The Final Lesson

“Because the living being is eternal, he can be happy only in the eternal abode of the kingdom of God (paravyoma), from which no one returns to this region of repeated birth and death, disease and old age. Therefore, any comfort of life or any material happiness which does not warrant an eternal life is but illusion for the eternal living being. One who understands this factually is learned, and such a learned person can sacrifice any amount of material happiness to achieve the desired goal known as brahma-sukham, or absolute happiness.” (SB 1.13.17)

At the conclusion of Canto One, Maharaja Pariksit posed a question to Sukadeva Goswami, upon which the entire Srimad-Bhagavatam is based: “What is the duty of a person in life in all circumstances? And that of a person who is about to die?” In essence, the thoughtful King asked the great sage how one should live in this world and how one should leave this world. Thus, in practically every Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam we find detailed accounts of how great personalities depart from this world. The final lesson of their life edifies us in how to face the inevitability of death with grace, detachment and immaculate spiritual consciousness. While leaving the world, these great personalities leave behind profound teachings and an inspiring example to follow.

In the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna explains how a person’s thoughts at the time of death sum up their consciousness and aspirations cultivated throughout life. Thus, one’s state of mind at the critical moment of departure determines the next life situation. Those who remember God at death reach the kingdom of God. Think about someone who spends decades at school, but because of laziness, inattention and apathy, fails the final exam. They must start all over again. In the same way, the success of our life is measured by how well we perform in the final exam known as death. How we perform in the final exam is dependent on how we diligently prepare ourselves during the course of life.

Though some may consider it morbid to contemplate death, it remains an inconvenient reality that nobody wants to experience but that everyone will encounter. As a young monk, I remember enthusiastically volunteering to attend funeral programmes whenever the opportunity arose. For me, they were a reality check, a confirmation and an impetus to dig deeper. Even today, sages cover themselves in ashes and meditate in front of flower-decked funeral pyres to bolster their spiritual urgency. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, described death as “life’s most effective change-agent,” and while addressing thousands of Stanford Unversity graduates, he famously commented: “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”