"In the whole world there is no study so beneficial and so elevating
as that of the Upanishads.
as that of the Upanishads.
It has been the solace of my life - it will be the solace of my death."
Schopenhauer (1788-1860)
The
Kathopanishad is an ancient Indian scripture that addresses the reality
of Death and the dimensions beyond it. It is the story of Nachiketa, ... (story of Nachiketa from Kathopanishad)
The Katha Upanishad (Devanagari: कठ उपनिषद्) (Kaṭhopaniṣad, also Kāṭhaka), also titled "Death as Teacher", it contains passages that suggest contact with Buddhist ideas, so was likely composed after the fifth century BCE. and may be the most widely known amongst all the Upanishads; its early
Persian translations first found their way into Europe. Max Müller translated it 1879, Edwin Arnold rendered it in verse, as "The Secret of Death" and Ralph Waldo Emerson gave the central story at the end of his essay, Immortality. Central to the text is the story of Nachiketa, son of sage Vajasravasa, and his encounter with Yama, Hindu God of death.
Some verses from Kathopnishad:
श्रेयश्च प्रेयश्च मनुष्यमेतः
तौ सम्परीत्य विविनक्ति धीरः ।
श्रेयो हि धीरोऽभि प्रेयसो वृणीते
प्रेयो मन्दो योगक्षेमाद्वृणीते ॥ ॥ कठ उपनिषद् – 1.2.2 ॥
श्रेयश्च प्रेयश्च मनुष्यमेतः
तौ सम्परीत्य विविनक्ति धीरः ।
श्रेयो हि धीरोऽभि प्रेयसो वृणीते
प्रेयो मन्दो योगक्षेमाद्वृणीते ॥ ॥ कठ उपनिषद् – 1.2.2 ॥
Translation:
The righteous and the pleasurable approach man.
The intelligent one examines both and separates them.
Yea, the intelligent one prefers the righteous to the pleasurable,
(whereas) the ignorant one selects the pleasurable
for the sake of yoga (attainment of that which is not already possessed)
and kshema (the preservation of that which is already in possession). – Katha Upanishad – 1.2.2
The intelligent one examines both and separates them.
Yea, the intelligent one prefers the righteous to the pleasurable,
(whereas) the ignorant one selects the pleasurable
for the sake of yoga (attainment of that which is not already possessed)
and kshema (the preservation of that which is already in possession). – Katha Upanishad – 1.2.2
उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत
प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत ।
क्षुरस्य धारा निशिता दुरत्यया
दुर्गं पथस्तत्कवयो वदन्ति ॥ कठ उपनिषद् – 1.3.14 ॥
प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत ।
क्षुरस्य धारा निशिता दुरत्यया
दुर्गं पथस्तत्कवयो वदन्ति ॥ कठ उपनिषद् – 1.3.14 ॥
Translation:
Arise, awake, and learn by approaching the exalted ones,
for that path is sharp as a razor’s edge, impassable,
and hard to go by, say the wise. Katha Upanishad – 1.3.14
(shared thankfully from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katha_Upanishad)
for that path is sharp as a razor’s edge, impassable,
and hard to go by, say the wise. Katha Upanishad – 1.3.14
(shared thankfully from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katha_Upanishad)
Osho explains:
Religion is the art of dying consciously. Religion is the science of entering into death in total understanding and awareness. And the person who enters death consciously, for him death disappears forever because by dying consciously he knows that he is not dying at all. Dying consciously, he knows that what is the body - it is not more than when you discard old clothes - but his inner flame of consciousness is burning bright even in death; even the storm of death is unable to blow it out.
Nachiketa went to the door of death, the whole phenomenon was just reversed - because it is always death that comes to man; man does not go to death.
When you go to death, you will find that there is no death; death does not exist. It appears to exist only because you escape from it. The more you escape, the more real it is.
Whosoever has knocked at the door of death has never found it to be there. Death is an illusion.
An illusion is that which increases by running away from it and decreases by moving closer to it.
Death does not exist, death is an absolute lie. Death is the greatest lie in the world.
(excerpts thankfully shared from Osho's discourses on Kathopnishad)
some related references from blog author:
understanding life through inanimate world
understanding life through animate world
understanding life by electrical responses