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Startling because most of us are -- pardon the pun -- scared to death of dying.

In 1988 my mother died exactly the way she wanted. She always told her children she wanted to go quickly and painlessly. She prayed it would be that way. Then one day she was standing by her bed and, a split second later, she was lying on it, dead. She didn’t linger or suffer, as many do. She was ready to go, and died the way she wanted.

When I was almost a teenager, a classmate, one of my dearest friends, hung himself. He was, on the surface at least, a happy-go-lucky, carefree kid. Next thing we knew, he was dead.

Back in those days, as I was growing up in the Roman Catholic Church, we were taught if you committed suicide, that was a one-way ticket to eternal hellfire. Deliberate suicide, as in my classmate’s case, is still condemned by our modern western society.

Chief Joseph would say both those deaths were suicide.

In Chief Joseph’s perspective, we all commit suicide, whether by deliberately killing our physical bodies, or by default through dis-ease, accident, murder, war, etc. Or by simply deciding it’s time for us to go, as with my mother. Nothing can come into our experience unless we are vibrationally aligned with it. That’s another way of saying we create our own realities.

I realize this is a controversial subject, even among those on a conscious, deliberate, enlightened path of spiritual growth. I think the controversy is partly rooted in our deep fear of death.

Here’s Chief Joseph.

Chief Joseph

Death is such a rich discussion topic. And one filled with misconceptions.

You cannot avoid what you call death. Even those among you who suspect there may be something wonderful awaiting you after death, still fear it.

Yet we tell you death is no more to be feared than birth. They are not so different from each other. Both are new beginnings, new steps on your journey of eternal growth.

When the human race came into "conscious being," if you will, there was an understanding of death which you no longer have. As little children you all understood death and accepted it for what it was, and still is. But as adults you celebrate birth and mourn death.

Death has taken on a dark aspect for humans. It’s something to be dreaded and avoided at all costs. For many of your medical professionals death is a profound and unalterable failure. Perhaps, as some consider it, even a punishment meted out to you for your misdeeds.

Your modern cultures go so far as to "punish" the trangressors among you with death -- the so-called "death penalty."

In fact, however, when you dole out the death penalty, you are often -- more than you know -- giving some tortured souls blessed relief from their tortured physical lives. Once they pass through the gateway of death they re-emerge into a place of indescribable bliss and joy. They have returned home.

No matter what the process or manner of physical death -- painful or peaceful -- the result is always the same. You re-emerge into what some call "heaven." A more accurate description would be "eternal life." All life is eternal. There is no death.

Your animals know that, especially your domestic pets. Among the many lessons they come to teach you is to not fear death. But instead to live fully and joyfully in the moment. And, whenever the time comes and whatever the manner, to die joyfully, fully knowing what lies just the other side of death’s doorway is rebirth into light and love.

All is well. Dying is the easiest thing you will ever do.

Chief Joseph talks about related subjects here:

Afraid of Living, Scared of Dying
Suicide: A Solution?
Suicide Revisited
Death Revisited
You’re Probably Going To Die From This
Your Physical Body
Beyond the Veil of Death
Death