Death

of the physical body shell

Soul's opportunity to rejuvenate and refresh

Table of combinations = causes of Death

Circumstances of Death According to the Rashi of the 22nd Drekkana

There are no masks at the end.

-- Buddhagosa

"Two only, among the forty meditational practices, are always and under all circumstances beneficial:

• the development of friendliness,
• and the recollection of death."

The ashes of the average cremated person weigh nine pounds.

This page deals specifically with the phenomenon of the human spirit leaving its temporary physical body, i.e., death.

• Death is a completely natural process.

• However, western society has a strong death taboo.

• IMO, some of the most accessible, compassionate, and practical instructions for managing the transition of self and others are found in the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Tsogyal Rinpoche and Andrew Harvey.

Andrew Harvey is one of the best modern spiritual writers in the English language. The instructions are traditional regarding the psychological stages of experience during the passage, but the recommendations for managing these stages are entirely modern. Highly recommended.

from Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon

• The act of dying , death
• passing away , cessation (as of lightning or rain)
• The 8th mansion
• A kind of poison
• refuge, asylum
• killing, slaying , slaughter , death , destruction
• or suffer death
• A magical ceremony having for its object the destruction of an enemy (also {-karman} and {-kRtya}
• slayer
• name. of a partic. mystical weapon
• calcination

viSa (cf. "virus")

• A servant , attendant

• Anything active

• poison , venom , bane , anything actively pernicious; poisonous

• water

• a kind of aconite

• Maraka Planets

• Natural Marakas

• Maraka Houses

• Timing of Physical Death

• Circumstances of Physical Death

• Metaphorical or symbolic forms of death

• Graha in bhava-8

• Place of Death

• Tonglen Practice

• "Later" by Michael Foster

• Notes on Sickness and Death

• Conditions of the next life

• Marana karakas

• Planetary Combinations which yield a specific cause of death

• Circumstances of Death According toRashi of the 22nd Drekkana

---

Sample Death Charts

Metaphorical or symbolic forms of death (acutely felt):

When Shani and Kuja are neither L-2 nor L-7 or if the supporting evidence from nodes etc. which would suggest physical death is simply lacking, it is reasonable to expect that as natural maraka they will create A symbolic type of death, such as:

• separation from loved ones through conflict(Mangala)

• forced isolation Or rejection(Ketu)

• death of an important professional project, death of pride, death of illusion, other forms of ego-deaththrough reduction of personal importance wtihin the big system (Shani)

• divorce (from the L-2 function only)

Sometimes these metaphorical deaths are so psycho-emotionally painful that the person wishes they were dead, and they may be suicidal. But actual physical death has stricter rules than these admittedly painful "poetic deaths" (including death of spouse/divorce under period of L-8). Death's strict rules almost always require the action of L-2+L-7 confirmed by a temporal-malefic navamsha lord.

from: H. H. Dalai Lama, The Path to Enlightenment,ed. and trans. by Glenn H. Mullin

"The nature of samsaric evolution is not such that death is followed by nothingness, nor that humans are always reborn as humans and insects as insects.

On the contrary, we all carry within us the karmic potencies of all realms of cyclic existence.

• Many beings transmigrate from higher to lower realms, others from lower to higher.

• The selection of a place of rebirth is not directly in our own hands but is conditioned by our karma and delusions.

• They who possess spiritual understanding can control their destiny at the time of death, but for ordinary beings the process is very much an automatic chain reaction of karmic seeds and habitual psychic response patterns....

• Our repeated experience of frustration, dissatisfaction and misery does not have external conditions as its root cause.

  • The problem is mainly our lack of spiritual development.

As a result of this handicap, the mind is controlled principally by afflicted emotions and illusions. Attachment, aversion and ignorance rather than a free spirit, love and wisdom are the guiding forces.

Recognizing this simple truth is the beginning of the spiritual path."

Pay Attention to Mental and Spiritual Things

"The difficulty with a purely materialistic interpretation of life is that, in addition to ignoring an entire dimension of the mind, it does not deal effectively with the problems of this life.

• A materialistic mind is an unstable mind, for its happiness is built on transient, physical circumstances.

• Mental disease is as high among the affluent as it is among the poor, which is a clear indication of the limitations of the approach.

