People were floating around.
Some huddled in deep but inaudible conversations.
The ladies were seated on the floor.
Verses from the Ramayana were resonating in the hall.
Death had caught up.
The only truth in the universe.
Why do we fear death? The
answer is very simple. We do not understand it. What we humans don't
understand, we fear and we retaliate. We do not know what is on the
other side of the door. Is it heaven or hell, nobody knows. Those who
know cannot communicate it to us. So we are stuck with our imagination.
I remember reading a story of a dying man who realised what's on the other side of the door by observing a dog!
I will try and recollect it as much as I can for you.
"Mr. Burke was terminally ill.
He has been diagnosed with Lymphosarcoma of the intestine. It means he
has been diagnosed with malignant cancer in the intestine. He innings
was coming to a close and by the looks of it an abrupt finish was in the
cards."
He started his radiation
therapy and Chemo to begin with. As his condition progressed the amount
of medicine that he consumed was more than the amount of food he ate. He
suffered bouts of pain in his stomach. He had loose stools mixed with
blood.
He was weak, physically and metaphysically.
On one particular day his pain
was unbearable. He was writhing and twisting in his bed. He thought that
god had forsaken him. For all the abuse his body had tolerated through
his younger years it was paying back with interest. An intense pain shot
through his body and he convulsed. He convulsed in pain badly. In that
moment a prayer slipped out of his soul without his knowledge.
The door open slightly and
nobody was there. All of them looked down and saw a dog. He had stuck
his head into the room and was staring at everybody with his tongue out.
It was a Labrador. A dog with a golden sheen. The dog made his way into the room and lay down and went to sleep. On numerous visits to the
hospital Mr. Burke had seen this dog and wondered who the owner was. He
overheard other patients in the Chemo room say that the dog was here
searching for his master as he had passed away. Some said that it was
the dog of the owner of the hospital, some said it was of a top doctor.
Whatever it was he didn't care. He loved the dog. There was innocence
all over his face. The best part was that he never barked, not even a
peep when he was in the hospital.
The members of the family of
Mr. Burke felt uncomfortable when the dog walked in and stayed in his
room. They called up to the nursing station and raised their concern.
The nurse said not to worry he will leave by the time you place the
receiver back on the hook. And it happened, as soon as they placed the
receiver back on hook the dog got up and walked away. Before leaving he
turned around and looked at everyone. Strange they
thought of this incident.
When Mr. Burke woke up from his
pain killer he was feeling much relieved. He felt a new sense of
energy, he had hope in him., he was positive, he was feeling upbeat, he
felt strange, he felt HAPPY from the inside. His family members narrated
the strange incident that happened. He smiled. his friend had come to
see him he thought.
As fate would have, the dog
walked in again and this time he sat right in front of Mr. Burke on the
bed. He looked directly into the eyes of Mr. Burke. He got up with great
difficulty and wished the dog Good morning. The dog just looked at him
with his tongue out and then slowly turned his head around and looked at
the rest of the people in the room. They just stared for a long time
and then Mr. Burke slowly got out of the bed. The dog leaped out of the
bed and waited for him at the door. He slowly made it to the main door
with great difficulty. He stumbled but moved on. His family members
tried to help him but the dog politely cut them off. Mr. Burke finally
reached the door. He looked at the dog and said "Thats interesting!" The
dog scratched on the door and looked at him. He opened the door and
both of them looked out. It looked like a whole new world to Mr. Burke.
The dog led him on and they walked through the corridors. Finally he
reached a door and the dog jumped on it with a whimpering sound. The
door opened after a minute to see an elderly gentleman. The dog jumped
onto him and started licking his face and fussing around him with
varied displays of love. He looked at Mr. Burke and said Thank You and
winked at him. Mr. Burke looked on to them and he traced his way back to
his room.
That one moment made him a different man.
He made peace with his condition.
He smiled, the smile of a man who realised the truth. He was ready.
When he reached his room his
family members were concerned about his whereabouts, but looking at him
everyone was stunned. There was renewed energy in him. He was glowing.
He had an aura around him. His connection with the one had been
renewed. He was smiling. The smile of a man who understood the purpose of his existence.
This
current situation of Mr. Burkes brought peace in the room. Everyone
basked in the warmth of his radiance. He spoke to all of them, nobody
asked him on the change of his current situation but everyone enjoyed
it.
After a long time he had his belly full of food.
Nurses and the doctors who came to see him was really pleased to see the positive development.
Mr. Burke laid down on his bed
and closed his eyes to move onto to his new assignment. Just like the
way the dog understood that on the other side of the door his master is
waiting for him.
There is nothing to fear about Death.
Death is just a new beginning.