In popular opinion, death is perceived as an end of
existence, a lapse of life, or even as an eternal pause. But in reality, death
is too abstract to be confined within the boundaries set by the human mind.
Beyond these popular perceptions of what death means, different people
knowingly or unknowingly reshape the definition of death over the course of
their life. And exploring and understanding even a few of those rare
perspectives might add clarity and purpose to our living.
Polysemous
Term
In many philosophies, death is considered as
liberation—freedom from all the sufferings of life. This view assumes that life
is full of miseries and one needs to aim and desire for death to liberate them.
The proponents of this view also advise people to live ethically to earn this
ultimate death.
However, this view is strongly contested by another
popular opinion, which proposes death as a capital punishment. This popular
opinion is legalised in many countries, including India. Despite contentions,
to some extent, this legalised opinion helps to deter those who are afraid of
death from committing crimes.
Unfortunately, some dare to illegally take such an
extremely rare, last-resort legal weapon in their own hands, to commit the very
crime the law intends to deter. They believe that death is revenge—inflicting
pain on one by killing their loved ones. This view, filled with vengeance and
thirst, is considered as a mere expression of weakness and insecurity. Many
leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, publicly denounced this view, arguing against
the use of revenge even when practiced against evil.
Another infamous belief holds death as an escape from
pain, not liberation, but surrender. Some people, in the face of adversity,
tend to quit. And, according to this belief, death is considered an extreme
form of quitting. Suicide points on mountain peaks, made popular by “love birds,”
are often criticized by many as an extreme act of cowardice.
However, such criticism does not hold true, always.
Sometimes, suicide is not an escape, but an act of sacrifice and valour.
Besides, it also becomes a measure to safeguard one’s dignity. Pritilata
Waddedar, a prominent Indian freedom fighter and a revolutionary, killed
herself to evade capture from British forces. Another prominent Indian revolutionary,
Chandrashekhar Azad, also became martyred on the same lines.
This view was mostly prevalent during the Indian
freedom struggle, where all those great leaders successfully reinterpreted
death as a duty towards their motherland. An Indian revolutionary organization,
Gardar Party, recruited volunteers on the promise of “death as the salary and
martyrdom as the reward!” They saw death as a fulfillment of their purpose,
thus breathing their last breath with pride and pleasure. Even in modern times,
many believe in a purpose and denote death as a token of completion of their purpose.
At the same time, some modern thinkers also regard
death as a continuous phenomenon with constant signalling of opportunities,
rather than one final indication of fulfillment. They argue that a person dies
and is reborn every moment. And this continuously presents an opportunity for
one to reshape and reform themselves, without being bound by the shackles of
their past.
Overall, death is extremely abstract in nature and is undeniably beyond the end. While this article ponders its polysemy on a limited scale—from liberation to punishment, cowardice to sacrifice, and fulfillment to continuity, it ultimately boils down to one question—What do you consider death to be? The answer will ultimately determine the trajectory of your life.
