Meditation on Death (Marananusmathi Meditation)

Buddhist Marananussati meditation practice or reflection on one’s mortality described in the Visuddhimagga commentary (Burke et al., 2017). Contemplation and meditation on death provide profound understanding of life. Meditation on death is a means of purifying the mind in order to gain a crucial revelation of the meaning and significance of life (Kapleau, 1997). Meditating on death one overcomes death (Bond, 1980). Death is not alien to life but a concomitant of life (Bond, 1980). 

Death is an integral   part of life. Death is inevitable and death is a reality of life. Death is definite and time of death is indefinite. Death is a universal phenomenon. Dying is a part of nature. The American novelist Ernest Hemingwayonce said "Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the detail of how he lived and how he died that distinguishes one man from another"     

The death of the body, particularly of the brain, is then seen as the absolute end of any form of conscious activity (Grof, 1992). According to Freud denial and illusion are cognitive defense mechanisms used by many to deal with the fear of death.  Cognition of death is psychically difficult for people, because it means meeting the main fears (Moor, 2014). According to Karl Jaspers, the fear of death is dual by nature: the fear of existential non-being (existentielles Nichtsein) and vital not being here (vitales Nichtdasein). Jung advocates that individuals continuously strive to increase their awareness of death to overcome the fear of death (Filippo, 2006). 

Terror management theory posits that people tend to respond defensively to reminders of death, including worldview defense, self-esteem striving, and suppression of death thoughts (Niemiec et al., 2010). The terror management theory describes mortality salience which is the awareness by an individual that his or her death is inevitable. Many people have worldview defense and suppression of death-related thoughts.  

Abraham Maslow theorizes that the more an individual accepts her or his life, the less she or he will fear death (Filippo, 2006). Marananussati meditation (meditation on mortality) can eliminate fear and anxiety associated with mortality salience. Meditation on death helps to grasp impermanence.  The meditator recognizes that life and death constitute a single process (Bond, 1980). The meditator who becomes mindful of death eliminates fear of death and dying.  He realizes that facing death is an existential reality. A meditation on death enhances spiritual potential of the meditator. The American Buddhist monk Venerable Thanissaro states: “when dying, meditation is the one thing that won’t abandon you” 

 ( Clinical Meditation by Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge)