The last lesson of life: Understanding death

Death is the one destination we all share, yet it remains the most feared. No one wishes to die, and the uncertainty surrounding it fills our minds with dread, avoidance, and superstition. Yet ancient Yogis and Saints stood in striking contrast to this fear — they faced death with complete calm and awareness. This profound difference has long fascinated scientists and spiritual seekers alike, drawing them to study the dying process, particularly as experienced by those deeply rooted in spiritual practice.

It is said that Yogis receive an inner knowing when their time approaches. This awareness gives them the precious opportunity to settle unfinished attachments, ensuring that nothing pulls the mind back to the world at the critical moment when the soul departs. Stabilised in soul-consciousness and absorbed in the loving remembrance of the Almighty, the Yogi experiences a gentle numbness beginning at the toes, with the soul gradually rising towards the forehead. The final karmic accounts are dissolved, and the soul — completely detached — feels neither physical pain nor emotional confusion. It simply rises and flies out through the forehead into higher, angelic realms.

This graceful exit is not accidental; it is the fruit of years, sometimes lifetimes, of sincere spiritual effort. For such a soul, death is not a doorway into darkness but a passage into light.

For those without such spiritual preparation, however, the experience is vastly different. At the moment of realisation that time is up, a flood of images rushes in — loved ones, unfinished business, unfulfilled desires, and a lifetime of actions, both good and bad.

Confusion and regret cloud the mind, and in this unsettled state, the soul departs without peace or clarity. The contrast is clear: the more one understands death from a spiritual perspective, the better one can prepare for it.

Many believe death is feared simply because it is unknown. But this overlooks a deeper truth. Every soul has left and entered bodies countless times; the experience of leaving is not truly foreign — it lives within our subconscious.

Death becomes painful primarily because we identify with the body, becoming so attached to it that the soul cannot leave peacefully. Deep emotional bonds, combined with the anguish of “I will never see them again”, intensify karmic ties and make the separation unbearable. This is why spiritual detachment, cultivated throughout life, becomes invaluable at the time of death. Unresolved emotions act like invisible chains, holding the soul back in sorrow even after it has left the body.

When a Yogi loses someone close, there is no grief — only understanding. Rather than weeping, the Yogi meditates and channels vibrations of peace towards the departed soul, helping it move forward quickly and painlessly into the next chapter.

A natural death at the end of a well-lived life carries with it a quiet inner voice: my part here is complete. According to ancient scriptures, death at the end of a full karmic cycle is the only death followed by true liberation.

To reach that state, one must actively renounce negative actions that create karmic bondage — conquering anger, greed, lust, arrogance, fear, and attachment — and choose to live a life of purity, awareness, and grace.

The writer is a popular columnist and a spiritual teacher; Views presented are personal.