Noah Levine Dharma Talk: Understanding Death

March 23, 2020 Death is not the enemy; it is the natural conclusion of birth. It is perfectly safe—in fact, we have probably all done it countless times before.

The Buddha included the investigation of death in his initial meditative instructions, as part of the first foundation of mindfulness. This is because before one can find liberation, one must face incarnation. The Buddha encouraged his students to spend time in cemeteries and cremation grounds, to witness and reflect on the fact that our bodies, like the bodies burned or buried there, will one day meet the same fate. As spiritual revolutionaries we must face death and embrace the preciousness of our time in these bodies.

This Buddhist Dharma Talk is based on 'Against The Stream: A Buddhist Manual for Spiritual Revolutionaries'. We’re making all of 'Against The Stream' available for free on our blog (one piece at a time). Read along here.