Death: An Inside Story (2020)
Sadhguru
Death gives us purpose in life. With the fear of mortality, Man probably would not be doing most of the things that we see around us. He knows that his life on Earth is finite. Hence, he needs to work hard as he wants to experience all the pleasures found here before his light burns out. Knowing that he has an expiry date, there is a need to produce progeny and care for his offspring, hoping that he will be cared for in old age.
Because of the fear of death and ignorance of what lays before and after this life as we know it, Man has created stories. These stories give purpose to his Existence here. The anxiety of what may in store after our sojourn on Earth, if it actually just a lifetime makes us believe many theories of life and death. If time is a continuum with no ends, Man has to spend a mighty long time after this life. On the other hand, if time is cyclical, Man will be returning. The next time around, things made not be good. So he better behave, here and now.
One of the ways to smack Man off his high horse and jolt him to the realisation of his vulnerability is for him to spend a day in a cemetery or crematorium. A corpse all dressed to the nines to his last journey never return but instead goes back to Mother Nature as food to other creatures or back as ash to bound to Earth again. It would be a humbling experience, understanding the fragility of life. The burning question would be, "when would the bus come for me?"
But then, he would also ponder into the age-old unanswered query - where were we before, what is our purpose, and where do we from here? From the Greeks who told rebirth and 'whitewashing' the mind before birth to unknown ethereal space for us to answer and pay for our actions during our sojourn on Earth, Man has tried to find the secret of our Existence. Unfortunately, no one has gone to the other side to return to tell of their experience on the other side. Nevertheless, people still talk about their past lives and even near-death experiences. Modern science has yet to prove the acceptability of these facts conclusively.
Herein lies the conundrum. To delve into something of which modern science, it is a matter of belief. Many of the things discussed by mystics cannot be accepted by modernity, but holy men insist that their findings are based on ancient and occult science that has been forgotten in our history.
When does life start and when does it end? Does it begin at implantation on Day 14 of ovulation, at the completion of implantation or at the point when primitive streak starts (formation of the trilaminar layers, hence individuation)? That is where medical sciences put a limit to embryo research. Indeed the gametes are not inanimate products.
Does life as we know it end when we lose consciousness, when our heart stops or when our brain stem reflexes stop responding? There is a dire need to determine an early diagnosis of brain death as modern ventilation keeps people alive, and retrieval for transplantation may be necessary.
We perceive our life as collections of knowledge and experiences. These are stored in our 'cloud' of consciousness. If all these can be downloaded in an alternative storage space or platform, we technically can achieve immortality. Death is just a minor hiccup as to how the mortal body catches a flu bug and recovers.
We are also made memories of Nature's elements, our present, past lives, and many more. Reading through the book, one can understand the rationale of all the rituals in life and death that Indians have been performing. There is a hidden meaning behind all of it. Over the years, its significance has been lost, and it just appears like an unnecessary waste of time. The final destination for all souls is Moksa, nirvana or maha samadhi (ultimate equanimity state of intellect).
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