We'll be discussing the teachings of Stoicism and Taoism on how to approach life and death with contentment and equanimity.

Stoicism teaches us to let go of our desires and focus on living each day as if it were a complete life. This means accepting our fate, including the inevitability of death, and approaching it with gladness rather than sadness. By accepting our circumstances and aligning our desires with them, we can avoid bitterness and unhappiness that come from resisting what we cannot change.

The importance of living without resentment or unwillingness, even when circumstances demand something of us that we might not otherwise choose. By doing so willingly, we can avoid unhappiness and bitterness that come from resisting what we cannot change.

Our ability to live well depends not on the length of our lives, but on the quality of our minds. By cultivating a calm and virtuous mind, we can find contentment in life and face death with equanimity.

From a Taoist point of view, the key to happiness is focusing on the present and living each day as a complete life, rather than constantly seeking more or desiring what we cannot have. The ideal of dying well is also emphasised, which echoes the Taoist belief in accepting the natural flow of life and death without fear or resistance.

To die well means dying gladly, as Seneca, a Stoic philosopher, writes; It means ceasing to desire what we desired when we were younger and focusing on putting an end to our chronic ills. Seneca writes that he tries to live every day as if it were a complete life, not snatching it up as if it were his last, but regarding it as if it might even be his last.

The key to dying well is to never do anything unwillingly, according to Seneca. One who takes their orders gladly escapes the bitterest part of slavery, doing what one does not want to do. To do something under orders is not unhappy, but one is unhappy who does something against their will. Therefore we must set our minds in order to desire whatever is demanded of us by circumstances, and reflect upon our end without sadness.

To have lived long enough depends neither upon our years nor upon our days, but upon our minds. Seneca writes that he has lived long enough and has had his fill; he awaits death.

In conclusion, the teachings of Stoicism and Taoism encourage us to find contentment and fulfilment in the present moment, rather than constantly striving for more or worrying about the future. By accepting our fate and aligning our desires with it, we can approach life and death with equanimity and die gladly.

How to Live & Die ?