Living to Die, Dying to Live
“Now I have become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
The Bhagavad Gita quote in the Oppenheimer movie does not accurately translate the original text. Oppenheimer is said to have quoted this verse after witnessing the Trinity test, the first atomic bomb test.
A more accurate translation would be “I am Time, the great destroyer of worlds,” for the Sanskrit phrase “Kalamasmi, vishamapadam.” It is a part of verse 32 in Chapter 11 of the Bhagwad Gita in the context of the Mahabharata War. It is incomplete without laying out the pattern of the after-effects of war during world war. In the end, there are no winners. Everyone is dead with time. In the original text, Krishna speaks of the natural cycle of life and Death. Impermanence moves existence to survive.
Life and Death with Nature
“You have one life. You are unique. You were born with a clean slate and are free to make your destiny within the laws of nature, and you can even overcome them using the rules to an extent. There is no one like you, and you will never be again in eternity. The ‘you’ persona that the mind creates is an illusion that you live in the World in your head. Its value or impact, if any, is only in the World for you, others, and nature that you leave while you are alive.
The Truth of nature is such that Death is inevitable, permanent, and irrelevant to the dead. It fires our imagination, fear, curiosity, and the desire to live forever while we are alive. Now the rich and some in the technology industry are funding scientific research to extend their lives, or are they looking for immortality? Is it possible and or even desirable? But they are exploring how our cells and DNA age and certain technologies such as mind uploading (digital immortality), which will never be the same as immortality. To my knowledge, one species, the jellyfish Turritopsis, has been called ‘biologically immortal’; it is unknown if something comparable will ever be possible for humans.
Longevity
What if we cannot survive Death (pun intended) no matter what we do? The average life expectancy of a person was 47.3 years in the year 1900 in the USA, and the current average life expectancy for World in 2023 is 73.16 years. The body gradually declines as age sets in, ignoring other things that could kill us. The scientific research and breakthroughs in two or three decades may double the average life span. With the incremental decline of the body and failing memory, our longevity will always have a ceiling. Is it worth the effort? The old must enable the new and give way for them to bloom.
Cycle of Nature
Human instinct is survival, and we have taken it to the extreme in accumulating things with a desire for power to protect ourselves. Greed has taken over the minds, and power dictates social order.
Whether we are alive or when dead, every atom within us belongs to the Universe. The billions of particles that became the life force of ‘you’ for a brief period return to existence. You won’t take even an iota of anything with you. For the Universe, ‘You’ seize to exist for eternity. In Death, belief systems stand to be false or cannot be proven. Science has shown us that nature is consistent with its rules. The principle of energy preservation says that energy is indestructible; it only changes from one structure to another. So too, mass. Which means both matter and energy are indestructible. So, when the atoms form into molecules and cells again, they are not the same combination of billions of particles.
Karma, the Beyond and Rebirth
If there is rebirth, if any, in any form, it has to follow the same pattern as nature dictates. So, the following life form, for example, me, the writer, might have a sub-atomic particle of Buddha, Hitler, a lion, a donkey, a snail, a bit of a star, and billions of atoms from other things. Such a hypothesis means that such a combination is impossible to repeat, so I was never born earlier. This is the only life I have, unique like all others. And I’m not to be born again.
Karma is the cycle of cause and effect of a person’s actions or inaction and the actions themselves. Our actions or inaction have a lasting impact on us and those around us here and now. The effect of our actions may carry on to the next generations and society. If I play with fire, will I get burnt now or in the next life?
The impact of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki had casualties, not just on those in that place. It has altered the very way we live today. The nature of the nuclear bomb is just one manifestation of a natural process of atoms. The bomb is a product of human ingenuity, not a force of nature. Oppenheimer is called the father of the atomic bomb but died with remorse. However, he never publicly apologized for his actions. It satisfied the ego of the theoretical physicist. With time Oppenheimer passed away along with his vanity of science.
There is Nothing to be Afraid.
The carrying over of fruits of one’s actions in this life into the next birth, or the soul waiting for the end of the World to be judged, is the deceptive narration of those who made the rules to have power over the masses. In a flawed system, groups of people follow the social order and the law with their beliefs.
The afterlife, rebirth, and end-of-world judgment narratives were an early attempt to give answers about the unknown and write off the inequalities to hide the shortcomings of the social order of those who made the rules. Now, science delivers more coherent answers.
With Death, we are no more, period, the end. While alive, the neurons hold our memory by rearranging the connections, or synapses, in an electrochemical state. Death switches off all that, and the memory is lost forever. Scientific studies prove that nature works as a dynamic system, and there are no exceptions to our biological systems. Every atom, everything that is me, returns to the existence, dispersed into billions of particles and elemental forms. Nothing of this life remains other than in the ways of human systems that preserve.
You are free, so be you.
Yes, life happens again from the reality of nature, but that is not you or me anymore because it would be a new combination with a clear conscience. There is no beyond. No heaven or hell. We don’t possess anything beyond no evidence, no belief. Simple as that. So, what is there to be afraid of to live one’s life? Nothing, you are free, so be you.
But people are so scared of dying in different ways — some fear pain, old age, and disability. At the same time, some are afraid of loneliness and of leaving people behind. Fearful of leaving things unfinished or not having a purpose or outcome.
Once we die, those who love us will miss us and feel helpless. Understanding this Truth while we are alive sweeps away all protection and security when we realize we are capable of love, for we are impermanent. While alive, focusing on living with love and empathy provides more meaning and value to one’s life than Death. Living in the hearts of those who love us is far better than Oppenheimer’s ambition. There is no other purpose. Living itself is the purpose of life.
We have only one precious life that is brief in an immeasurable universe. So, live fully with love, resolve inner conflict, seek support and comfort with dear ones, and be in sync with nature.
This principle of nature liberates you from dogma and awakens you to the reality of existence when you know for yourself. This explanation has meaning for the Universe. But it may only make sense for some people, for we are conditioned and resist facts. One needs to understand that all knowledge is perishable; From time to time, we must replenish our knowledge with new information and facts. Especially religions and political classes will not accept it, for it liberates the human mind and takes away their power over the followers.
The One Who is Awakened to Reality is Free
As for those who don’t understand this aspect, they are not aware of their being. In this brief period of one’s life, the absolute in consciousness, which is not personal to oneself, is witnessing itself and its creation from your point of view. Remember, you are always complete by yourself, the way you are, all by yourself. Like a tree is, or like the grass is, or like a wave in the ocean, your life is part of the Universe and not separate from it. Creation is the creator, and there is no other deity to worship. The self, thinker, thoughts, knowledge, memories, and feelings are figments of the mind. They cease to exist on Death. This profound understanding allows you to drop all concepts, including this writing piece. If you understand the authentic self within, you realize you require very little to feel fulfilled and content to lead a peaceful life.
See reality as it is, for what it is, the mystery of life is the beauty of human existence. Death comes when it comes. Instead of just surviving to work and pay bills, live your life every moment, dying to live rather than living to die.