Death is the companion of every sage,
a friend who shares the path with us
and who provides a welcome
at our journey's end.
This friendship seems unnatural to many,
but it is a source of great wisdom.
Cultivating this friendship requires courage,
honesty, and openness.
We must visit the dark regions of our mind,
the places where our unnamed fears dissolve.
Then we will return with a light
that will illumine the rest of our path.
Commentary:
Befriending death is not morbid.
It is not depressing.
It is not giving up on living.
It is merely accepting the natural boundary
given to life for our benefit.
It is up to you to shine a light
upon the path of life
so those who follow you
might walk without fear.
~William Martin, in The Sage's Tao Te Ching
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