Death and mortality

“Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among the followers of Korah who gathered together against the LORD. Instead, he died because of his own sin, and he had no sons.

But if a serious injury results, then you must require a life for a life—

“Depart from me!” Pharaoh said to Moses. “Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die.”

There is life in the path of righteousness, but another path leads to death.

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten.

No longer will a nursing infant live but a few days, or an old man fail to live out his years. For the youth will die at a hundred years, and he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.

The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace,

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

The Gemara challenges: Even if it is certain that the patient will die if he is not treated, nevertheless, there is value in temporal life, i.e., it is preferable for the Jew to live as long as his ailment permits rather than risking a premature death at the hands of a gentile physician. The Gemara explains: We are not concerned with the value of temporal life when there is a possibility of permanent recovery, and therefore it is preferable to receive medical attention from a gentile despite the risk involved.

The Gemara continues: And that which Solomon said: “For a living dog is better than a dead lion” (Ecclesiastes 9:4), is in accordance with that which Rav Yehuda said that Rav said. As Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: What is the meaning of that verse which David said: “Lord, make me to know my end, and the measure of my days, what it is; let me know how short-lived I am” (Psalms 39:5)? It means that David said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, Lord, make me to know my end; in how long will I die? God said to him: It is decreed before Me that I do not reveal the end of the life of flesh and blood. He asked further: And the measure of my days; on what day of the year will I die? He said to him: It is decreed before Me not to reveal the measure of a person’s days. Again he requested: Let me know how short-lived I am; on what day of the week will I die? He said to him: You will die on Shabbat. David requested of God: Let me die on the first day of the week so that the honor of Shabbat will not be tarnished by the pain of death. He said to him: On that day the time of the kingdom of your son Solomon has already arrived, and one kingdom does not overlap with another and subtract from the time allotted to another even a hairbreadth. He said to him: I will cede a day of my life and die on Shabbat eve. God said to him: “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand” (Psalms 84:11); a single day in which you sit and engage in Torah is preferable to Me than the thousand burnt-offerings that your son Solomon will offer before Me on the altar (see I Kings 3:4).

If he was sick for two days and died, this is a quickened death. If he was sick for three days and died, this is a death of rebuke. If he died after being sick for four days, this is a death of reprimand. If one died after a sickness lasting five days, this is the ordinary death of all people.

And that He it is Who giveth death and giveth life

Both for the living and the dead

He it is Who quickeneth and giveth death. When He ordaineth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it is

Narrated Anas: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said," None of you should long for death because of a calamity that had befallen him, and if he cannot, but long for death, then he should say, 'O Allah! Let me live as long as life is better for me, and take my life if death is better for me

Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "None of you should wish for death because of a calamity befalling him; but if he has to wish for death, he should say: "O Allah! Keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and let me die if death is better for me

Narrated Ibn ʿAbbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever disapproves of something done by his ruler then he should be patient, for whoever disobeys the ruler even a little (little = a span) will die as those who died in the Pre-Islamic Period of Ignorance. (i.e. as rebellious Sinners) Narrated Ibn ʿAbbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever notices something which he dislikes done by his ruler, then he should be patient, for whoever becomes separate from the company of the Muslims even for a span and then dies, he will die as those who died in the Pre-Islamic period of Ignorance (as rebellious sinners). (Fath-ul-Bari page 112, Vol)

It is named the Unmanifest, the Unthinkable, and the immutable. Therefore, knowing the Spirit as such, you have no cause to grieve. Even if thou thinkest of it as constantly being born and constantly dying, O Mighty Man, thou still hast no cause to grieve. For death is certain for that which is born, just as birth is certain for that which is dead. Therefore, do not grieve for what is inevitable. The end and beginning of beings are unknown; we only see the intervening formations. So, what is there to grieve about?

The ignorant do not see that it is He who is present in life and departs at death, or even that it is He who enjoys pleasure through the qualities. Only the eye of wisdom sees this.

It was not born; it will never die, nor, once having been, can it cease to exist. Unborn, eternal, ever-enduring, yet most ancient, the spirit does not die when the body is dead.

Nachiketas said: O Death, these are fleeting; they weaken the vigour of all the senses in man. Even the longest life is short. Keep thou thy chariots, dance and music.

