illusion definition: 1. an idea or belief that is not true: 2. something that is not really what it seems to be: 3. an idea or belief that is not true, or something that is not reality
We spend our lifetime learning how to live, but, if we live long enough, we must learn to die gracefully.
Most people don't want to think about aging and dying until they have to. We live in a youth worshiping and death denying culture.
Why do most people fear aging? It is often thought of as a time of deteriorating physical and mental health and agility, and a giving up of control and a loss of freedom.
Is there a positive side to aging? Aging can be thought of as a process of stripping away all that which is false, all that which is not necessary, to get at what is real. Who are we ..really? Throughout our life we built an unrealistic and unsustainable sense of self. Looking back at our past, if we are already aged, we were the strong one, the healthy one, the intelligent one. We had the beauty of youth, and the virility of muscle. We had ambition and a drive to succeed. With aging there is a slow erosion of all that was so important to us, in youth. Many grow distrustful, bitter and cynical as they age. Many people suffer from anxiety and depression as they face up to the fact they are getting old. It can cause a feeling of emptiness or loneliness. Its painful to have to lose the vigor of youth, through the process of aging, we have to give up hundreds of things, and all of our attachments. We have to deal with the lost relationships of friends and loved ones if they pass before us. The process of aging is a continuous stripping away of everything, until we get to the final dropping of the the physical body. The trick is "you must die before you die".
It all sounds so dismal. But, it need not be a negative process. It comes down to our attitude. If we view aging as a process of dying to the false self and all that is temporal, in order to find what is the true eternal Self, it becomes a time of spiritual growth. The body gets old but the mind, the spirit and the soul can grow in maturity. What do we lose as we grow old? What is taken away? Our control? Our freedom?...How much control and freedom did we really have? ...or are we merely losing our long standing programmed Illusions? ..maybe this is a good thing . To become disillusioned means to become free of illusion, it may not be as negative as we may think . It is the gateway to liberation and truth. Its about letting go of the illusions of control, the false and the temporal in life and trusting the flow of life that leads to truth.To simplify, simplify, simplify may be the greatest freedom we could ever experience. Less may be more. Letting go is true freedom. The universe is not against you, it is life sustaining and nurturing. Aging can be a blessing if you want to grow in awareness of what is real, what is eternal, and what is truth.
With age we lose our illusions and a little bit of skin but we gain a whole new perspective on Life
The clip below dramatizes what I am trying to say:
Life may seem violent at times but it is our greatest teacher.
