How Does Our View on Death Evolve?

It is certainly true. The older I get, more I am interested in what the great spiritual sages have said. Rather than what we discover from external scientific investigations. And more and more conviction I have that whatever I call Ravi at the ordinary level, that is obviously transient in any case hardly anybody could disagree with this. And that what is much more significant for me is to relate more and more with something that is not wholly occupied with my body.

So it is true that if I don't dismiss what the great sages say, that it is and it's not only in India. These sages are just already quoted to you from the from the book of Genesis, for example, it's the breath of god that is keeping me alive. So, therefore, more and more a wish to connect with that element of reality that strictly speaking never dies. It's not born either, but it occupies your body for a little while. So In fact, Krishna very repeatedly says in the bhagavad Gita that that is that element is eternal.

It's neither born nor it dies. It's always there. That element. So more and more my own wish to connect with that, and that requires more and more freedom from fear or desire. Which is ultimately the call in any spiritual teaching.

For example, it's almost the summary of what the Buddha taught to become free of fear and desire, because this otherwise fear and desire desire really more or less refers to what can I gain more? How can I, you know, acquire more prestige, more money, more wealth, or more pleasure? And strictly speaking, we all need to realize that each one of us is going to be actually tested by the devil. If it is true that the whole universe is manifested inside me, why not the devil? The devil is also part of the universe.

And one needs to then maybe I'll take a moment to speak about it because there is a very interesting remark of Rumi, great Sophie sage, saying if you have not yet seen the devil go look in the mirror. What is the devil? Just first of all, to remind you that the word Mara in Ravi, which was testing the Buddha before he became the Buddha. Buddha simply means one who is awake. And the idea is that in general, we behave as if we are asleep. So sometimes it gets translated as being enlightened, but literally it means being awake.

So the Buddha is tested by Mara, and you look at any of the prophets in the Bible. From Abraham down to Christ as well as, prophet Muhammad, they're all tested by the devil or by the state. But the word Satan in Hebrew and the word Mara in Ravi, both of them actually mean obstacle. What stands in our way? So that test is going to be there.

And it may be helpful. Just may take me for me to take a few moments to mention. When the Buddha to be is being tested, first of all, Mara sends his own daughters to seduce him. And sexual force is extremely strong force. The whole manifested universe exists because you and I exist because of somebody having engaged in sex. And the Buddha's remark is actually very helpful here.

It's quoted in the Buddhist tradition that if there was one other force as strong as sex, he's not sure he would have made it. Very strong force. And then since Mara does not succeed in this, he says, I will turn this mountain into a mountain of gold. So you see pleasure, wealth, Each one of us needs to ask how much money can ask me or or help me to change my mind about anything. Then if that doesn't work, then he says I can give you sovereignty over the whole world.

So the three main things are pleasure, wealth, and power. They're intimately connected with each other, actually. But then that doesn't work. Then Mara sends his armies to try to kill him. Fear. So when we speak about fear and desire, these are the things we are speaking about.

And then I ask myself, and I ask all my friends who are interested in this to actually see. You look, let's say, last one year of your own life or last one month, if you like. Where did your time and energy go in getting what? If it is anything really free of pleasure, wealth, and power, Now we may use slightly different words. But basically, really the point is that all these are the driving forces of the world.

Right? I see from the very first day in school, Kids are taught to compete with each other so they can get more scholarship, go to a better college, etcetera, etcetera. So this is how it begins. All our social training has to do with that. And but again, I also want to remind you there is no need to be in any sense against this, if you like the ego. Actually, this is very important aspect here.

So if you don't mind, I'll take a few moments to sit because there is a very strong tendency in the religious language. To get rid of the ego. Eagle, by the way, now simply gets associated with completely with egoism. Eagle is just a world coming from Latin and Greek simply means self. The usual ordinary self is what is called ego.

It is silly to be against that because that is the instrument that is meant. So a very helpful remark of, again, my teacher, Rhonda Salzman, ego is a good servant, but a bad master. If I begin to see two in me, one coming from the spiritual side, the other from the material side, there's no reason to be against the material side. That's meant to be the instrument to assist. But on the other hand, is it assisting or is it taking over?

Does that become my whole occupation? And therefore, there's no reason to be against the ego who wants the servant, who just wants to lie around doing nothing. On the other hand, if the servant makes decisions in the household, all the way, then that's where the problem comes. So mind body, which is really representing the ego, needs to be taken care of. It's the instrument to assist the evolution of the spirit.

But then to really to ask myself again and again, what is the spiritual element in me? What is asking me? And when it doesn't we don't need to be just theoretical about it. The spiritual element invites us to be more compassionate more loving, more sense of service, more sense of oneness with the others that the others are just like me, that kind of notion. So that element in me also exists in everybody, but am I assisting that element or am I assisting the other element? How do I more get ahead? How do I acquire more money or more prestige, etcetera? So One can begin to first of all, the call really in any spiritual practice is to more and more clearly to see the two in me. And then begin to understand what are their general natures and qualities.

And to see if the lower part of me, if you like a small s self can actually assist the capital s self. Otherwise, why speak about capital s self and small s self if I don't actually try literally to understand their existence in me or in everybody, but it's much easier which is why so much emphasis in any serious spiritual teaching on self study. Tradically, you can read the whole of the Bible concordance. There is not a single entry under self study. But if you look at the non classic or non canonical gospels, like gospel, Thomas. In fact, I'll quote to you just from memory, a remark from gospel, Thomas, The kingdom of god is within you and without you.

If you would know god, you must know yourself. When you know yourself, you will be known, and you will realize that you are the son of the living father. If you do not know yourself, you are in poverty. In fact, you are poverty. It's a very strong statement.

But you look in the yoga sutras, for example, you know, in the sec the very first sutra in the second chapter, Sedra, three activities of yoga. One of them is soadhyay, self study. Similarly in the bhagavad Gita. Krishna repeatedly speaks about many requirements, but then he says people of serious vows The call is for them to undertake an impartial self study. To be sure, impartial self study is easier said than done, because soon one also discovers the devil in me, which is also the reason in any serious teaching, the suggestion is that periodically one should meet with some fellow searchers because then one discovers that the devil is not only in me.

Is in everybody. What I discover deep down as self knowledge is actually knowledge of the human condition. Then one is not so self occupied with this. One can then find its proper place. Ego as a good servant, but a bad master.

So I think a very strong suggestion about self inquiry everywhere. For example, Krishna Mort even says without self inquiry, nothing can be understood. And the self other words that use self inquiry, self study, self knowledge, self observation. So don't get occupied with just one phrase, but all of these words get used.