Purnamasi Patnaik

Understanding Death: Theological Perspectives Purnamasi Patnaik

Death as a phenomenon has always baffled mankind. No one wants to die yet every moment we are dying. In fact the medical science has proven that every cell in the human body degenerates and there is a constant regeneration. This degeneration or decay is nothing but death. In fact death as a phenomenon scares us because we have the limited understanding of life. Death is an absolutely necessary process for life to be. It is not the enemy, it is the friend. And it is not there somewhere in the future, it is here, now. It is not going to happen, it has been always happening. With each exhalation it happens -- a little death, a small death -- but because of fear we have put it in the future. The mind always tries to avoid things which it cannot comprehend, and death is one of the most incomprehensible mysteries. The following pages is the authors understanding of death which is a constant companion of a practicing physician as well as his readings about what the great philosophers and religion has commented on this intriguing topic. The topics are a part of collection of lectures taken by theprincipal author during his discourses on the topic of understanding death.