Accepting Death
by The conclusions of an atheist about the nature of death.
I continued to read about Hinduism and Buddhism when I stumbled upon a lesser known religion called Jainism. Jains do not believe in any god, but they do have the same ideas of karma and reincarnation as Hinduism and Buddhism. Jains seek to detach themselves from the material world, the same as Hindus and Buddhists. In my reading about Jainism, however, I discovered a startling difference between Jains and other religions. Jains commit suicide. That being said, not all Jains commit suicide, in fact the hugely vast majority do not. Suicide is considered to be something one that is enlightened can choose to do when they are totally unattached to this world, have no regrets, and have amassed all of the good karma they could possibly need. At this point there is no more that they must do in life and can die without any attachment to this world, continuing their life is just more opportunity to feel suffering. They then cease eating. They live for about a month meditating and only drinking until they die. The giving up of eating shows that they are so unattached to this world that they can choose to give up food. They die on their own terms at the time they desire without any regrets or attachment to this world.
Before I read about this I had never heard of a glorious death. However, in my mind, this classifies as a glorious death. After I read about this Jainist suicide, I realized how good it sounds. You get to die on your own terms, when you are ready. By the time you die you have no more attachment to this world and can leave without regret. You escape the bondage of life forever. I noticed how one of my main fears about death was not the idea of ceasing to exist, but instead leaving things undone or not being ready to go. I also noticed that in life I have felt held down by simply being a living, breathing being. This feeling is hard, if not impossible, to describe, but it is somewhat like you are noticing your limitations as a human being and how vast they are. The only escape from these limitations and human suffering is death. With this logic, death is the most liberating experience you can have, when you are ready for it. The bondage of being a living being no longer applies to you and the suffering that you experience as a human being can no longer happen. As for the joy that you would miss out on, that pertains to how dying on your own terms applied to me. If you die on your own terms you can have already experienced all of the joys that you want and need to experience until you are satisfied that you have experienced the joys of this world in their full spectrum and splendor. I have come to conclude that dying is completely superior to any kind of eternal life or immortality. After all, if you have eternal life, you have that eternal suffering and bondage, whether you go to a Heaven or a Hell.
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Post Commentdlcobb
On June 10, 2008 at 2:52 pm
very strange
phaedrus
On June 14, 2008 at 12:42 am
“However, in my mind, this classifies as a glorious death”
What a waste of a human life!
Paul Corvus
On June 14, 2008 at 9:50 am
Interesting read, I’ve had similar experiences. I was raised in a Christian family, but never embraced religion. I was an atheist up until a few years ago when I started studying buddhism. Now, I still don’t believe in god, but I don’t ‘not believe in god’ either. I am closest to a zen buddhist, but I don’t believe in reincarnation. I just believe in the here and the now.
I’ve heard stories of people being satisfied with life, and stopping eating.
There was once a master who had become content with life and stopped eating, he only meditated. A student came to him and said, “It is selfish for you to die now, for it is winter, and when we bury you, we will be outside in the cold.”
So the master continued to eat, just so he wouldn’t make others suffer for the inconvenience of the timing of his death. Later on he stopped eating, and died as spring arrived.
Jerry Wonker
On September 7, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Im an atheist too, the idea of heaven sounds horrid, can you imagine existing forever, doing the same things over and over, with no purpose?
Speed Limit
On October 28, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Undoubtedly interesting. How about suicide? What’s your view on that?
mysticguy77
On April 7, 2009 at 1:36 am
I absolutely agree with this.
I am also an atheist. I was surprised to see such an insightful article so in line with what I believe. I have always thought that by accepting death, and I mean fully drilling it through your head that it is the ultimate liberation, one could find peace. It is really not a bad thing, in actuality. Just non-conscious existance. I also agree that we can make our lives so much less painful, as long as they last, by embracing this truth. It’s beautiful: formless, timeless, and permanent. Thank you so much for getting this message out. Also, 1 more idea: I believe it is also possible, yet difficult, to grasp the concept of nonexistance. It can’t be done through traditional mental imagery. It is possible through letting go, contemplating formlesness, thinking of nothing whatsoever, etc. etc. but it can be done, and once you do it and align yourself with that, it isn’t ominous at all.
Kate
On July 12, 2009 at 5:55 pm
But your very questions themselves mean you’re questioning life. Who are you asking “why are we here?” If there is no God, why does it matter? There is no hope, no anything in such case. We’d be a random happening and the things that happen to you just do because it sucks to be you, not because there is a divine being intervening for the right reasons on your behalf. I don’t understand your view and I really don’t think you do either.
