Our Duties and Responsibility

With the certain knowledge that death will ultimately overtake us one day, we should decide, with the same calmness, courage and confidence, to discharge our duties and responsibilities towards our immediate dependents. We should not leave things for tomorrow when they can be done today. We should make good use of time and spend our lives usefully. Our duties to our wives, husbands and children deserves priority and should be performed in due time. We should execute our last will and testament, without waiting for the last moment, so that we may not cause undue distress, difficulties and problems to our families due to our neglect. Death may call at any time – it is no respecter of person or time. We should be able to face this ultimate event bravely with hope and confidence if we prepare for the next existence.

Venerable Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda

Comments

  1. Charles van Dijk

    April 21, 2013

    Like a thief in the night you shall not know the day nor the hour. We will say good bye just like that.

  2. Charles van Dijk

    April 22, 2013

    For us mere mortals there's grieving and the 5 stages of grieving of a deceased person are, Denial, Anger, Quilt, Depression and Acceptance. Your's is an immediate acceptance in your grief. You were helped by your advanced spiritual training. I sympathise with the elderly woman she shows the denial  stage. The depression stage is most dangerous it is the suicidal stage. I want to go with him or her and in extreme cases they can commit suicide. Please be careful with the choice of words. +Jendhamuni Sos

  3. Jendhamuni Sos

    April 22, 2013

    +Charles van Dijk An elderly, the wife of an eler who just passed a way is a very strong woman — not like you see in picture. She's not in denial or anything. She just wanted to touch her husband before the cremation, that's all. She and her family are very tough. In this case, I believe you are going too far. Buddhism view death and dying a lot different from others….It's very important for everyone of us learn how to control the tear, not to cry when someone passed a way because we want the soul to travel peacefully to the next birth and not be disturbed by the sound of our sadness. Instead we should say the prayers so the soul can hear the beautiful sound….I was trained by monks and nuns not to cry since I was 12, the day my grandma passed a way. This man live his life to the fullest. The man who never lost his memory until his last breath. Dying is just leaving one body to another, in Buddhism. I'm sure I will see him again….No reason for me to cry. Yes, my show is kind of dry, without him…..

  4. Charles van Dijk

    April 22, 2013

    +Jendhamuni Sos My apologies that was just my training in mental health those emotions are real it is properly referenced as the grieving process. You care, but your grieving is in the form of acceptance. That lady will accept also for some people the acceptance stage comes later. Once again my apologies I don't intend to upset anyone.

  5. Jendhamuni Sos

    April 22, 2013

    +Charles van Dijk Don't be sorry, Charles. I respect your opinion. But try not to think too much sometimes. You are very smart, that's why you are going a little too far sometimes. That's what smart people do, my teacher said.

  6. Charles van Dijk

    April 22, 2013

    +Jendhamuni Sos I think this is were different cultures click in. We have to counsel families when one of our clients pass away and these are our guidelines. With religious people acceptance clicks in much faster. Once again I never want to offend you.

  7. Jendhamuni Sos

    April 22, 2013

    Just some clarification on the Buddhist view, +Charles van Dijk I will not feel offensive by anything you say. I'm not that type of person. We share the same planet.

  8. Charles van Dijk

    April 22, 2013

    +Jendhamuni Sos Yes we share, also different views. Religions always offer hope for the dying and comfort for the next of kin. The righteous deceased will face a better existence. Acceptance comes much easier. Aboriginals believe they are going home, it goes right across cultures. I am not smart but try to learn from smart people and you are one of them. I have done some silly things too.

  9. GARY B ELLIS

    April 22, 2013

    Physics says for every action there is a reaction. That doesn't mean the reaction is the same each time for everyone or for each action. Lots of variables in play that are Constantly changing. So be careful how your analysis on people from around the world plays out. The reaction to death in Africa may not be the same reaction in the Amazon , Charles. Thank you. That is my opinion and like tails on cats everybody has one.

  10. Charles van Dijk

    April 22, 2013

    +GARY B ELLIS Also grief has 5 stages not necessarily in order and each form must be respected. I hardly had the space to do a full lecture about the subject, deeply sorry that it caused offence.

  11. Charles van Dijk

    April 22, 2013

    +Hemant Dave it was one of our subjects as we have to deal with a variety of cultures and believes. Some behaviours such as anger, guilt, denial, depression are very common.

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