Although it is essential to maintain a reasonable material basis on which to live, the emphasis in one's life should be on cultivating the mental and spiritual causes of happiness.

• The human mind is very powerful and our worldly needs are not so great that they must demand all of our attention,

• especially in light of the fact that materialistic success solves so few of the many challenges and problems that confront men and women throughout their lives,

• and it does nothing for them at death.

On the other hand, if one cultivates spiritual qualities such as mental harmony, humility, non-attachment, patience, love, compassion, wisdom and so forth,

• then one becomes equipped with a strength and intelligence able to deal effectively with the problems of this life;

• and because the wealth one is amassing is mental rather than material, it will not have to be left behind at death.

There is no need to enter the after-death state empty-handed. "

-- Paramahamsha Yogananda

It is foolish to be afraid of death.

JUST THINK!!

No more repaired tires on the body vehicle, no more patchwork living.

"Gungthang Tenpai Dronme said:

The thoughts that in this year and month

I will put right all my tasks and plans

And then start a perfect dharma practice

Is in fact the devil which brings all downfalls.

The lack of death awareness prevents one from undertaking the practice of dharma. This is very true: If one is not aware of the eventuality of death, one will be totally concerned and preoccupied with the affairs of this lifetime alone, and with actions that are just for the benefit of this lifetime. Such ventures may take all one's time and energy, but no matter how important they appear to be, since they are directly related to this lifetime alone, their benefits are limited--once one leaves the present body, their benefit ends. Even though one might have a best friend, when one has to leave the body, one cannot take the friend along.

...Think that after twenty or thirty years even the Dalai Lama will also be no more. While I am alive, there will be people who are, from the depths of their hearts, prepared to give their lives for my sake, but on the day when I have to leave, I cannot take even one among them with me. Neither will I be able to take any of my possessions, even the body which I have always preserved and protected. This also will be left behind. At that time of my death, what will benefit is only the positive seeds that are imprinted upon my consciousness. No other factors will help at that time." (p.106)

--from The Path to Bliss by H.H. the Dalai Lama, translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa, edited by Christine Cox

from a client in his seventh decade:

• can you predict my death?

According to the Lahiri ayanamsha, Budha Mahadasha is scheduled to begin on approx 15-October-1999 and Budha mahadasha will end in March 2002. The swabhukti of Budha-Budha is powerful to bring awareness, and your Budha occupies the 8th from Chandra. So I think you are having a strong pre-awareness of a naturally occurring event.

Gochara (transiting) Rahu-Ketu often trigger a birth-death event. Rahu Ketu will be highly empowered during the period 20-Oct until 25-Dec in 2001.

Also as I'm sure you know, many people who have lived good and fulfilling lives do choose to leave their bodies during the holiest days in their folkways traditions, when family (and the family spirits) gather for celebration and feasting. Holy days might be Dasai in Nepal, Christmas in England, or First New Moon in China.

This psycho-spiritual "flight pattern" holds true whether the native is ritually religious or not; it is a subconscious response to the expectation of the presence of Spirit.

So, in addition to the prognostication from Jyotisha we might add the impetus of the period autumn-winter 2001 as coinciding with the traditional time of personal reflection combined with family-gathering that occurs during the winter holidays in the West.

You mention the feeling of wanting to complete outstanding tasks and leave the world better than you found it. Sounds good to me! Indeed, tidying up loose ends and having one's affairs in order seems like a good way to live regardless of the timing of the actual moment of death.

Death will arrive sooner or later; and at that urgent moment of de-materialization, the mentally calming and organizing power of Time will cease to have any power to control the flow of experience. Having lost our protective "Sherman Tank" outer fleshly shells, we can expect to be bombarded by astral overstimulation, which some say feels like emotional radiation - very extreme hot-cold pulses and very intense whirling emotional oscillations. It will be very valuable at that somewhat chaotic time to have at least some vague awareness that one indeed did everything within one's power, whilst on Earth, to settle one's own karmic affairs and make life better for others.

Thus it is good to use the mental-material tool of Time while it is still available to use.

