<video><title>An Uncommonly Fine Life - Chapter 2 - Use Death as an Advisor</title><description>A book about principles for living a happy and fulfilled life</description><transcript><transcript><line from="00:00:00,000" to="00:00:04,800">Chapter 2. Use death as an advisor.</line><line from="00:00:05,520" to="00:00:08,960">Have you ever thought about death and felt a deep anxiety,</line><line from="00:00:08,960" to="00:00:13,120">only to retreat from the feeling into whatever distraction is available?</line><line from="00:00:13,120" to="00:00:17,280">That's the default reaction most people take, and it is understandable.</line><line from="00:00:17,280" to="00:00:22,800">Death is scary. It's the great unknown, and it reminds us of our own mortality.</line><line from="00:00:23,840" to="00:00:26,720">It's perhaps the only thing that we all have in common,</line><line from="00:00:26,720" to="00:00:31,040">and one thing that we can all be sure of. But death is also a gift.</line><line from="00:00:32,080" to="00:00:38,400">It is an advisor, a wise teacher, an old friend. It reminds us that we are not here forever,</line><line from="00:00:39,040" to="00:00:44,960">and that time is precious. It keeps us grounded and unattached to the things that don't matter.</line><line from="00:00:46,800" to="00:00:52,480">There are two ways to approach the idea of death. One is to ignore it, and the other is to</line><line from="00:00:52,480" to="00:00:56,400">befriended. Most people choose the former, but it is not the wise choice.</line><line from="00:00:58,160" to="00:01:03,440">As the saying goes, if you're not prepared to look death in the eye, you won't see life in its fullness.</line><line from="00:01:04,560" to="00:01:08,960">The first step in befriending death is to stop fearing it. This is not easy,</line><line from="00:01:09,520" to="00:01:12,480">as there are a few things more terrifying than the thought of your own death.</line><line from="00:01:14,400" to="00:01:20,080">But there is no getting around it. If you want to live a life of happiness, fulfillment, and peace,</line><line from="00:01:20,960" to="00:01:26,800">you have to befriend death. The ancient Buddhist called death, the great liberator,</line><line from="00:01:28,080" to="00:01:33,920">because it releases us from the bondage of our small selves. It reminds us that we are not the body,</line><line from="00:01:33,920" to="00:01:38,560">that we are consciousness itself, and that our attachment to things is an illusion.</line><line from="00:01:40,000" to="00:01:44,160">It teaches us to live in the moment and to find joy in the simple things in life. There is</line><line from="00:01:44,160" to="00:01:50,080">another interesting thought that may help. Do you ever remember a moment when you were not conscious?</line><line from="00:01:51,600" to="00:01:56,400">We fear a thing for which we have no reference, and imagine ourselves to have it passed we barely</line><line from="00:01:56,400" to="00:02:00,640">remember. Are you so sure your own story starts with your birth?</line><line from="00:02:02,320" to="00:02:06,320">All you can say for sure is that your memory seemed to begin when you were a child,</line><line from="00:02:06,320" to="00:02:12,480">but does that mark the start of you? Death might take the world from you, but are you so sure</line><line from="00:02:12,640" to="00:02:18,160">it can steal your consciousness? We make assumptions about life and death for which we have zero</line><line from="00:02:18,160" to="00:02:23,520">evidence. Mysticism exists because of the intuitions we have about the nature of reality.</line><line from="00:02:24,400" to="00:02:29,760">We intuit ourselves to be more than this body in this world because we are more, much more.</line><line from="00:02:29,760" to="00:02:35,440">The life of a mystic is oriented around the discovery of what that more is. So stop fearing death.</line><line from="00:02:36,800" to="00:02:41,520">Stop fearing the great unknown. Death is natural and part of life.</line><line from="00:02:42,480" to="00:02:44,480">And it could be your greatest teacher.</line></transcript></transcript></video>