How can we best approach end of life of those close to us, and ourselves?

All good things come to an end, even life.

As the nights draw in, leaves die in spectacular autumn colors and the day of the dead approaches, join Café Philo as we discuss how best to approach the end of life, Death. Although death, like taxes may be inevitable, we do have control over how we approach it, even if it’s inevitability cannot be postponed.

Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people live. —GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

We will be taking this discussion seriously, but not somberly. Please approach the discussion with kindness, compassion and a mild sense of humour.

Existentialism is a family of views and forms of philosophical inquiry that explores the issue of human existence.

Why do some people find it helpful to believe in a continuation of existence past death?
What characteristics are common to societies/communities which are built on the belief of a life after death?
How do these characteristics affect people’s behaviour within the group and with others?

The recent UK census survey indicates that fewer people are aligning with religion. What do these people believe happens at the end of life?
In what ways does a person’s acceptance of the finality of death influence their approach to life and death?

Some believe that when a loved one dies it is like losing a limb, i.e. a wound that will never heal. Is this approach helpful to living a whole life?
Are there other approaches, or is this the only way a death of a child, perhaps, could be experienced?

Another approach is to train for a mindful death, which means to accept death through meditation, and to lose all attachment to life, and to others. This approach is characterized by love and compassion without expectation of return. In what ways is this a more (or less) useful approach?

Would a person with an acceptance of death experience it as a wound that heals in time? Might this person be able to resume a whole life quicker than those who view death as a lost limb?
Would those around this person accept their death more easily?

People often say they want others to be happy when they are gone. Is this possible if they view death as an unhealing permanent wound?

Do we, (or should we), have the right to die?
Why would we want such a right? To spare others from seeing us suffer? Would wanting to die be a purely selfish act, for one’s own benefit?

What benefits are there of celebrating death as done on Día de Muertos?

These are just some of the questions we might find ourselves exploring in this discussion about our varying attitudes to death and dying.
Further reading:
Día de Muertos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead
Right to Die: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_die
Training for death: https://www.reddit.com/r/Buddhism/comments/1b0uxte/comment/ksbmwxd/

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