Death Revisited

Questions about death continue to fascinate me. Only that, now the fascination is about inspiring others too, to deepen their casual enquiries. It is rare to find a youngster who is slightly above par about those primitive fears of death. All that is required is to ‘trim’ the needless comparison with ‘fears’ or its other forms that others manifest. Once a person shifts the focus within, sans comparison, the search gets a kick-start.
I am almost sure that the suggestive arguments would make at least some dent into the hard coating that prevents the asker from taking a bite deeper than the ‘peel of life’. Understanding of life, is the key to solve the puzzle about death.
Maybe, the question and answer might interest some of you too.
Regards,
Psn(27th August, 2010)

Quote:
http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100826184538AADSZ2C&r=w#NbUvWzq9WThW9GWqYeRc

The question:
Why does death not bother me?
It doesn't bother me when people die. And the thought of me dying is whatever. But, when people die around me ( grandpa , grandma , aunt ) It doesn't bother me. I pretended to cry about my grandpa so my parents thought I cared when I was 12. I avoided my mom when my grandma died because it was awkward with my mom breaking down and me not giving any sort of .. anything really?(A little happy , I hated going there during holidays) And I didn't really care that my aunt died. I also make a lot of jokes about my dead grandma , and how it doesn't bother me at all , and I'd go piss in her ashes. Idk. I don't think anything is wrong with me. But I'd like to see what people think it is. It doesn't bother me that I don't care. It bothers me why everyone else cares? Idk.. I am an Atheist , and 17.


My answer:
Well, there could be more to it than what appears on the surface.

The significant point is that somewhere a subtle clarity has permeated about the phenomenon of death, though at only tangible levels. The 'does not bother me' factor is owed to deep acceptance of inevitability about it, within. The incidental benefit is avoidance of a negative emotion, fear. This is the most of significant things. These significant things accrue as an advantage only if our 'does not bother me' can also accommodate "and therefore it also interests me, now with a comparatively open mind, to see what it is all about". The reason that could persuade such an interest is that, as yet, science has been able to define death only in physiological or pathological sense, calling it 'clinical' death. Death Certificates are issued out only after examining the clinical aspect of the physical body, and no more! But many a times the cause of death is baffling. Postmortem would end up with 'natural death' when the subtle reason remains elusive. There have been people who could just walk out of the body, at will (and, that is more sensible form of 'natural' death, not when the 'life' energy finds the body unfit to accommodate it anymore!).

Being an atheist is an advantage to get faster towards the truth, 'experientially' with just an inquisitive open mind, which refuses to blindly believe or even disbelieve anything! (Please see, right now, to 'feel' the "I" as an experience, we do not really seem to need any of the sensory level perceptions. We have those dreams during sleep, when all the sense organs are withdrawn! Yet, we have to accept, that it is the sense organs, that helped us to evolve into 'self' awareness, as a growing child. Mostly it is the 'pain' or a small injury at the toe, in the leg, that we simultaneously look at and feel, which affords us to grasp that toe as ours, a part of 'me'... till then the baby makes an Herculian effort to gather the foot with both those tiny palms, and pushes the big toe into its own mouth, trying to find out what it is by taste!). We don't care(death) because it does not bother us. Right now bother is about fear, apprehension etc. But, if it were really a comprehensive "don't bother", why would this question appear at all? There is the subtle clue, the silver lining. Something within is persuading to know itself, perhaps through this/such questions. It does make sense to bother about our 'own' curiosities!
(To make it a very private investigation, avoiding the risk of embarrassment, why not try to find out why we wake up, after deep sleep? Remember, there is that 'coma' state, where the clinical 'life' is still ticking, without 'wakeful' state. Or, why not try to become aware of that 'exact-precise' moment when we fall asleep? Through experience, not logical words, thoughts, or arguments, please...)
Best wishes.