The cycle of life

[knightofalbion]

When you walk through a forest that has not been tamed and interfefed with by man, you will see not only abundant life all around you, but you will also encounter fallen trees and decaying trunks, rotting leaves and decomposing matter at every step. Wherever you look, you will find death as well as life.

Upon closer scrutiny, however, you will discover that the decomposing tree trunk and rotting leaves not only give birth to new life, but are full of life themselves. Microorganisms are at work. Molecules are rearranging themselves. So death isn't to be found anywhere. Thnere is only the metamorphosis of life forms. What can you learn from this?

Death is not the opposite of life. Life has no opposite. The opposite of death is birth. Life is eternal

• Eckhart Tolle (From 'Stillness Speaks')
  

Life is a school. We incarnate on earth to learn and to advance the soul.
Death is, quite simply, 'going home'.

Do not be afraid of death. There is nothing to fear.

For anyone in need of comfort and reassurance, or those in search of knowledge on the topic of survival of the spirit, I recommend the following books:

On Death and Dying by Dr Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Glimpses of Eternity by Dr Raymond Moody
The Art of Dying by Dr Peter Fenwick and Elizabeth Fenwick

For the more enquiring mind, I would also highly recommend a classic of British spiritualist literature 'The Golden Key' by Percy Welsford.

"Why have most of those who went through a near-death experience lost their fear of death? Reflect upon this"

• Eckhart Tolle

[knightofalbion]

Sunset, sunrise: There is no death, life is a continuum.

[knightofalbion]

Near-death experiences: Many of the patients have spoken of the peace they experienced; beautiful, indescribable peace - no pain, no anxiety. They tell us that all that matters is how much you have loved, how much you have cared and if you know these things, then you cannot possibly be afraid of death - Dr Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

[knightofalbion]

Pre-death experience:

'Suddenly my gran sat up in bed and smiled. She said, "I'm going now and here's Dad and George come to meet me." She then died, still with this big smile on her face.
My mother never forgot it.'

(From 'The Art of Dying')

[wahwahwah]

I always like the one about life being like a bird flying through one window, across a room lit by a fire then out the other side back into the darkness.

[knightofalbion]

Pre-death experience:

'My uncle served in the First World War and experienced the horrors of the Somme, which lived with him for the rest of his life. He had led a group of men, returned with only three survivors and was badly wounded himself.
He was awarded the Military Cross.
It was around thirty years ago, when he was dying of cancer, that the following event took place.
During his illness my mother cared for him at home and I remember one evening we were sitting one evening talking quietly. He was too ill to contribute much to the conversation, but liked to hear us chatting, when suddenly he leaned forward and stared across the room. He became very animated and looked very happy as he began to talk to people he could obviously see, but we couldn't. He was calling each by name and asking how they were and how wonderful it was to see them. It became apparent from what he was saying that they were some of the men who had served with him at the Somme and had died there. There was a look of wonderment on his face and he forgot his pain.
I will never forget that night and though I could not see his friends, I have no doubt that they were there.
I didn't see him conscious again and he died a couple of days later.'

(From 'The Art of Dying')

[knightofalbion]

Pre-death experience:

'My mother's face lit up with joy. She smiled the most marvellous smile. She seemed to 'come alive'.
She suddenly sat up in bed, her arms out towards someone, with a great look of happiness and then after a pause sank back on the pillow and died not long after.'

(From 'The Art of Dying')

[Bloodyhellthathurts]

That sounds beautiful wahwahwah, can you point me towards a version of it?

[suzikettles]

Dh's gran died last night. On my way to work today I suddenly remembered a story she told us about his grandpa who, during the war before they were married, got unexpected leave and was waiting to surprise her, sitting on the wall outside her work, and what an amazing reunion it was.

And I suddenly just felt sure that this time he'd been waiting too, 21 years of a wait, but definitely there to surprise her.

[wahwahwah]

bdsermons.blogspot.com/2010/05/whence-and-whither-night-birds-flight.html

I can't find the thing I was thinking of but he mentions it he isn't he first few lines. I thought it was a Norse thing. I will have a think - sure it willow to me! I remember learning it at primary school about the time we did Beowulf.

[wahwahwah]

bdsermons.blogspot.com/2010/05/whence-and-whither-night-birds-flight.html

[wahwahwah]

'in the first few lines...' autocorrect!!!

