My teacher once told me “this entire spiritual practice is about death”. He didn’t elaborate and I didn’t ask for an explanation (probably should have). But as time has passed it has become more apparent that what he meant was that our spiritual practice (no matter what tradition) is about reconciling the existential facts of birth, aging, sickness and death.
The Buddhist tradition is not shy about death and dying. In fact, it’s very explicit about this aspect of existence. There are death contemplations, death meditations, cemetery visits and contemplations, contemplations on the decomposition of bodies as well as parts of the body, guiding instruction for the bardos (transitional states from one birth/death to the next), and many other practices related to death and dying.
Siddhartha’s (the Buddha to be) journey away from the confines of a protected life and his discovery of the “divine” messengers of aging, sickness and death led him to face his own fate. He saw these existential questions right in front of him in full living color. And he didn’t like what he saw! He became intensely curious about the nature of this suffering, its cause, its cessation, and whether there was a path to freedom, peace, and letting go. We all have our own divine messengers that may have brought these questions before our awareness. Maybe it was aging, sickness or death (of our self or others). Or maybe it was a dis/un-ease of the mind, our lifestyle, the death (ending) of a relationship or maybe it was a number of many small events that led us to seek some peace. Or maybe we were just curious like Siddhartha.
In a beautiful and moving passage from the Vinaya (the monastic codes of conduct) Buddha and his attendant Ananda visit a monastery and find a monk left alone on the floor of a hut drenched in his own excrement, urine and sweat. He had dysentery and was in dire condition. Buddha and Ananda cleaned the monk, washed him and put him on his cot with fresh clothes and then asked him why he was being neglected. The monk said that he wasn’t being cared for because he wasn’t contributing to the community and wasn’t participating in the daily chanting and chores (haven’t we heard something similar on some news channels?). Buddha went to the monks and asked why they were ignoring this sick fellow monk. There answer was the same as the monk had related- that he wasn’t contributing and was a burden on the rest of the monks. The Buddha told them that they all had left their families behind and if they didn’t care for each other no one would care for them. Then he asked “would you take care of me if I was sick”? “Of course we would” they answered. Then Buddha said that when they take care of the sick, clothe the naked and care for the dying they are caring for him. Isn’t this what Jesus of Nazareth said 400 years later in the gospel of Matthew 25: “’I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
These teachings aren’t abstract! The Buddha, Jesus, Mother Teresa, Gandhi and others got their hands dirty. Cleaning someone with dysentery isn’t a hands-off procedure. He was giving a deep and meaningful teaching about encountering suffering (dukkha), sickness, and death. Those who are experiencing sickness and death are experiencing suffering. And to the extent we embrace them we are embracing all the awakened teachings of all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas (like Jesus, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and others). Indeed we are embracing our own awakening. Because where is our awakened enlightenment if it isn’t caring for those in need? It isn’t in the doctrines, the scriptures, on retreats or on the cushion! It’s in the world -where suffering makes itself known.
The Buddha’s own enlightenment wasn’t transcending to some heavenly ultimate reality. It was reconciling aging, sickness, death and suffering and seeing the cause, the cessation and the path to freedom. Our freedom and awakened enlightenment is the culmination of our reconciling these existential questions of birth, aging, sickness, dying and death. It’s coming to terms and accepting the conflicts, contradictions, and tragedies with an open heart and with compassionate actions. When we come to terms with these existential questions we have stepped into the realm of awakening the heart and letting go of holding on. We have arrived at an awakened and authentic reconciliation with our “divine” messengers. And what naturally follows is an awakened and authentic response manifested in our actions.
May you be well, happy and peaceful. Floyd
