[Posted July 3, 2009]

Dying every moment

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

We are every one of us stalked by death, who appears in one form or another

Tree Hugger Jul 2, 2009 -

Re-Think The Shark!

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Life expectancy

No Exceptions to the Rule A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

The great saint Parikshit Maharaja got seven days notice: "Your body will fall in a week." But we do not know when our body will fall. Whenever we are on the road, there may suddenly be some accident. We should always be prepared. Death is always there. We should not optimistically think, "Everyone is dying, but I shall live." Why will you live if everyone is dying? Your grandfather has died, your great-grandfather has died, other relatives of yours have died—why should you live? You will also die. And your children will also die. Therefore, before death comes, as long as we have this human intelligence, let us engage in Krishna consciousness. This is the prescription of Prahlada Maharaja. more

It's your turn next...

excerpt from Raja-Vidya: The King of Knowledge

When Yudhishthira Maharaja was asked, "What is the most wonderful thing in the world?" he replied, "The most wonderful thing is that every day, every moment, people are dying, and yet everyone thinks that death will not come for him." Every minute and every second we experience that living entities are going to the temple of death. Men, insects, animals, birds—everyone is going. This world, therefore, is called mrityuloka—the planet of death. Every day there are obituaries, and if we bother to go to the cemetery or crematorium grounds we can validate them. Yet everyone is thinking, "Somehow or other I'll live." Everyone is subject to the law of death, yet no one takes it seriously. This is illusion. Thinking we will live forever, we go on doing whatever we like, feeling that we will never be held responsible. This is a very risky life, and it is the densest part of illusion. We should become very serious and understand that death is waiting. We have heard the expression, "as sure as death." This means that in this world death is the most certain thing; no one can avoid it. When death comes, no longer will our puffed-up philosophy or advanced degrees help us. At that time our stout and strong body and our intelligence—which don't care for anything—are vanquished. At that time the fragmental portion (jivatma) comes under the dictation of material nature, and prakriti (nature) gives us the type of body for which we are fit. If we want to take this risk, we can avoid Krishna; if we don't want to take it, Krishna will come to help us.

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