Few hours ago I saw the plate tag on a car : “At the hospice every day is a gift.” And I’ve asked myself : why necessarily in the hospice? We start to realize that we are mortal only when the death is approaching. Why every day should be a gift only for terminal ill? Every day is a gift for healthy person as well. But how often do we remember to appreciate this gift?
Memento mori. … was written probably not to scary us but to remind about that every second of our life is a divine gift. One of buddist meditation is on death, mediation on impermanence and mortality. Why would one want to think about own death? I guess that the initial purpose was not to get gloomed and doomed, but to make our life more joyful and full. In the modern culture the word “death” had become so frightening that it is barely talked about, but in the hospice.
Just imagine…if that memento mori were the part of our culture and we would truly comprehend that we are mortal and every day is a gift. Would one waste a time for watching multiple senseless TV shows? Would one waste the divine gift to engage in gossips and bad wording? Would one treat the loved ones badly sometimes just because there is the whole life ahead and there will be plenty of time to praise and appreciate these loved ones? Noine would do these things if there is only few days left…but the thing is that we never know which day would be the last one for us or for those we quarrel with…
Religions want to remind us of death just because they want you to afraid and live more pure and sinless life, since the judgment day is to come, or the karma will return and strike the sinner in the next life. Interesting, that the desire to be a nice person comes out of fear. Well…let’s put it this way: How can one live a joyful life out of fear? Would it be more permanent if the desire for better life would arise from understanding and appreciation of every day as a gift?