Note, when I ask this, I don't mean to question what your beliefs are about what comes after. My question to you, is how do you view the subject of death? What are your feelings toward it? Are you fearful? Does being around it discomfort you? Have you fully accepted your own mortality? Or do you shy away from the subject or dislike thinking about it?
For many people, facing death or even contemplating the inevitability that their life must end at some point, is a terrifying experience. This can be for many reasons, whether it be a fear of not knowing what may come next, or being too strongly attached to this world that, for the most part, is the only world we truly know. I want to know how many of you have spent your own fair share of time contemplating this subject, and what results that contemplation has yielded to you.
(I'm also whittling away the time until midnight, and figured this might make for an interesting discussion in the meantime.)
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"So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home." -Chief Tecumseh .... ... .. . -Prince of Wolves [spoiler]"I knew a man once who said, 'Death smiles at us all. All a man can do is smile back." -Maximus Decimus Meridius[/spoiler]