As they say, Time is what keeps things from happening all at once! As soon as the Time factor (Shani) is eliminated, multiple streams of experience are said to converge upon the native , particularly those flowing from frustrated or unresolved relationship expectations. When the lava flow of hot-cold-angry-crazy emotions and a parade of Hungry Ghosts (for example, ex-wives!) starts exploding with vivid and inescapable emotional intensity, one will very much wish that Time was available to make us a nice calendar with breaks for sleep, regular meals, a work schedule etc. But no! No experience of Time or Gravity is available after death! No day and night, up vs down, old and young, awake vs asleep... Thus with Time as with everything else, we don't know what we've got til it's gone!

The most important pre-departure task seems to be forgiveness: the release of any lingering accusations, bitterness, or blame. HH Dalai Lama often quotes Buddhagosa, who says:

• "Two only, among the forty meditational practices, are always and under all circumstances beneficial: the development of friendliness, and the recollection of death."

So perhaps it is a good time to start thinking of "a few things to get in order" :)

Wishing you best success in life and death (and life and death and life and death...)

Sincerely, Barbara Pijan Lama, Jyotisha

• Death is a strange and wonderful aspect of Life.

• An essential guarantor of creative differentiation in the universe, death is the great housecleaner.

Without death, things would get pretty stale, pretty quickly!

All the major religious traditions offer time-tested wisdom on the death process.

Practitioners skilled in facilitating this passage can be found worldwide in church, synagogue, mosque, devalaya, temple, and gompa.

Within the world's religious literature on death, certain texts are particularly accessible.

• Sogyal Rinpoche's now classic commentary entitled The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, exemplifies the clear, intelligent information on the natural reality of death and dying which is now available to English language readers.

• It ispossible to be well-prepared for death.

Jyotisha treats human death with the respect and admiration due an awesomely creative life force.

This page offers a tiny snippet of what Vedic astrology tells us about death and rebirth:

Timing of Physical Death by Maraka Graha:

• death of flesh-body shell, the musculature, blood, physical coherence =

  • period of L-2 or L-7,

  • possible timing = period of L-8 if and only if the Kharesha is in Lagna a, or if L-8 = yuti L-2 or L-=8 = yuti L-7

  • material conditions of death not timing are normally seen from bhava-8

• death of mother =

  • period of L-2 or L-7 from Chandra

  • period of 8th-from-bhava-4 = period of L-11

• death of father =

  • period of L-2 or L-7 from Surya

  • period of 8th-from-bhava-9 = period of L-4

• death of child =

  • period of L-2 or L-7 from Chandra

  • period of 8th-from-bhava-5 = period of L-12

• death of spouse =

  • period of 2nd-from-bhava-7 = period of L-8

  • period of 8th-from-bhava-7 = period of L-2

If the lord of Rahu or Ketuis a temporal maraka i.e., plays one of the house-lordship roles above, then Rahu-Ketu can give the death effect of their lord or their co-occupants (most frequently their lord).

Deaths during Rahu periods are unusual in circumstance and shocking (8) which naturally creates considerable disruption in the social conventions normally applied to death rituals. Many ghosts will attend the death ceremony.

However although the outcome may ultimately be favorable for the native .

~~ Bhagavata Purana 10.1.40

A walking man lifts his second leg only after the first has been placed firmly on the ground.

A caterpillar leaves a blade of grass only when it has caught hold of another.

Similarly does the embodied soul, following the course of its destiny, leave the former body only when it has caught hold of the next.

What is a "Maraka" Graha?

"Maraka" planet signify the separation of the spirit from the fleshly body.

1. Lords of house-2 and house-7are the maraka planets. However, not every bhukti of L-2 or L-7 gives death!

2. Rahu-Ketucan be virulent maraka graha when they occupy bhava-2 or bhava-7

3. Shani and Kuja are called "natural marakas" but in practice they are not killers unless they are already L-2 or L-7. If a malefic is also L-2 or L-7, the malefic requires very little additional triggering by transits or drishti to do the job.

4. Rarely, bhukti of either L-2-from-Chandra or L-7-from-Chandra can trigger death of the native .

5. Periods of L-2+L-7-from-Chandrado frequently give death of mother. Similarly, L-2+L-7-from-Surya do frequent give death of father.

6. the Kharesha =lord of the 22nd drekkana (decanate) has major "badhaka" powers. When the Kharesha interacts with lord of bhava-8 and the radix Lagna a, periods of L-8can give sudden death of the physical body.

