The Awareness of Death

In modern societies, one of the central acts upon which both individual and societal ego are constructed is the denial of death. From a young age, we are conditioned to forget the inevitability of our own mortality. While this forgetting helps reduce the fear of the unknown, it comes at the high cost of diminishing our awareness of life's magic.

This denial of death is especially pervasive in European and European-based cultures, but it is by no means universal. In pre-Columbian cultures of the Americas, particularly among the ancient Toltecs, death was central to social and individual values. The knowledge of death shaped their lives profoundly.

In contrast, the customs in modern "first-world" cultures—such as purchasing life insurance, financing our own burial, and the profound shock we experience when confronted with another's death—reveal how deeply ingrained the notion of personal immortality has become. Religions promising various heavens or resurrections, playing a fundamental role in this, help us forget our mortality. Though this is not solely a Western phenomenon, consumerist logic in the West most effectively denies the reality of death.

Consider donations to the church, which can be seen as a subconscious act of "purchasing" a place in heaven. When Eastern philosophies like Hinduism permeate the Western world, we are attracted to concepts such as reincarnation, while more subtle teachings, like inner peace or living simply, often go unnoticed. We are willing to pay any price to maintain the illusion of immortality.

It seems paradoxical that we are taught to forget the one event in life that is certain: death. Death is mysterious, unknown, and thus feared. But it is the ego that truly fears death because death strips the ego of its illusion of permanence. Life, in contrast, is sustained by death. Our existence depends on the death of other living beings, and upon our own death, our bodies will nourish other life. Awareness of death is one way to transcend the ego, for while the ego cannot cope with death, the body understands its place in the cycle of life.

This awareness of death is a gateway to a deeper awareness of being. We are luminous beings, fields of energy—not egos. This awareness transcends words, as it is closer to a body memory rooted in feeling rather than reason. If immortality fuels most of our ego-driven routines, the awareness of death challenges these behaviors. For example, self-importance can only exist if we believe we are immortal.

When viewed through the lens of mortality, our typical behaviors appear absurd.

Because we think we have endless time, we:

• Procrastinate, waiting for a "tomorrow" that doesn't exist.

• Suppress affection, forgetting that today is the only time we have to express love.

• Ignore beauty, seeing everything as mundane or ugly.

• Defend our self-image, indulging in petty emotions like hatred, offense, or resentment.

• Worry ourselves into depression, wasting time on concerns that seem trivial when faced with the reality of death.

Conscious mortals, or "warriors," make each act a challenge: a challenge to savor the essence of life in every moment. They live with dignity, knowing that death could come at any time. Warriors embrace death, giving their best in every action, knowing that it may be their last. Acts performed with this awareness hold a power and significance that cannot be matched by the repetitious, dull routines of those who believe in their own immortality.

The awareness of inevitable death is not an intellectual realization; it is a bodily consciousness. It lies within a deeper, non-rational awareness. Death, when embraced as an advisor, brings clarity and perspective, allowing us to live more soberly, efficiently, and realistically.

Death as an Advisor

When you feel overwhelmed or on the verge of collapse, remember your death. Take a moment away from daily concerns to assess the situation against the reality of your inevitable end. This is particularly helpful in moments when self-importance takes over: when you feel self-pity, fear loss, harbor grudges, deny love, or feel too afraid to act on your deepest desires. In these moments, look into the eyes of death and ask for its advice.

Contemplate each action as though it were your last. Death eliminates all pettiness and fear, putting everything in perspective. With death as your advisor, even the most pressing problems become insignificant. What truly matters is that you are alive, and death is waiting for you. The rest is trivial.