Meditation for the dead

Meditation for the dead

Part 1:

Step1:

Choose a day that’s worst for you. Blow off your minor obligations of your daily routine. Begin your morning by putting on your least favorite clothes. These are important aspects to this exercise. They will give you a sense of irritation and disruption, which in turn will provide the mood for the atmosphere.

Step2:

Venture off to a woodened area far from the buzzing sounds of town life. Along the way you’ll speak to no one. Do not make eye contact. When you have reached your destination find a spot within the forest that is undesirable. When you have arrived get on the ground. Lay on your stomach with your face turned sideways. Eyes open blink as little as possible. Leaving your mouth open is optional. Remember to breathe; you’re not actually dead.

Step3:

Now that you are positioned, whittle your thoughts down to only what you can hear & see. Inhale the sounds of the forest. Begin to think about the forest and its wildlife and the unique ecosystem at work. Allow the bugs, if any, to crawl on you. They would anyway if you were dead.

Consider this: whatever animal crawls off into the woods to die will be left to rot and decay. This creature’s life and death will go unnoticed or be paid little attention to by most humans. If you choose to live amongst the other animals in our concrete jungle, will your life and death be similar to that of the creatures we do not notice? Will you stand still like a tree, eventually falling over to rot and return to the earth? While considering these thoughts and your own, you are still positioned in the image of death . . .lying flat, seeing only what is within your sight, without any body movements.

Step4:

When you have fully absorbed this experience, get up and head for town. Now realize that in nature, as a human being, you are insignificant. Your life will fall into line with nature just like everything else does.

But Aw Huh!

You are not a tree! You are a human being with the capability of great influence that reaches further than any tree branch could.

Part2:

Step1:

While walking through town avoid all eye contact. Ignore the ones you know and those who offer greetings. You are still not speaking because the dead cannot talk.

Step2:

Find another spot suitable amidst town life where you will not be disturbed. Again you will lie in the required position . . .your thoughts whittled down to what you can hear and see.

Now think about this. When you are dead, you cannot answer your friends like you would while walking down the street. Life around you is continuing without your existence.

Answer this. Were you a human pole standing still while life revolved around you? Now hear the sounds and the possibilities that surround you at this moment. Absorb these thoughts. When you are fully disgusted get up, go home, and put on your favorite clothes.

Remember those you blew off today. Hey! They’re worried sick. Apologize and reassure them that you’re okay and not lying dead somewhere.

Arkayna K. Malfroy

May 27, 2003