Reflection on Death: A Means of Self-Correction

Reflection on Death: A Means of Self-Correction enter Paradise, they will say: “Praise be to God who has taken away all sorrow from us.” (35:34). A life of pain is the most intolerable thing for a human being. A life free of pain is the most desirable thing for a person. If we reflect on this matter with the attention it deserves, death will become our greatest concern. We will think more about death than about life. The realization that we all have to die can work as a ‘masterstroke’. In the game of caroms, a ‘masterstroke’ is a stroke that causes all the coins on the board to shift from their present position. In the same way, if we develop the awareness of our eventual death, every corner of our minds will be shaken up. Our whole life will be completely transformed. A revolution will happen in our lives that will make us totally new people. Ignoring the reality of our death makes us unaware of our own reality. In contrast, remembrance of our death makes us fully aware and alert. Awareness of death makes a person very serious about life. The greatest concern for such a person becomes to realize who he is and what his future is. “What is my life?” he asks. “What is my death? What do I need to do in the phase of life before death? What is going to happen with me in the phase after death?” Remembrance of death makes a person serious about the affairs of life. He begins to take stock of his life at every moment. If a person seriously thinks about death, it would change the entire focus of his life. His life would become Hereafter-oriented from being solely present world-oriented.