7. "Marana karakas" (see table below)

8. he graha which rules the 64th navamsha from Chandracan function as a maraka (= graha ruling the 8th rashi from D-9 Soma)

9. lord of Gulika or Mandi can function as a maraka

Natural Marakas:

• Shani = material reality, laws of the natural world

• Ketu = separation, alienation, dissociation;

• Mars = quick actions, conflict, violence

Periods of maraka planets signify death ONLY when the maraka planet is especially death-empowered during His bhukti.

the minimumconditions for death empowerment of marakas are:

• Shani or Kuja must rule radix L-7 or L-2.

• Ketu must occupy bhava-2, or bhava-7

Empowerment to effect deathis most frequently created when:

• L-2's navamsha sign is ruled by radix L-7+L-8 --or--

• L-7's navamsha rashi is ruled by radix L-2+L-8

Vimshottari Dasha Periods

• When the lord of the seventh mahadasha in the Vimshottari Dasha is also a Maraka-graha for some other reason (perhaps this graha is L-2 or L-7 or L-2 from Chandra or L-7 from Chandra etc.) then death may occur within the first bhukti of the seventh mahadasha.

• The 7th bhukti of any mahadasha also has some secondary Maraka empowerment.

Place of Death

Traditionally, the place of Death is generally determined by the Lord of the Rashi occupied by the Lord of Navamsha ( swamsha).

Much depends as always upon the character of Lagnaesha, swamsha, graha in Lagna, and graha casting drishti upon Lagna + Lagnesha.

~~ Mahabharata, Vana Parva, 193.18

"To keep company with those whom they do not like

and to be separated from those whom they like

as also to deal with the wicked

is the agony which people with long life have to suffer."

Prediction strategy:

• Natural maraka-graha Shani and Kuja have extra natural malignancy.

• The likelihood of physical death occurring during their bhukti periods is characteristically stronger than the likelihood of non-maraka L-2+L-7 causing physical death.

• The Jyotishi will of course confirm the predictionby checking navamsha, gochara nodes, and other supporting factors.

• However if either Shani or Kuja = L-2 or L-7, it is easier to predict death during their periods.

Metaphorical or symbolic forms of death (acutely felt):

When Shani and Kuja are neither L-2 nor L-7 or if the supporting evidence from nodes etc. which would suggest physical death is simply lacking, it is reasonable to expect that as natural maraka they will create A symbolic type of death, such as:

• separationfrom loved ones through conflict(Mangala)

• forced isolation Orrejection(Ketu)

• death of an important professional project, death of pride, death of illusion, other forms of ego-deaththrough reduction of personal importance wtihin the big system (Shani)

• divorce (from the L-2 function only)

Sometimes these metaphorical deaths are so psycho-emotionally painful that the person wishes they were dead, and they may be suicidal. But actual physical death has stricter rules than these admittedly painful "poetic deaths" (including death of spouse/divorce under period of L-8). Death's strict rules almost always require the action of L-2+L-7 confirmed by a temporal-malefic navamsha lord.

The lord of house-8 is not a maraka, per se.

• L-8 defines the circumstances of death, not the timing.

• Timing involves bhava-8 only when Kharesha in Lagna a

• Nevertheless a maraka gains empowermentby occupying the navamsha of the radix L-8.

• If Rahu-Ketu are crossing a key axis, especially axis of Chandra, andthey are Alsoconjunct L-2 or L-7 (i.e. "giving the effect of L-2 or L-7) thenphysical death during a Rahu-Ketu bhukti becomes as likely as it would be during a period of L-7 or L-2 .

• Except when Rahu-Ketu are the current bhukti lord AND they occupy a rashi of L-2 or L-7, the movement of gochara Rahu-Ketu provide essential supporting evidence for catastrophic changein a person's life.

• Nodal movements to key points can trigger big scary psychological changes that don't actually kill you (but seem like they might).

~~ Das Goravani

"The death is the gift, not the curse.

The curse would be eternal life here on Earth."

• House-8 and House-3contain information about circumstances of death (see below).

• House-2 and House-7contain information about timing of death. Note that the timing *agents* are the lords of 2 and 7.

~~ Bhagavata Purana10.33

Two types of deaths have been considered the most coveted in this world:

The yogic way of giving up the body by control of breath and meditating on the Supreme Reality,

And the second of the brave warrior fighting fearlessly at the forefront of battle.

