The Cycle Of Life

K

Knightofalbion

Senior Member
Location
Glastonbury, England
When you walk through a forest that has not been tamed and interfered with by man, you will see not only abundant life all around you, but you will also encounter fallen trees and decaying trunks, rotting leaves and decomposing matter at every step. Wherever you look, you will find death as well as life.

Upon closer scrutiny, however, you will discover that the decomposing tree trunk and rotting leaves not only give birth to new life, but are full of life themselves. Microorganisms are at work. Molecules are rearranging themselves. So death isn't to be found anywhere. There is only the metamorphosis of life forms. What can you learn from this?

Death is not the opposite of life. Life has no opposite. The opposite of death is birth. Life is eternal.

- Eckhart Tolle (From 'Stillness Speaks')

Life is a school. We incarnate on earth to learn (through experience) and to advance the soul.
Death is, quite simply, 'going home'.

Do not be afraid of death. There is nothing to fear.

For anyone in need of comfort and reassurance, or those in search of further knowledge on the topic of survival of the spirit, I recommend the following books:

'On Death and Dying' by Dr Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
'Glimpses of Eternity' by Dr Raymond Moody
'The Art of Dying' by Dr Peter Fenwick and Elizabeth Fenwick

For those of a more enquiring mind, I would also recommend 'The Golden Key' by Percy Welsford, a classic of British Spiritualist literature.

"Why have most of those who went through a near-death experience lost their fear of death?
Reflect upon this"
- Eckhart Tolle
 

'When I come to your world I am like a bird that is imprisoned within a cage and when I leave it I am like a bird joyfully released to wing its way though boundless space.
What you call death is the opening of the cage and the release of the bird from its prison'
- Silver Birch
 
'Suddenly my Gran sat up in bed and smiled. She said, "I'm going now and here's Dad and George come to meet me"
She then died, still with this big smile on her face.
My mother never forgot it.'

- (From 'The Art of Dying')
 
'My uncle served in the First World War and experienced the horrors of the Somme, which lived with him for the rest of his life.
He had led a group of men, returned with only three survivors and was badly wounded himself.
He was awarded the Military Cross.

It was about thirty years ago, when he was dying of cancer, that the following event took place.

During his illness my mother cared for him at home, and Iremember one evening we were sitting with him talking quietly. He was too ill to contribute much to the conversation, but liked to hear us chatting, when suddenly he leaned forward and stared across the room.
He became very animated and looked very happy as he began to talk to people he could obviously see but we couldn't.
He was calling each by name and asking how they were and how wonderful it was to see them.

It became apparent from what he was saying that they served with him at the Somme and had died there.
There was a look of wonderment on his face and he forgot his pain.

I will never forget that night and though I could not see his friends, I have no doubt that they were there.
I didn't see him conscious again and he died a couple of days later.'

- (From 'The Art of Dying')
 
'My mother's face lit up with joy. She smiled the most marvellous smile. She seemed to come alive.
She suddenly sat up, her arms out towards someone with a great look of happiness and then after a pause sank back on the pillow and died not long after'

(From 'The Art of Dying')
 
'Many of the patients have spoken of the peace they experienced, beautiful, indescribable peace - no pain, no anxiety. They tell us that all that matters is how much you have loved, how much you have cared and if you know these things then you cannot possibly be afraid of death'
- Dr Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
 
(Valerie Feasby-Quigley nursed her father at home while he was dying of lung cancer. About two weeks before his death he started to tell her about the various dead family members who had been to visit him and whom he could see and talk to. She assumed that these 'visits' were due to the drugs he was on.)

'On a couple of occasions when I heard him talking, I thought he was calling me. When I went to his room to ask what he wanted, he would say, "Nothing, I was talking to your mum." On the day he died....he said, "Look, there's your mum and David [her brother], they've come again. I think I'll go now".
I thought he meant he wanted to go to sleep, so I said, "OK Dad, just lie back and close your eyes - you can go to sleep now."
I held his hand, he lay back on the pillow, still looking at the wall opposite, and just sighed a deep breath and passed away.
I put all this down to the medication he was on.
When I cleaned his room after the funeral I found the tablets that I had been giving him, and I thought he was taking, under the bed. He had not taken any of his medication. It then dawned on me that he was not hallucinating, he must really have see my mother and brother, and they met him to help him on his journey'

- From 'The Art of Dying' by Dr Peter Fenwick and Elizabeth Fenwick
 
My husband (Steve) has had Diabetes for30yrs, other than that he's always been very fit etc.
5 years ago he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, the accepted average survival rate is
at 5yrs.
Three years ago, after his 3rd round of radiation, he developed pneumonia and was put on life support
and was in intensive care for 3 mnths, initially, I was warned that there was very little hope.
However, this week the oncologist expressed his amazement at how well Steve is doing,and that
maybe he'd be around for another 5, we have a very open and honest relationship with this Dr.
and altho Steve looks and is very frail,(he's only 64) I think the Dr is right and the articles you've introduced me to
make me feel much better about our future:love_heart:
 
Gosh!

I can surely sympathize with all that you have been going through........that is such a looong time , of "going through it" for you ! :concern: How are you holding up, as the "care giver" in this situation? I always tell people who have "a lot on their plate".....to remember what they tell us on the airplane..."give yourself oxygen first"....so we can have it to keep giving......and we can never be " miserable enough" to make anything better for them.....so take care....Dear? I see our "Knight in Shining Armor" is being helpful? :D Hope you are having a good day! I can also see that you are " learning the ropes" on the forum ! GOOD JOB, Maggis!! ;)
 
Knightofalbion said:
Remember your magnificence!

