Speaking of Death

What we do know about death is that a person, who was functioning through his or her body and mind, stops functioning. The body remains for us to see, all the limbs, the eyes, nose , ears, the vital organs—all are there, but something which was driving the body, some energy which sustained life in the body, has gone away. The difference between a person who is dead and a person, who is sleeping, is the energy which is not there in one, and exists in the other. This subtle energy, which people call the spirit, or atman, or soul, or divine current, is what differentiates life from death. From birth, this energy guides us, nourishes us, makes us grow and function on earth. At some point, for unknown reasons, the energy leaves the body, and death ensues.
There is surprisingly only one way to enter this planet---from the womb of one’s mother. But to exit this planet, there are multiple ways—death by old age, by disease, by accident, by suicide, by poisoning, by electrical shock, by drowning and so on. This game is geared in an unfair fashion—one entry and multiple exists. It takes nine months to bring a human being into this earth, but death can ensure in a millisecond. In terms of time too, death is unfair. It often comes without warning and can come to anyone, anytime. There is no one on this earth who can say with a 100 percent guarantee that he or she will surely be alive the next moment, or tomorrow or next week or month. Such is the unpredictability of death.
Death is coming to all of us, undoubtedly. From the moment we are born and take our first breath, the countdown to death has begun. One day lived on earth is one day closer to death. Against this backdrop, it is no wonder that man is scared, worried, anxious, almost petrified of death. We give each other solace through a lot of philosophical and high sounding words, but in our heart of hearts, everyone of us is fearful.
This book is a collection of 50 awesome quotes from the world over, on the subject of death. The quotes are from diverse sources, as diverse as the Holy Bible, the Quran, from religious leaders like the Buddha, from Greek and Roman philosophers, from modern day thinkers and writers to psychologists and scientists. The purpose of this book is to bring to the reader a wide variety of opinion and views on death, so that it might serve, to some extent, to remove his fears, so that he can live his life here, happily and joyously, without always thinking of the sword of death hanging over his head, at all times. It is hoped that after reading these quotes, the reader will emerge stronger and wiser, and will realize the futility of worrying over death, and will start to live life in full earnest and zest.