Something new I’m trying so bear with me. For the next 5-6 weeks I’m going to be dropping a blog post with 7 questions on it. Why only 7 questions? Because you’re lazy and if I was to give you anymore than 7 questions you wouldn’t do this. Aggressive, but true. It’s just how we humans are wired. Less is more, my friends. Plus the goal of these questions are for you to really take your time with them. Don’t just sit here and crank out a quick 7 answers that are pure bullshit. Sit down, grab a pen and paper, and really take your time to think about the questions that I’m asking you. Anytime I’ve ever been stuck in life I usually take the time to answer questions like the ones I’m going to ask you. It’s just another way to help look at a problem from a new perspective that maybe I wasn’t seeing before. And not all of these questions are mine. Most are, while some are taken from all over and are questions that I’ve found useful and have answered them on my own time at some point or another. Alongside these 7 questions, I’m going to be dropping a book review every week until I’ve done a review on every book that I’ve read to date and will continue to do this with every book that I’ll read in the future. Lucky you guys. Now, without further ado, let’s get to it.
Some weeks the questions might revolve around a certain theme, while other weeks they’ll be completely random questions. For the first week we’re going to start with death because nothing sets the tone like thinking about how we’re going to die. I don’t think that enough people truly take the time out of their day to think about death. What’s wrong with you guys? Why wouldn’t you take the time out of your day to think about how one day you’ll be dead? Six feet under, or for the more ambitious, ashes scattered across the ocean or through the mountains of Peru. In all seriousness, it’s not fun to think about death. I get it, guys. Don’t think I’m sitting over here all jazzed up to be talking about death. But, and there is a positive but to this, I do believe it is important to contemplate death from time to time. I think with that comes a number of benefits like realizing your loved ones won’t be with you for forever so maybe you should start showing some more appreciation now. Or that thinking about how you can die at any moment might spark a fire under your ass to actually get shit done while you can vs pulling up to the finish line and thinking “maybe in my next life I’ll get it right”. In the doom & gloom there’s a tiny ray of light. You just have to squint to see it.
Death
1.) If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven’t you told them yet?
2.) Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why?
3.) Do you have a secret hunch of how you might die? If yes, at what age do you think will die and how do you think it will happen?
4.) If you were to die tomorrow, would you be satisfied with the life you have lived so far? If not, why? What would you have done differently?
5.) What do you believe happens to us when we die?
6.) When you die, how do you want to be remembered?
7.) Since death alone is certain and the time of death uncertain, what should you do?
*Taken from Buddhism Without Beliefs by Stephen Batchelor*
Meditate on this and if you don’t meditate take some time to really go over this question. When you meditate on this break up into the three parts. Death alone is certain –– Time of death uncertain –– What should you do?