One of the most remarkable NDEs you'll ever hear about...
http://www.anitamoorjani.com/?page_id=159
Click to expand...

Hi Knight!:eek:


I will look into this one, as I have always had an interest in NDEs....Did you ever read "EMBRACED BY THE LIGHT", by Betty Eadie? I loved her amazing story!:)
I actually took a little "elective" course, while attending college, called "DEATH AND DYING". I guess the main thing that I " took away" from this course was that there is NOTHING TO FEAR about death....it will confront every single person on earth, at some point.... usually several times....(via losing those we love etc.) then, finally, it will be "our time to go"....the course made it all seem "SO NATURAL"....as you have described....like it is just a "natural part of life" for every man/woman. Some cultures actually celebrate ...rather than mourn it, as it is a time of "graduation" from this level to the next. Sometimes, when I look at how things are in this old world, I do wonder if we have it backward....i.e. maybe we should be mourning a birth and celebrating a death? :rolleyes:

I do think that you have exceed the limits of what is known as "chit chat", though? You could actually earn a Doctorate with your "discertation" !!! :DLOL! I'm still wondering how one becomes a KNIGHT? So, if you have time....?
 
maggis said:
My husband (Steve) has had Diabetes for30yrs, other than that he's always been very fit etc.
5 years ago he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, the accepted average survival rate is
at 5yrs.
Three years ago, after his 3rd round of radiation, he developed pneumonia and was put on life support
and was in intensive care for 3 mnths, initially, I was warned that there was very little hope.
However, this week the oncologist expressed his amazement at how well Steve is doing,and that
maybe he'd be around for another 5, we have a very open and honest relationship with this Dr.
and altho Steve looks and is very frail,(he's only 64) I think the Dr is right and the articles you've introduced me to
make me feel much better about our future:love_heart:
Click to expand...

Sending positive thoughts and prayers you way Maggis, hoping for the best for your hubby, and wishing you the strength to stay positive and healthy yourself. :love_heart:
 
Thanks so much for all your goodwill, I didn't realise that
so many people would read it and I didn't mean to imply that
i'm miserable as I'm not, things could be a lot worse and there are millions
in dire circumstances.
I told a lie, I am a bit down at the mo', I found one of my 2 cats behind
the shed on Sat morning, He was fine the night before so am guessing
that it may have been a heart attack, he was 12 and in good health ( so I thought):(
We''ll miss him very much and we still have his twin brother and our much loved dog to lavish
with attention
 
maggis said:
Thanks so much for all your goodwill, I didn't realise that
so many people would read it and I didn't mean to imply that
i'm miserable as I'm not, things could be a lot worse and there are millions
in dire circumstances.
I told a lie, I am a bit down at the mo', I found one of my 2 cats behind
the shed on Sat morning, He was fine the night before so am guessing
that it may have been a heart attack, he was 12 and in good health ( so I thought):(
We''ll miss him very much and we still have his twin brother and our much loved dog to lavish
with attention
Click to expand...

Dear Maggis, you in no way implied that you were miserable, and you are in a situation that merits serious concern. My deepest sympathy for the loss of your cat, after a twelve year relationship, it's not to be taken lightly. I have lost pets myself, and they truly leave a hollow in our hearts. Wonderful that you have a twin brother to keep on loving, and of course your dog. :love_heart: You have a lot going on right now, my thoughts are with you. (((hugs)))
 
The kindest way of accepting death of our loved ones, in my opinion is just to think of them going back home after a nice vacation! There is no reason to fear!
 
Rainbow Bridge' is nice place to imagine and Ginger, the storms around where I
live were really not so bad compared to other places
I think what most of us worry about is the really hot weather on the way and
the ever present arsenists around.
 
Knightofalbion said:
"It's very beautiful over there"

- Last words of Thomas Edison
Click to expand...

He no doubt was facetiously referring to Tesla's apartment in New York City, a bare, squalid room where Tesla died alone and lonely after proving the superiority of alternating over direct current (Edison's favorite).

I'm sorry, but Edison was a jerk. It figures that he would die in an exclusive, hoity-toity community attended by his physician and loved ones after a life of stealing other people's work. Besides, this attribution is said to have occured several days before his death and were not exactly his very last words.

This was Edison's home where he died...
 

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maggis said:
Rainbow Bridge' is nice place to imagine and Ginger, the storms around where I
live were really not so bad compared to other places
I think what most of us worry about is the really hot weather on the way and
the ever present arsenists around.
Click to expand...

Hi Maggis! :D

I was just thinking about you in Australia....and isn't it almost summer there? That is such a nice thought!:eek:
 
SifuPhil said:
Besides, this attribution is said to have occured several days before his death and were not exactly his very last words.
Click to expand...

He was gravely ill at the time, he awoke from a comatose state, expressed that statement, then shortly after lapsed into a coma again from which he did not regain consciousness, so they were his last words.
 
Never be afraid of death; it is the gift of life. Never grieve for us, we are not dead. We live a life of beauty and happiness.
Life on earth is like living in a valley; life over here is like being transported to the mountain top where the great vision of life is laid before one

- Percy Welsford (From 'The Golden Key')
 

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