[Bloodyhellthathurts]

Thanks so much, I've been searching the internet but couldn't find anything like it (apart from a blog where someone else it also looking for it!). If it does come back to you, would you please let me know? My mum's terminally ill and I will be looking for something that isn't one of the usual readings to use at her funeral. Thanks again

[suzikettles]

It was the Venerable Bede who refered to Anglo Saxon beliefs in this way:

?The present life of man upon earth, O King, seems to me in
comparison with that time which is unknown to us like the
swift flight of a sparrow through mead-hall where you sit
at supper in winter, with your Ealdormen and thanes,
while the fire blazes in the midst and the hall is warmed,
but the wintry storms of rain or snow are raging abroad.
The sparrow, flying in at one door and immediately out
at another, whilst he is within, is safe from the wintry
tempest, but after a short space of fair weather, he im-
mediately vanishes out of your sight, passing from winter
to winter again. So this life of man appears for a
little while, but of what is to follow or what went before
we know nothing at all. If, therefore, this new doctrine
tells us something more certain, it seems
justly to be followed in our kingdom.?

From here

[wahwahwah]

That's it! Sorry about your mum, BloodyHell. I have been there and you have my best wishes.

[WelshCerys]

BloodyHell - how are things? Very sorry about your Mum. I've also been there. Look after yourself. I bet you're a tower of strength to your dear Mum. Look after that tower.

Knight - you're posting some inspirational stuff here - thanks.

[knightofalbion]

Anita Moorjani 'died' on Feb. 2nd 2006....but managed to return to give us the most compelling, comforting and thought-provoking accounts of NDE you'll ever come across.

www.anitamoorjani.com/?_id=159

[knightofalbion]

Mother darling, you never could, even in your darkest moments of despair, wish us back, could you see us here in this beautiful place - Percy Welsford

Never be afraid of death, it is the gift of life. Never grieve for us, we are not dead. We live a life of beauty and happiness. Life on earth is like living in a valley; life over here is like being transported to the mountain top where the great vision of life is laid before one - Percy Welsford

(From 'The Golden Key')

[knightofalbion]

To die will be an awfully big adventure - J. M. Barrie

[knightofalbion]

Mum smiled at me and I held her hand. I looked at her and saw all the pain and age disappear from her face. Then she closed her eyes. I thought about getting a nurse to check on her, but with her eyes still closed Mum clenched my hand again and said, "Stay. They're here."
I knew that this would be the last time I would be with my mum when she was alive. She looked so beautiful. I bent over and kissed her forehead. She let out a long sigh and I believe that was the moment she passed over.
I waited for a few moments before getting the nurses. This was a sacred and precious moment and I never wanted to forget it
(From 'An Angel Saved Me' by Theresa Cheung)

[knightofalbion]

A twelve-year-old child who came back from a near-death-experience decided not to tell her mother that 'dying' in a car accident was a beautiful experience. She didn't want to hurt her mother's feelings by telling her that she had been happy in a place greater than her home.
She had a need to talk about it, though, so she told her father that dying was a beautiful experience and she had not wanted to come back. In fact, not only was it an experience of light and openheartedness, she had been amazed to meet with someone who said he was her brother, who told her she was going to be fine. "He loved me so much", she said, "and he loved you and Mom, too. How could I have seen someone who said he was my brother? I don't have a brother."
Her father began to cry. "You did have a brother, but he died before you were born," her dad said. "We wanted to tell you when you were older."
(From 'On Grief and Grieving' by Dr Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler)

[knightofalbion]

'My mother had a stroke. We had a nurse to sit with her. Next morning the nurse said she had seen the figure of a girl come and stand at the foot of mother's bed at 3 a.m.
She asked what was the matter. The figure replied "I've just come for my mother" and disappeared.
The next night mother died - at 3 a.m.
Later the nurse saw a photograph of my dead sister. "That was the girl who was at the bedside", she said.
(From 'Life After Death' by Neville Randall)

[knightofalbion]

When I come to your world I am like a bird that is imprisoned within a cage and when I leave it I am like bird joyfully released to wing its way through boundless space. What you call death is the opening of the cage and the release of the bird from its prison - Silver Birch

[knightofalbion]

"What happens after death is so unspeakably glorious that our imaginations and our feelings do not suffice to form even an approximate conception of it..."

• The famous psychotherapist Carl Jung speaking six months after he underwent a NDE.

[Flimflammery]

I was the only person with my mother when she died. It was traumatic for me, even though I'm very glad I was there with her. It was not a beautiful experience, but I believe it was a release. A few hours after she died I was going into the flat I was renting for a week, and met the next-door neighbours for the first time as they were coming in too - with their baby daughter who had been born that day. It was extraordinary. The cycle of life, yes.

[sh77]

Thank you for sharing these beautiful passages.

I do hope my daughter comes for me.