Life after Death in Tao
The Concept of Death in the Philosophy of Tao
It is raining. You stand in front of a pyre, the heat from the flames blow in waves upon your skin as stray droplets splash upon your cheeks. There is a resounding sound of gongs and eerie indecipherable chanting fills the air. You are now witnessing a Tao funeral.
“Those who die without being forgotten get longevity.”—Tao Te Ching, chapter 33
In the previous post, we discussed some aspects of Tao and what followers should do in order to begin the journey on their personal path. Tao is not an easy subject to discuss because it covers a broad spectrum of subjects from dealing with one’s own life and how one reacts to the surroundings. However, there is one topic that is very important in Tao and is also significant in many other religions—the idea of death.
Death as a concept in the West seems taboo. Many do not wish to speak of it for fear of beckoning it closer, but the mistake in there is that they fear it, instead of understanding that at some point, everything has a beginning and an end. It is an inevitable conclusion to the life of man and must be accepted as the destiny of all those who are born.
In Tao, it is described as shijie or the release from the corpse, but it is more of ascension into heaven or transformation or, in other scholarly works, is seen as true immortality. Death is merely another phase in life that is something everyone must accept.
Many Taoists believe in eternal life, but to achieve that state of immortality is difficult because of the many tasks that must be done in order to qualify for such a transformation. This involves external alchemy (mastering special breathing techniques and exercises that rid the body of impurities, as well as leading a righteous life) and internal alchemy (visualization, special dieting, and meditation for purification). Many of those who want to attain this pure state spend a significant amount of time meditating.
As death is merely another aspect of reality, dying is seen as a transformation from being to nonbeing. Like the river that flows into the ocean, death is merely a movement from yang to yin. In this regard, death is neither to be feared nor desired. The relative nature of Tao urges the follower not to worry for all beings are one.
An important thing to note about the study of Tao is that it does not focus on death but instead places a great value of living a quality life. It focuses on the present and improving health and longevity but maintaining inner peace through a life of simplicity.
To witness a Tao funeral is quite a sight. It can be quite lavish and elaborate for it is in the belief that the rituals performed by the monks of Tao will guide the dead onto the correct path to paradise. A procession may go on for three to five days, even as excessive as seven days, especially if the deceased is of a high social standing. The family burns paper money or joss paper and papier-mâché items of luxury items as offering to the deceased to give them comfort in the afterlife. Then the body is either buried or cremated. But this does not matter, however, for the spirit has been released, and through remembrance, allowing the soul to live forever in Tao.
Reference
Wikipedia. 2017. “Taoism and Death.” Last modified on October 20, 2016. Accessed on February 2, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism_and_death#Immortality.
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