“For one who is born, death is certain” - Bhagavad-gita 2.27

A few months ago, a friend of ours started having a minor headache. The day afterwards, it got a lot worse with vomiting and extreme pain. She went into a coma. The doctors diagnosed her with brain cancer. The day after, they operated and found out that the brain was already dead. From perfectly healthy to leaving her body - it was all over in 4 days.

Death is probably one of the most painful and scary experiences in life. We are usually trying to run away from this uncomfortable subject, so much so that we don’t want to talk or even think about it. We are not only afraid of our own death, but more so - we do not want to lose the ones we love. We know that this will break our heart and bring painful separation. But the truth is; we all have a terminal illness, and every second brings us closer to death. And death is the final exam of our life.

In this episode we share the story of our friend, and how she passed this exam through daily activities and decisions that promoted spiritual growth. You’ll hear how the foundation is understanding that we and our loved ones are all spirit souls - part and parcel of the Supreme Soul - and our nature is eternal, wise, and blissful. And we need knowledge and guidance coming from a living spiritual teacher, someone who is above illusions. We speak about how the karmic reactions actually decide how much time we have in this lifetime, and how we can choose to come to terms with death and learn how to prepare for it.

We also look at the importance of a daily mantra meditation practice, something that helps us to transcend this material world even before we actually leave our body. We describe how the whole Vedic system aims at directing people to knowing their constitutional position. It provides a step by step process for gradual purification and different practices according to each person's consciousness.

Highlights:

• (2:47) Coming to understand the truth of your identity is the foundation of knowledge that will cover all aspects of life, including how to leave this world
• (7:53) People that do extreme things in the outdoors often say they do it to “learn about themselves” - but really, they learn only about the limits of the body & mind. The danger is a sense of false self-reliance.
• (10:30) A real life story of our friend that left this world successfully after being diagnosed with brain cancer
• (31:17) We find bliss in spirituality - the real fruit is in knowledge. No need to speculate, you can have real experiences.
• (35:18) Your consciousness determines your future, and what actions you take in this life determines your consciousness.
• (46:12) The gradual advancement of spiritual consciousness is centred around accepting a higher authority
• (59:51) Developing our relationship to the Supreme Soul will transfer us smoothly and safely away from this body and back home to the spiritual world.

Recorded on June 7, 2021. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/21

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