WHAT IS DEATH?

 The word ‘death’ creates a fear psychosis, in the mind of human beings. You tell a person that such and such person has died, it will produce a wave of shock, in the mind of the listener. When  death occurs in the family, it is announced in the papers ‘SAD DEMISE’. According to Author’s own understanding, he explains death as follows :

 Death is re-union with God.

Death is like changing clothes and wearing new clothes.

Death is getting merged in God.

Death is to achieve Eternity.

Death is a realisation, that one is not the body, but the Atma (soul).

Death is attaining a Blissful state (Sat-Chit-Ananda).

Death is to break all the ties that bind, and be permanently released.

Death is the only certainty.

Death is understanding and experiencing the difference between the transient and the permanent.

 Anybody and everybody, who is born in this world, in any form, has to meet with death sooner or later. Hence, death should be accepted as boldly and cheerfully as we accept life. That will help us in eliminating the fear of death, which has held most of us so tightly in its grip, that we can hardly breathe. In fact, any human being who has taken a birth in this world may not be re-born again, if he attains Moksha (Liberation) in this present life. But on the other hand, each and every human being, who is born in this world, is bound to die. So death is the only certainty.

 Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, has taken this human form, to explain to the people and make them understand the secret of life and death, by proclaiming that each and every human being, irrespective of any caste, creed or colour, is the Atma (the Eternal soul) and not the body, He further explains that the Atma does not die. It is the body which decays, and is declared dead, when the Atma leaves it. The Atma is neither born, nor does it die, it ever remains. On the other hand, the body which is changeable, perishes and dies. Anything which is changeable, is not real. Anything which is permanent, is the truth. The Atma is permanent and Eternal.

 Baba further explains the reason, why a person is reborn and the Atma in his present body takes a new body. He says that Karma and desire are the cause of the rebirth of man. The Atma takes a new body for the sake of unfulfilled desires and in order to sort out the balance of one’s Karmic effects or the deeds done in many previous lives. Until and unless man has sorted out all his Karmic effects, he cannot be liberated and be free from the cycle of birth and death. Baba says, “Man - Desire = God”. Baba teaches us in many ways, how to control our desires and be desireless. He says, “The only desire one should have, is the desire to know himself  - that is who am I? Where have I come from? Where have I to go? This will give one the self-realisation”.

 Baba says that mind is the cause of all the desires, and the cause of the downfall of man. If one can learn the art of controlling the mind properly, rather than taming the mind, one has won half the battle. Unfulfilled desires give rise to anger, and anger boosts the ego in man, and then man loses himself. Many times, Baba calls the mind as ‘monkey-mind’. Baba says, “If you can make your mind a die-mind, you can also shine like a diamond. He even gives a therapy, how to make your mind a die-mind. He says, “If a person is really dead, does it bother him, if he is being garlanded, or is being beaten by chappals (Foot wear). He is not affected either way. Similarly, while you are alive, let your mind not get agitated or disturbed under any circumstances. Be calm and serene. Act like a ‘sooka Patta’ (a dried leaf), which is being pushed this way or that way with every movement of the wind. This will enable you to be the master of your mind and the mind will stop dictating to you, instead it will start obeying you”. Baba says, “Man’s ego, desires, attachments and sense perception to the worldly objects, are the cause of man’s bondage to the cycle of birth and death”.

 A scientist created a scientific luxurious cage, with all the modern amenities, and put a number of mice, male and female inside the cage, but deliberately kept the door of the cage open. He also installed, two electrical gadgets, one of red colour and the other of green. The mice while playing, if they touched the green colour gadget, they got a piece of cheese, and if they touched the red gadget, they got a shock. The mice were very happy in the cage, dancing and playing and making merry, sometimes getting the cheese and other times getting the shock. Surprisingly in spite the door of the cage being open, none of the mice would attempt to get out of the cage, to freedom!

 The same is the fate of we human beings. We are so engrossed in our day-to-day routine involvements, that we accept both happiness and misery, but would not like to get out of this body prison to free ourselves in spite of the fact that Baba is here and He has kept the door open for us, to be liberated, yet we are clinging to our bodies, love life immensely and are afraid of death. How foolish of us!

 Baba has given us two simple methods of getting Moksha (Liberation) in this age of Kaliyuga. He says that Nama Smaran (reciting the name of the Lord) and doing Seva (service) to the fellow beings (Manava Seva is Madhava Seva) will get us the required liberation, in this present life itself. Let us take advantage of Swami’s assurance, and act as per His Will and Commandments and earn His Grace, to win our coveted goal, Moksha (Liberation) which is our sole purpose of being born as human beings.