The Death we constructed

[Tianfang Liu]

Just got terrible news. My classmate, 32 years old, was diagnosed with Liver cancer in April and died on 6th, August. My feeling is kind of peculiar. We were not close friends, but just "hi" friends, and even hadn't  had a talk. While the common knowledge tells me I should be sad, an old story suddenly comes into my mind.

Zhangzi, a chief representative of Taoism, was singing cheerfully with beating a basin (accompany) for his wife's death when his friend came for condolence. After his friend's blame and complaints, he calmly said: Thank you for your coming. I did sorrow when my wife died. Then I realised, however, that she was lifeless, neither with  a shape(body) nor a Qi(pneuma),  before she lived. The original substance  slowly changed into a Qi, then got a shape, finally the life. Now she has become back into the lifeless original substance and rests in full peace. So should I cry for that?

If we construct birth and death like what Zhangzi did, we don't feel sorry and guilty of the death.

[Rituu B. Nanda]

So true. I think we will not be sad once we realise the impermanence of our body and permanence of our soul. -We are spiritual beings in human form. As there is no evidence we always question it, no?

[Nathalie Legros]

Yes, I agree, it is the relationship that counts; at the end, that is the only thing remaining: our life is rich of all these relationships;

the sadness is OK (although uncomfortable and sometimes painful), it is a sign of our open heart,  I like the words of Chogyam Trungpa: “The ideal of warriorship is that the warrior should be sad and tender, and because of that, the warrior can be very brave as well.”