw him in a wheelchair near the gate of a kindergarten. I stopped by and enquired after his obviously fragile health. Without a hint of despair, he said he was suffering from a terminal disease. 

We started talking. His attitude to life was a great lesson for me. He said, “When you see the end of life, you would be surprised at the learning about the world looking at small children. Their fresh and guileless face and whereabouts tell you it may be the end of the day for you, but not for the world, which will keep going. Don’t you remember you yourself gave such gleeful hope to your grandparents when you were young?

And then look at the just-blossomed flower which opens inside out shamelessly. Though all these are for the hovering bee and chain of plant life, you can enjoy looking at its freshness. It doesn’t exhibit any hint of impending gloom that it will be gone by the evening. It doesn’t also seem to be jealous of the neighbouring small buds ready to blossom the next day.

The height of the experience for him and me was a three-year-old who ran by us and kissed his sagging cheek and ran away in a jiffy.  What did the child see in him? The flower or nature is not selective in offering goodness. It is for the beholder to derive the best.