"On Killing" by LT. COL. Dave Grossman

Excellent quote from an incredible book, read it.

“Like the blind men of the proverb, each individual feels a piece of the elephant, and the enormity of what he has found is overwhelming enough to convince each blindly groping observer that he has found the essence of the beast. But the whole beast is far more enormous and vastly more terrifying than society as a whole is prepared to believe.”
― Dave Grossman, On Killing

Japanese Death Poem

Inhale, exhale
Forward, back
Living, dying:
Arrows, let flown each to each
Meet midway and slice
The void in aimless flight

Thus I return to the source.

–Gesshu Soko (1696).

We can all learn something from Japanese culture and their relationship with Death. One can only grow by accumulation of experiences and forming a true understanding of the complex emotions that connect the different pieces of life progressing towards death. This is not a door that we walk through in a climactic ending to our own life story, Death is ever present, we push and pull against it as it tests us from day to day in ways that we never even were aware of. Through realization and acceptance, we gain a clear grasp on reality and a liberation for Life in its purest form.

Haiku by Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578)

Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578)

極楽も  地獄もさきは  有明の  月ぞ心に  かかる雲なき

Gokuraku mo/ Jigoku mo saki ha/ Ariakeno/ Tsuki zo kokoro ni/ Kakaru kumo naki

<English>

No matter which

I’ll go to

The heaven or the hell

My mind is clear

Like the sky at dawn

This is one of my favorite Haiku, and no matter what religion, philosophical belief or social construct you believe in, this should be your conviction, this is purity. Live without fear of consequence, always follow what is true.