20/02/2024
Beautiful wordsโฆ..
I had a friend who was very much in denial that she was going to die of cancer. I said to her, โCome on, you have got to make friends with death. Poor death, nobody likes him. They are all trying to avoid him. He is given a very bad press. But actually he is really very compassionate, so kindly make friends. Embrace him, and say, โHello, what can you teach me!โ
To her credit, she was very happy about the advice. She laughed and laughed and said, โYes you are right, I have been avoiding and hating death, and I have to actually embrace and make friends with death.โ After that, with her own thinking about it, meditating and reading about it, she began to recognise that we can make friends with the fact that we have to go.
Accepting death doesnโt hasten its arrival, but it means that when we do come to that point, we are not afraid, resisting and fighting โ we are relaxing, accepting and letting go. Then our death becomes something beautiful and peaceful, not only benefiting ourselves but all those around us.
- Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
Photo: Jetsunma in a warm embrace, smiling peacefully (2009)
