How To Prepare To Die?

Question: How should one prepare to die? 
 
Answer: We prepare for death by living in the present moment. Our lives con-sist of moments, much like the frames of a movie film. Each frame or moment of our life is born and then dies and then there is the next moment. Too many of us miss these moments because we are too caught up into thinking about yesterday or about tomorrow. Instead of experiencing the sacredness of the present mo-ment many are living in the past or the future. 
 
The Buddha said, “This existence of ours is as transient as autumn clouds. To watch the birth and death of beings is like looking at the movements of a dance. A lifetime is like a flash of lightning in the sky, rushing by, like a torrent down a steep mountain.” For this reason alone it is important to live in the present mo-ment and to live our lives in a compassionate way. Living in the present moment takes tremendous courage. It means committing ourselves fully to responding moment to moment with compassion regardless of the situation.  
 
So, preparing for death is by living each and every moment well. How would your priorities change if you knew you only had one week to live? We should live our lives as if we are going to die tomorrow, but have our visions, as we will live forever. 

 

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