This Self is never born, nor does It die. It did not spring from anything, nor did anything spring from It. This Ancient One is unborn, eternal, everlasting. It is not slain even though the body is slain. If the slayer thinks that he slays, or if the slain thinks that he is slain, both of these know not. For It neither slays nor is It slain. The Self is subtler than the subtle, greater than the great; It dwells in the heart of each living being. He who is free from desire and free from grief, with mind and senses tranquil, beholds the glory of the Atman.

If one knows It here, that is Truth; if one knows It not here, then great is his loss. The wise seeing the same Self in all beings, being liberated from this world, become immortal.

Heedfulness is the state free of death; heedlessness is the state of death. The heedful do not die, while the heedless are like the dead.

This body is decrepit and frail, a nest of disease. This foul carcass falls apart, for life ends in death.

For one who consorts with fools grieves long. Painful is living with fools, like being stuck with your enemy. Happy is living with an attentive one, like meeting with your kin.

the perception of death …

the perception of death …

“Take some woman or man who kills living creatures. They’re violent, bloody-handed, a hardened killer, merciless to living beings. Because of undertaking such deeds, when their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. If they’re not reborn in a place of loss, but return to the human realm, then wherever they’re reborn they’re short-lived. For killing living creatures is the path leading to a short lifespan.

Wealth is temporary; conscious existence is temporary; hopes of all sorts are temporary. The bonds of love, attachment, egotism, doubt, Maya and the pollution of corruption are temporary. The mortal passes through the fire of the womb of reincarnation countless times. He does not remember the Lord in meditation; his understanding is polluted. O Lord of the Universe, when You grant Your Grace, even sinners are saved. Nanak dwells in the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. ||16||

No one lives long enough to accomplish all he wishes. Only the spiritually wise live forever; they are honored for their intuitive awareness. Bit by bit, life passes away, even though the mortal tries to hold it back. O Nanak, unto whom should we complain? Death takes one's life away without anyone's consent. ||31||

Bhairao, First Mehl: The eyes lose their sight, and the body withers away; old age overtakes the mortal, and death hangs over his head. Beauty, loving attachment and the pleasures of life are not permanent. How can anyone escape from the noose of death? ||1||

Man at his birth is supple and weak; at his death, firm and strong. (So it is with) all things. Trees and plants, in their early growth, are soft and brittle; at their death, dry and withered. Thus it is that firmness and strength are the concomitants of death; softness and weakness, the concomitants of life. Hence he who (relies on) the strength of his forces does not conquer; and a tree which is strong will fill the outstretched arms, (and thereby invites the feller.) Therefore the place of what is firm and strong is below, and that of what is soft and weak is above.

The people suffer from famine because of the multitude of taxes consumed by their superiors. It is through this that they suffer famine. The people are difficult to govern because of the (excessive) agency of their superiors (in governing them). It is through this that they are difficult to govern. The people make light of dying because of the greatness of their labours in seeking for the means of living. It is this which makes them think light of dying. Thus it is that to leave the subject of living altogether out of view is better than to set a high value on it.

The things which from of old have got the One (the Tao) are— Heaven which by it is bright and pure; / Earth rendered thereby firm and sure; / Spirits with powers by it supplied; / Valleys kept full throughout their void / All creatures which through it do live / Princes and kings who from it get / The model which to all they give. All these are the results of the One (Tao). If heaven were not thus pure, it soon would rend; / If earth were not thus sure, ’twould break and bend; / Without these powers, the spirits soon would fail; / If not so filled, the drought would parch each vale; / Without that life, creatures would pass away; / Princes and kings, without that moral sway, / However grand and high, would all decay. Thus it is that dignity finds its (firm) root in its (previous) meanness, and what is lofty finds its stability in the lowness (from which it rises). Hence princes and kings call themselves “Orphans,” “Men of small virtue,” and as “Carriages without a nave.” Is not this an acknowledgement that in their considering themselves mean they see the foundation of their dignity? So it is that in the enumeration of the different parts of a carriage we do not come on what makes it answer the ends of a carriage. They do not wish to show themselves elegant-looking as jade, but (prefer) to be coarse-looking as an (ordinary) stone.