and to the end of his bodily life, is exempt from all danger of decay.From our historical observations, we have come to understand that every being eventually dies. Some forms live a long, long time and others only know of a brief "life." Though we may feel invincible at many times during our lives, we each know deep down inside that we too are not long for the earth.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~
And though the body dies, the Tao will never pass away.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~
The self is no more, without danger
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~
you won't be afraid to die, because you know you will.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~
What happens when we breathe our last breath and our heart drums its last beat? No one genuinely knows and that's what tends to scare most of us -- the not really knowing.
The one thought that provides me with solace these days is derived from my observations in the forest behind my house. Every time a plant or critter dies, it decomposes and becomes one of the building blocks of new life. If this is the way of all things in the forest and we each represent different manifestations of the One, then why would human death be any different?
To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.
This is what my mother always used to say, and it is also very Chuang-tzu.
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