Timing of Physical Death:

"The Usual Suspects" for timing of death are the "Maraka" or "Death-inflicting" planets+ L-2 and L-7.

Uncommonly, timing of death may occur in the period of one of the "natural marakas": Kuja, Shani, or Rahu. These three natural marakas do have the power, with no other planetary assistance, to effect the physical death.

However, it is rare that a natural maraka works alone. Death is much more likely in a period of Kuja, Shani, or Rahu if these natural marakas also play the role of L-2 or L-7 in radix. In the case of Rahu, where He gives the effect of radix L-2 or L-7.

Vimshottari dasha-bhukti periods of L-2 and L-7, and occasionally periods of Kuja, Shani, or Rahu, signify the physical event of death.

• In order to signify death, bhukti of Maraka planet must coordinatewith other key required Jyotisha events such as a significant transit of Rahu-Ketu.

• Maraka bhukti must also respect the overall longevityparameters based on lifetime conditions of house-8 and house-3 (see below).

Death is also more common when the bhukti of the maraka graha is ALSO the final bhukti of the mahadasha.

For example for Mesha Lagna a where Shukra being L-2 +L-7 is a powerful makara, the Surya/Shukra period where Shukra is the final bhukti of the entire 6-year Surya Mahadasha , has more maraka potency.

For a Mesha Lagna a nativity, if Shukra is yuti the amplifying maraka Rahu, and the Surya/Shukra bhukti occurs while simultaneouslygochara Rahu-Ketu cross a key axis (radix Moon, radix Lagna a, radix nodal axis) then the likelihood of death is much increased.

Shani being the Great Separator, He must play some role in the death. If not as L-2 or L-7, then He must transit the temporal L-2 or L-7, or transit a key point such as Lagna a.

Normally there are four or five dramatic Jyotisha factors at work at the time of death. Except for birth, death is the most traumatic experience of the lifetime - so, reasonably, death indicators should be highly marked, and vividly suggestive.

Certainly, *not* every occurrence of the bhukti of a maraka planet will trigger death, because several necessary factors must occur simultaneously to satisfy all the rules.

• Lord of Radix 2nd house [from radix Lagna a or Chandra Lagna a]completes sensual saturation, the body can't absorb any more experiences

• Lord of Radix 7th house [from radix Lagna a or Chandra Lagna a] creates perfect balance in the body, there is no need for further motion

• Lord of 2nd navamsha signals death of [first] spouse.

cycles of self-destruction and rebirth

• During His bhukti, Lord of 12th house [from radix or Chandra Lagna a or from Shani] dissolves the ego, the spirit wants to separate - can cause of terrible lossand the person does feel like dying, desires to die perhaps, but L-12 will give only the grief and loneliness, not the physical release from earthly vale.

• During His bhukti, Lord of 8th House [from radix Lagna a or Chandra Lagna a or from Shani] turns the wheel of birth and death, sometimes very fastturns the wheel of birth and death. L-8 causes transformation, not physical death.

  • Ideally this transformation in the form of divorce, legacies, tantric and magical changes, psychotherapy, emergency surgery, or catastrophic health event will invoke conscious healing, but it may just as often be the agent of unconscious karma.

• Randhra a bhava, its lord and its occupants describe the conditionsof death (not the timing) (see below) and thus 8th house describes one's longevity. Bhukti of L-8 can cause shocking "death of balance" such as divorce or radical surgery, but L-8 does not cause actual physical death.

bhava-8 = "The Departure Lounge"

Three primary indicators for environmental conditions or circumstances of death = Not timing, just environment =

• house-8+L-8

• 8th-from-8th: house-3+L-3

• karaka Shani.

Look first to Randhrasthana for details of departure conditions.

Auspicious planets occupying house-8 or good drishti to house-8 usually signify a gracious or honorable ending.

bhava-3:

• Look next to 8th-from-8th for additional details about environment - including the psycho-mental state - at time of spirit's departure from the physical shell (death).

ActiveMarakaplanets don't always snap the cord between body and spirit. Sometimes they weaken the will, making a person very sick.

