Life and Death: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Say you found out you were going to die in a month. How would your behavior change, if at all?

I like this question as a benchmark to determine if you're "living life to the fullest". If you would change most of your daily actions, maybe you aren't living truthfully enough. On the other hand, if you'd change nothing, that's better news!

But neither is realistic; it's a question of what percentage of time you would reallocate and where you'd spend that extra time.

Some things wouldn't change, such as sleeping and eating. In addition, there are likely activities you already do that you'd continue doing.

I know that, given the circumstances, I would keep reading books, working out, writing music, and spending time with family and friends. Honestly, I may be doing more of these.

What about the time-spenders you'd eliminate without a second thought? People may cite their jobs, social media, or getting away from toxic friendships.

This relates to a concept from the practice of Zen. In Zen, there is no fear of death because it's understood that borders between humans and humans, or objects and objects, are illusory.

The universe is all one thing: a single, harmonious flow that humans split into separate chunks for easy understanding.

You can realize this by thinking about polarities. For instance, you cannot have light without darkness since light has no meaning without its opposite. You cannot have an object without space for it to exist.

And you cannot have life without death.

They are fundamentally inseparable. Fully grasping this realization can cause great peace and release you from fearing death (as reported by Zen practitioners). There is no need to fear death when you see that life cannot exist without it. And thus, no need to worry.

I find this comforting, even if the thinking is quite alien. Maybe it can provide you some solace and help you eliminate those time-passers you'd so quickly get rid of if you knew death was a month away.