“An empty conch with its smell of death that whispers in my ear the promise of a life beyond”- Reena Prasad.Every time the word “Death” is spoken out loud, it rumbles with the strength of a thunder in my ear. The sound of the word “Death” is so imposing it makes me deaf, not making me able to hear the negative things of it , but to feel the bright side of death. By the way this word has an impact in me, you might be thinking that I´m petrified of it, on the contrary I´m not threatened by the idea of death. Instead of making me think of all the bad things that come along with death, to hear the word makes me think of all the valuable aspects that can come out of a situation like death. To hear the word “Death” gets me in silence, in an instant state of reflection about life, and how short it is. It is frightening the idea of losing my beloved ones, like family , that topic starts me into tears. What I´m not afraid is about my own death, because I have gotten to a point where I can understand what it represents.
Buddhism and Christianity have both played a significant role in the development of my personal beliefs. I can recognize that Buddhism has been the one that has helped me understand more the topic of death. According to the tibetan buddhist tradition, death is a symbol of the journey of life and it’s precious value. Also they believe that by knowing and understanding the process of death, the suffering of it will vanish, and eventually its acceptance will come. Yet, I don’t believe in rebirth, and that is when it comes Christianity. The main reason why I feel calmed about death is because I consider it to be a journey back home, to the house of angels, a place with unmeasurable love, known as Heaven. I´m in love with angels, and how they work in magical ways to act in the name of God, so the thought of dying makes me think of going to Heaven where there is a celebration because I had the chance of transforming myself into an angel too.
Fear of death can be surpassed by the understanding of it, because we fear what we don´t understand. My life is deeply influenced by a fusion of Buddhism and Christianity, as I don’t believe entirely in everything they proclaim, I have taken the best out of both worlds, to conform my own personal perception of how I see the world. Death is a reminder to me of how relevant it is to live a happy life. When death comes it will be a reward of the meaningful actions you did alive, because the happiness will continue with more joy in Heaven, where there will be no trace of a body , but the print of an existence worth of love.
Michelle Anleu 