WE ARE ETERNAL BEINGS

"The call of death is a call of love. Death can be sweet if we answer it in the affirmative, if we accept it as one of the great eternal forms of life and transformation."

-- Hermann Hesse

Hi Everyone,

'Word of heart' was originally a monthly paper newsletter that I published with Mair Smith and Mireille Dupuis in the late 1990s. Mair was always the wise crone of our little band -- a true pioneer in expanding the leading edge of thought and behaviour.

Mair is now terminally ill with cancer, and she's still leading the way -- she's setting an example for her fortunate circle of friends and relations of how to face death.

Mair has a firm belief in everlasting life. She has accepted her situation and has chosen to embrace this final chapter of her human existence and the upcoming transition with excitement. 'Come visit,' she urges in emails to her extensive network, and times with her are rich with light, love and humour.

It's one thing to theoretically say that we are not afraid of death. It's another to actually live in that truth.

In his January newsletter, Eckhart Tolle offered this viewpoint, which has been helpful for me:

"When something seemingly bad happens, say 'this is'. ...If you're open to the 'is-ness' of what is, something within you which we could call 'peace' arises. And what is that peace? It's an inner sense of aliveness, being-ness, presence. It's the source of all gratitude."

Thank you, Mair, for your enlightened guidance.

~ Patrice

"As long as there is something we want to get out of life before we go -- a little more money, a little more pleasure, a chance to get in a parting dig at someone we think has hurt us -- there will be a terrible struggle with death when it comes. As long as we think we are the body, we will fight tooth and nail to hold on to the body when death comes to wrench it away. The tragedy, of course, is that death is going to take it anyway. So the great mystics all tell us, 'Give up your selfish attachments now and be free.' Then, when death does come, we can give him what is his without a shadow of regret, and keep for ourselves what is ours, which is love of the Lord.

"There is great artistry in this. Death comes and growls something about how our time has come, and we just say, 'Don't growl; I'm ready to come on my own.' Then we stand up gracefully, take off the jacket that is the body, hand it over carefully, and go home."