Cheon Seong Gyeong Ⅱ - 269. The Meaning of Death
1 We wish to resemble God, and it is only natural that God would cherish the hope that we would resemble Him as His sons and daughters. For this, human beings must be born again, assuming a form that can resemble God. God and human beings are eagerly waiting for the day on which they can fly together forever. The day of our death when we discard our physical body is the day when we are reborn as people who can fly. That being so, should we welcome death, or grieve over it? Naturally we should welcome it. And when we die, what are we dying for? We should declare that our death will be for God’s true love, that is, love for the sake of others. If this is so for us, we will shed our physical body in order to participate in the realm of activity of God’s infinite love and for the sake of the world of God’s love. (297-256, 1998.12.19)
2 If you fall sick and are about to die, you typically lapse into a coma. You are in a state in which you are not sure if you are dead or alive. While there in the spirit world, you see everything about the place where you will live. Your friends and relatives who are already there come and greet you. The vast kingdom of heaven that unfolds before your eyes is so dazzling and splendid that you exclaim, “I should hurry up and come here.” Your life continues and eventually you transition to that world. As you head toward different places, each better than the last, you pass through a first, a second and a third gate and enter the next world, where you are welcomed. Death is not something that should dismay or dishearten you. You are not going down; instead, you are making a leap. In short, you ascend. Therefore, you should not fear death. Death comes in accordance with a natural cyclic law, as the process of moving you to a better world. (196-271, 1990.01.02) |