in a moment life is gone

"This body is as transient as dew on the grass, life passes as swiftly as a flash of lightning, quickly the body passes away, in a moment life is gone."

My brother died suddenly last Thursday. He and his wife were in the Ft. Lauderdale airport, preparing to take a cruise in the Caribbean. In the airport, he passed out and never recovered. Until then, he wasn't sick.

Dogen was right.

Sorry to hear about this loss in your family.

I am a Dogen fan, believe that existance is fleeting and yet I am often suprised that so many of my elderly clients express just the opposite views.

The golden years are not golden, life drags on from one painful moment to the next, each day bringing some new sign that some other body part is not working as well as it used to. So many stories of a tag team tussle between body and mind with alternating losses on either side. Deity focused requests for an exit falling on deaf ears year after year.

Dogens teachings are a great motivation to seize the available moment and yet I think many of my clients would say ah yes, I remember when that used to be the whole truth for me too.

While my view is more traditional (towards Dogen), I have found just as much motivation in their opposing views and the nessesity for an established practise for scarier possibilities.

Yes Carol life is fragile and fleeting, It is only in the delusion of our minds that it is otherwise. My condolences to you and your family for their loss, particularly his wife. A heavy blow at any time but particularly at Christmas.

Carol, my deep sympathies as well.

Like many of us, I too know this reality from direct experience. I am grateful that my sister continues in good health; my mother passed away last year, within a few days of my father's passing, the year before.

Only that which is awareness itself abides.

Carol, My sincere sympathies to you.

I know that if my brother or sister died today, I would be devastated.

Words, teachings,...when death calls, I wonder if anything helps.

I hope that you and your brother were close so that in your quiet times,
you would feel that the heart connection is still unbroken.

Stan.

Dear Carol,

You have my deepest sympathy for the loss of your brother. My heart goes out to you and his other loved ones and everyone else who counted him as a friend.

I have no idea what happens when we die, but I will keep him close in my thoughts as he travels on his way.

yours always,

mokuan

Dear Carol,
Yes, life is fleeting, but it is precious, even now.
To lose one's dear one is truly very hard. I don't know of any shortcuts. Your brother must've been young still.
At times, the pain dulls, and one may even feel some reconcilliation. But other moments are terribly painful, and they may come without a warning. I hold your hand, Carol, quietly.
Much love,
Ol'ga

Thanks to all of you for the condolences. It's really helpful at a time like this.

Maybe I'm influenced by a recent trip to Egypt and immersion in their ancient religion, but I agree with Mokuan that death involves some sort of passage or travel. The ancient Egyptians believed that the dead person mysteriously crosses the Nile river in a boat and awakens to its new land and some sort of new life. Oddly enough, they think the body dies on the East side of the river and awakens on the west side, which seems backward to our western sensibilities. They made mummies because they figured (logically enough) that the person would need a body in the new land!

Anyway, I'm not sure the "soul" or "spirit" or whatever goes anywhere, but it seems to linger on for a time after a person dies.

Carol,

I can only offer my sincere sympathy and condolences, little as they are in the scope of death.

Be at peace.

Sincere condolences, Carol, for you and your brother's family and friends.

We're here for a little while, and then we go away.

Hi Carol ... please accept my condolences at your loss.

Thanks to all of you.