Life is a combination of Certainty & Uncertainty

One definite thing in life is that everyone is will die one day. No one can escape this reality. The only difference is that some people may die a little sooner and some a little later. The doctor dies, as well as the patient. The king dies, as well as the servant. This is a place where everyone dies.

- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

No one knows how or when he/she will die. If you look at the situation in the third world countries, people live in extremely unstable conditions. They are never sure how close they are to death. There may be a flood, or famine, or even an epidemic. Monsoons may destroy their homes and the entire family can be uprooted. Still, these people are able to smile and enjoy the life that they have.

The quality of our life is very important. The intensity, with which we live every moment, is essential. Sickness has nothing to do with death. It is the fear associated with having a disease that disturbs and weakens one’s whole system. Our fears are of the future, which is yet to come. We just sit and think, “Oh! What will happen? What will happen?” Finally you will die! This is what is going to happen! So much anxiety about the future! The mind gets into such a mess that it is unable to see the presence that is all around.

The mind totally forgets the Divine. Me! Mine! What about tomorrow? The next day? The day after? Next year? Ten years later? A clear mind, free of fear can have a healing effect on the body. So, how do we get over this fear?

First is Observation: observe this fear. When fear comes, what happens? A sensation arises in the region of the chest. Observe this sensation and go deeper into it. You see every emotion in the mind creates a corresponding sensation in the body. When you observe sensations, emotions are transformed as sensations in the body and then they disappear. The sensations are released and the mind becomes clear.