Page 49 - NAMAH-Jul-2020

Perspective

Playing dead

Mira Prabhu

Abstract
We need to be ready for our death. It can happen at any time. The sooner we realise that we are truly
love, then we can embrace the inevitable in a same state of love and peace.

Venkatraman was born into a middle-class mind, emotions or who we are convinced we
south Indian family. One day, while still in are in the external world. In other words, we
school, he was consumed by a terrible fear of fall irrevocably in love with a false identity,
death. Instead of running to the fridge for an which is merely a covering for our Spirit. So
ice-cream or a snack, or turning on some wild playing dead has its uses, for a corpse has no
music or the television to distract him from identity and therefore the underlying truth
his dread of the unknown, he lay down and of our existence can be experienced.
simulated being dead. In a short while, he
realised that even if his body were to dissolve Someone recently sent me this incredible
back into the elements, his spirit would survive, saying by a Chan master:
for it was immortal and blissful. The fire of
wisdom (jnana) burned down his relative “Beyond meditation practice, there is attitude. A
self completely and he emerged from this beginner must learn to cultivate what is called,
experience as a fully awakened sage. “the poise of a dying man”. What is this poise?
It is the poise of knowing what is important
Many years later, a great man threw himself and what is not, and of being accepting and
at the feet of the young sage; when Ramana forgiving. Anyone who has ever been at the
answered a question that had been bedeviling bedside of a dying man will understand this
him, and in such a way that his confusion poise. What would the dying man do if someone
cleared immediately, Ganapati Muni conferred were to insult him? Nothing. What would the
upon him the title of Ramana Maharshi (which dying man do if someone were to strike him?
means, Ramana, the Great Sage). Nothing. As he lay there, would he scheme to
become famous or wealthy? No. If someone
Mundane life is so compelling in its appearance who had once offended him were to ask him for
of reality that often we never transcend body, his forgiveness would he not give it? Of course

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