Sickness shows that the spirit is ambivalent about staying in this particular body. Prolonged sickness or slow recovery from an injury, is often spiritually required to bring the system "down for maintenance." After the spiritual forces regroup and the physical body rebalances, the current incarnation may proceed unimpeded.

Near-death sickness has spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical meaning. A combination of prayer, clean mental health, emotional healing and good medicine, will often cure even quite severe illness under the influence of marakaplanets.

There is usually no need to fear when marakaplanets dominate -- but on the other hand there is healing work to be done!

Q:

Thanks for your Jyotisha advice on handling the loss of my life partner.

However, despite your advice that things can be expected to go fairly well in my remaining earthly future, I continue to experience a terrible sense of anxiety and grief for my irreplaceable loss.

Do you have any suggestions for my regaining my inner peace?

THE GUEST HOUSE

"...if we remain clinging to this life even for one day, we aremisusing our time.

In this way, we can waste months and years on end. Because we don't know when our lives will finish, we should remain mindful and well prepared. Then, even if we die tonight, we will do so without regret.

If we die tonight, the purpose of being well prepared is borne out; if we don't die tonight, there is no harm in being well prepared, because it will still benefit us.

But when we leave the world of humans, we do so without a protector or supporter and the total responsibility falls on us.

We only have our own intelligenceto rely on at that time, so we must expend our own effort in order to protect ourselves.

• As the Buddha said, "I have shown you the path to liberation; know that liberation depends on you."

We must put strenuous effortinto gaining freedom from the lower migrations, liberation from samsara, freedom from conventional existence and solitary salvation.

The body is compared to a guest house; it is a place to stay for just a short time and not permanently.

At present, the guest of consciousness is staying in the guest house of the body, like renting a place to stay.

When the day comes for consciousness to leave, the guest house of the body must be left behind. Not being attached to friends, the body, wealth and possessions is the practice of the Bodhisattvas."

"Do not stand at my grave and weep

I am not there. I do not sleep.

I an a thousand winds that blow

I am the diamond splints on snow

I am the sunlight on the ripened grain

I am the gentle autumn rain

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night

Do not stand at my grave and cry

I am not there, I did not die."

"Cyclic existence means bondage, and liberation means freedom from this bondage. ...The causes of cyclic existence are contaminated actions and afflictions.

If the roots of the afflictions are eliminated and if new actions are not 'accumulated', since there are no affiliations to activate the predispositions of contaminated actions persisting from the past, the causes of cyclic existence have been eliminated. Then there is freedom from bondage.

Some say that as long as one still has mental physical aggregates wrought by former contaminated actions and afflictions, one has A nirvana with remainder. When these no longer remain, there is a nirvana without remainder. 'Without remainder' means that there is no remainder of mental and physical aggregates wrought by contaminated actions and afflictions, but The continuum of consciousness and the continuum of uncontaminated mental and physical aggregates still exist."

~~ H.H. Dalai Lama. (2000). he Dalai Lama's Book of Wisdom. www.snowlionpub.com

Death is a part of all our lives.

Whether we like it or not, it is bound to happen.

Instead of avoiding thinking about it, it is better to understand its meaning.

We all have the same body, the same human flesh, and therefore we will all die.

There is a big difference, of course, between natural death and accidental death,

but basically death will come sooner or later.

If from the beginning your attitude is

'Yes, death is part of our lives', then it may be easier to face.

~~ Simone de Beauvoir, A Very Easy Death

"I tore myself away from the safe comfort of certainties through my love for truth;

and truth rewarded me. "

~~ Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

"It is not the end of the physical body that should worry us.

Rather, our concern must be to live while we're alive

– to release our inner selves

from the spiritual death that comes with living

behind a façade designed to conform

to external definitions of who and what we are. "

"If you are able to think about the meaning of cyclic existencein general and human life in particular, then it is possible to discipline the mind through religious practice which is the process of becoming peaceful and anxiety-free.

Otherwise, if too much emphasis is put on the sufferings of the hells and the imminence of death, there is a chance of falling into paralyzing fear.

here is a story in Tibet about an abbot of a monastery who went to give a discourse. A fellow asked the abbot's servant where the abbot had gone, and the servant said, "The has gone to frighten old men and women."

If you fulfill the value of a human lifetime through engaging in religious practice,then there is no point in worrying about death."

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen