Dying Consciously
When one talks of dying consciously one is talking about the state one reaches through meditation and living every moment in conscious awareness. Swamiji has said that liberation is not something which one reaches after death, it is that state which one reaches while living — a state of void, nothingness.
Sadhana, either a specific practice or your overall spiritual transformation, begins with you as an ego and evolves into your being a soul, who you really are. The ego is identified with the incarnation, which stops at the moment of death. The soul, on the other hand, has experienced many deaths. If you’ve done your sadhana fully, there will be no fear of death, and dying is just another moment.
To die consciously apart from doing one’s spiritual practice in complete awareness, one can also take certain steps to approach your own death in complete awareness. You have to accept that death is the ultimate reality, there is no point being afraid, embrace the feeling and live in the moment. With every breath you take — you live, with every breath you exhale — you die; if the next moment you are unable to breathe, it is said that you have died. So, we could consider the following to prepare for one’s own death:
Live your life consciously and fully. Learn to identify with and be present in your soul and not in your ego. Fill your heart with love. Turn your mind towards God, Guru and Ultimate Truth. Continue with all your spiritual practices: meditation, mantra, kirtan, all forms of devotion. Be there for the death of your parents, loved ones, or beloved animals. Know that the presence of your loved ones will remain when you are quiet and bring them into your consciousness. If there is pain at the time of death, try to remain as conscious as possible. Medication for pain gives you some solace but dulls your awareness. To be peaceful at the time of death, seek peace within today.
You should be content — as if you have reached your goal; as if there is no further journey to be undertaken; as if there is nowhere else to go. No matter what may be achieved, it should be more than enough. There should be no thought whatsoever of achieving more than you already have.
If this happens to you, how will you be born again? You will die fully satisfied. And the man who dies completely satisfied has no reason to come back again. Such a man has known the art of death. The man who dies desireless, knows the art of death.
