The Buddhist perspective concerning death is that it does not translate to total annihilation or coming to an end, but rather it is the start of a new beginning. It is a process of transition, which incorporates an aspect of an ending of one’s life and the start of another. Change cannot transpire without something expiring. Ending something is not necessarily negative. It is simply a change in which it is neither positive nor negative but a mere reality and inherent part of life. Birth essentially comes into contact with death. Every moment naturally comes to an end. This is an indisputable fact that we all experience. It is not just a theory nor is it based on a religious principle, but rather a fact that we all experience in our everyday lives. When the time comes, we will all encounter death. At that stage, it is critical to just allow it to occur naturally without consciously attempting to impede the process. It is a futile effort in our endeavor to prolong a life that is destined to progress from one stage to the next. We should accept the fact that death is basically just a part of life. Every moment has a beginning and an end and the latter merely leads to a new beginning. In other words, an end translates to a new beginning akin to the end of a seed resulting in a sprout, the transformation of a sprout to a flower, and the metamorphosis of a flower into a fruit. In essence, this is a pattern that perpetuates in a continuous cycle. To fully experience the concept of death in its truest form, a transitional phase must occur in every aspects of your life including your everyday thoughts, ideas, emotions, relationships, and even your joy. Simply stated, one cannot experience death without acknowledging its presence and natural occurrence in your everyday life. As such, the Buddhist point of perspective in regards to death is not an arcane and enigmatic subject that is associated with the arrival of the end, but rather that death is a transition that occurs in our everyday life.
The ending to a moment can be considered as a renewal and only in death can new things come into existence. Therefore, dying every day leads to renewal signifying the onset of a new beginning and hence a rebirth. Without the two, the world would be stagnant similar to observing a standing and lifeless artwork for a lengthy period of time. It would be just like that but much longer relatively speaking. It doesn’t change at all. To reside in such a world can be a very dreadful existence. In that sense, it is wonderful and a blessing in life to have refreshing momentary changes or what Buddhism refers to as the concept of impermanence. It is refreshing and not stagnant; it has a sense of fresh air that we breathe in every moment. Every moment brings new life and new changes. In essence, this perpetual continuity of moments is what we refer to as life.
Death in general occurs on an everyday basis and at every moment according to the Buddhist point of view. When your mind becomes more open, relaxed, free, and willing to explore the nature of this momentary world with a more profound and unbiased outlook plus a lack of any pre-conceived notion, then you are mentally prepared to end your fear of death. You are no longer afraid of death as a result of your acknowledgement that every minute is an ending and therefore a renewal. As such, your mind is readily opened to change. You can expand your capacious mind and be opened to the truth. The Buddhist point of view enables one to know how to die well which is linked intimately with how to live well. Just as important, how to live well is connected with the notion of understanding the momentary nature of the world. When one is able to see the momentary reality in this life, then one has the ability to transform one’s perception of the fear of death. The fear of death is basically a fear of change. The main and most essential question here involves the process of living well. As mentioned earlier, the Buddhist principle that living is a process of continuity consists of a facet of identification. We conceptually identify a multitude of everyday mundane and personal objects including me, you and others. Furthermore, there is an inherent process of labeling, imputing, and vast conceptualization. If you look closely at the notion of continuity, then one can see that continuity is simply a memory. What is really there is only a brief moment in time that proceeds to the next moment, which in turn propagates to another moment and so on. What we contemplate being there is merely something perpetuating from one moment to another. In essence, that continuity of thought is just simply a memory.
