Mahatma [On Hold]

Death and Fear

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Death

For many years I have accorded intellectual assent to the proposition that death is only a big change in life nothing more, and should be welcome whenever it arrives. I have deliberately made a supreme attempt to cast out from my heart all fear whatsoever including the fear of death.

Still I rememeber occassions in my life when I have rejoiced at the thought of approaching death as one might rejoice at the prospect of meeting a long-lost friend. Thus, man often remains weak not withstanding all his efforts to be strong, and knowledge which stops at the head and does not penetrate into the heart is of but little use in the critical times of living experience.

Then againm the strength of the spirit within mostly evaporates when a person gets and accepts support from outside. A satyagrahi must always be on his guard against such temptations.

It is as clear to me as daylight that life and death are but phases of the same thing, the reverse and obverse of the same coin, In fact, the tribulation and death seem to me to present a phase far richer than happiness or life. What is life worth without trails and tribulations which are the salt of life?

- M. K. Gandhi

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------