And I don’t believe a true Christian can become an atheist. If you are truly an atheist, you never were a Christian.
JOSEPH PILLAR
On April 28, 2012 at 10:08 am
eternal life is the God kind or type of life, indomitable, inperishble, incorruptible, blissful, full of life, free from skinness, disease and infirmities. eternity is timeless, never time bound to even know any other life from the one you choose either HEAVEN OR HELL. First just take a good considerable look at YOURSELF first, you members and their functions, systematiccally organised in every single detail: the kidney the tongue, the mind, reasoning, just forget about the pain part for a single second and just consider everything in existence, study science with anyone handing out preconcieve judgement to you. You as a person was made and so is every other thing. YOU TO BELIEVE IN GOD, IF YOU HAVE A MIND, THE IS NO OTHER WAY. ANYWAY CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A RELIGION( RELIGION IS MAN’S WAY TO LIFE AND FIND MEANING TO THIS LIFE WHICH THEY DIDN’T CREATE NIETHER HAVE EVEN ENOUGH SENSE TO FIGURE IT OUT). CHRISTIANITY IS A LIVING FELLOWSHIP AND RELATIONSHIP TO A LIVING POWER OF GOOD, WHICH MAN HAD PERVERTED BY RELIGION. GOD LOVES YOU, THATS WHY I AM TELLING YOU THIS, HE LOVES YOU MUCH. TRY THIS IN HONESTY OF HEART: ASK GOD TO REAVEL HIMSELF TO YOU AND GUESS WHAT HE WILL. NOTICE I DIDNT SAY ASK JESUS. ANYWAY JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO FIND THE REASON FOR EVERYTHING AND TO THE FATHER OF PURE AUTHENTIC GENUINE LOVE. GOD LOVES YOU, DONT BE DECEIVE BY THE SENSES OF THIS TEMPORAL TRIVIAL TRANSIENT PAIN WHICH EVEN FADES AWAY WITH CONCIOUS REASONING AND JOY AND ANYWAY THOSE PAIN SERVE A DIVINE PURPOSE TO KNOW THE LIVING BREATHING ENDS OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS, LIFE AND DEATH. GOD LOVES YOU AND ITS REVEALED THROUGH CHRIST JESUS.
JOSEPH PILLAR
On April 28, 2012 at 10:08 am
eternal life is the God kind or type of life, indomitable, inperishble, incorruptible, blissful, full of life, free from skinness, disease and infirmities. eternity is timeless, never time bound to even know any other life from the one you choose either HEAVEN OR HELL. First just take a good considerable look at YOURSELF first, you members and their functions, systematiccally organised in every single detail: the kidney the tongue, the mind, reasoning, just forget about the pain part for a single second and just consider everything in existence, study science with anyone handing out preconcieve judgement to you. You as a person was made and so is every other thing. YOU TO BELIEVE IN GOD, IF YOU HAVE A MIND, THE IS NO OTHER WAY. ANYWAY CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A RELIGION( RELIGION IS MAN’S WAY TO LIFE AND FIND MEANING TO THIS LIFE WHICH THEY DIDN’T CREATE NIETHER HAVE EVEN ENOUGH SENSE TO FIGURE IT OUT). CHRISTIANITY IS A LIVING FELLOWSHIP AND RELATIONSHIP TO A LIVING POWER OF GOOD, WHICH MAN HAD PERVERTED BY RELIGION. GOD LOVES YOU, THATS WHY I AM TELLING YOU THIS, HE LOVES YOU MUCH. TRY THIS IN HONESTY OF HEART: ASK GOD TO REAVEL HIMSELF TO YOU AND GUESS WHAT HE WILL. NOTICE I DIDNT SAY ASK JESUS. ANYWAY JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO FIND THE REASON FOR EVERYTHING AND TO THE FATHER OF PURE AUTHENTIC GENUINE LOVE. GOD LOVES YOU, DONT BE DECEIVE BY THE SENSES OF THIS TEMPORAL TRIVIAL TRANSIENT PAIN WHICH EVEN FADES AWAY WITH CONCIOUS REASONING AND JOY AND ANYWAY THOSE PAIN SERVE A DIVINE PURPOSE TO KNOW THE LIVING BREATHING ENDS OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS, LIFE AND DEATH. GOD LOVES YOU AND ITS REVEALED THROUGH CHRIST JESUS.