Ross on the Moral Baseline

Metaphysics and Death

Hello Friend,

Welcome to this metaphysics and death issue of the Metaphysical Mind Ezine. In this issue I would like to explore the extremely important topic of death from a metaphysical perspective. As you will see, truly knowing about death is what makes life worth living and will be valuable in living a fulfilling life.

This “metaphysics and death” ezine issue will be organized as follows: 1. Metaphysics and Death Quotes 2. Death the Equaliser 3. Death and Fearfulness – What Does Death Mean to You?

1. Metaphysics and Death Quotes

“The fear of death is the most unjustified of all fears, for there’s no risk of accident for someone who’s dead.” — Albert Einstein

“Have the courage to live. Anyone can die.” — Robert Cody

“While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die.” — Leonardo da Vinci

“Death does not concern us, because as long as we exist, death is not here. And when it does come, we no longer exist.” — Epicurus

2. Death the Equaliser

YANG CHU said:

“That in which all beings differ is life, that in which they are all alike is death.

“During life there is the difference of intelligence and dullness, honour and meanness, but in death there is the equality of rottenness and putrefaction. Neither can be prevented. Although intelligenceand dullness, honour and meanness exist, no human power can affect them, just as rottenness and putrefaction cannot be prevented. Human beings cannot make life and death, intelligence and stupidity, honourableness and meanness, what they are, for all beings live and die equally, are equally wise and stupid, honourable and mean.

“Some die at the age of ten, some at one hundred. The wise and benevolent die as the cruel and imbecile.

“In life they are known as Yao and Shun; dead they are so many bones which cannot be distinguished. But if we hasten to enjoy our life, we have no time to trouble about what comes after death.”

Source of these metaphysics and death sayings: Chapter IV of

Yang Chu was a philosopher of the classic age of Chinese thought who probably lived in the 300’s B.C.E..

3. Death and Fearfulness – What Does Death Mean to You?

For most people, those with deep seated religious backgrounds, long held traditions, culture and deep-rooted beliefs, a lot of them believe that death is not the end of everything. Most beliefs assure us that there is life after death and we must not fear. However, though this may be a given fact to us since we can remember, and though there may have been a lot of beliefs or religious opinions about it, when faced with a dreadful end, an individual succumbs to it with great fear. Aristotle may have put it better with his words: “death is the most terrible of all things, because it is the end.”

Fear of Nonexistence

The thing that everybody knows but nobody really talks about. But though how much we evade this unavoidable conclusion, time forces us to think about what death really means to us. Since we all know that we will have to face it, when time comes.

Reading about this may even start to frighten you off, but all of us must be able to understand that in order to live our life to the fullest, we must discern how little time is given to us.

The Unavoidable Enemy

An average person lives only until 60 to 70 years. One person dies every 100 seconds. One person is being killed in every 60 seconds. And one person commits suicide every 40 seconds. In a matter of seconds, a person can put a stop to other people’s life or his own. These may be just numbers or statistics but what it shows is far more reaching than what we are ready to accept.

Most people tend to realize life’s importance only when he or she is about to lose it. We all hear of cancer survivors, people with terminal illnesses who only started to live a life, after being informed that they are nearing death.

Though it is good that they found the essence of living, despite knowing that their time left is but a few, it is interesting to note that people are becoming generous, kind, more loving, gentle and understanding, when they are dying. Why?

Death is something that we can’t escape no matter how we truly want to avoid it as much as we can. But for some reasons, death brings the best in human nature. Death gets rid of the human superficial surface and shows what the “real human nature” is.

I suppose you will agree but I am saying this in general, that no dying person would want to spend his last days hurting others, betraying friends, telling lies, stealing or doing something despiteful around him. Instead he may want to spend his last days giving his family and friends good memories that he knows they will remember, even when he’s gone.

Being human is really a very complex affair, however, when death comes, everything seems to be simple: You want to share love, give love, live in happiness and be with God. We can be simple and complex. Though we cannot opt out of death, we can choose the life we want.

Casey Harolds is a freelance writer and online enthusiast. She frequently writes about a variety of topics about life and relationships. You can also find her writings in an online magazine, The Obit Mag. You can also join the community.

Death is what allows us to go back to experiencing our full connection with the Source. In other words, without death we would not be able to have the human experience.

Death is a great thing!