How would you have felt if you met someone who asked you how old you were? That would have been a normal thing. What if you told the person that you were 30 years of age and the person as well told you that you had died for at least 10,950 times? That would sound strange or scary. Or, would it sound very funny? If you had died as much as that, why are you still alive then? It is just that if you have lived this long you must have slept at least for such a number of times (all things being equal). As a result, such a person has ‘fore-tasted’ death for such a number of times. Well, we are still on the issue about sleep or what to do before then. Recall that in one of our previous editions it was said that sleep was regarded as a foretaste of death (as popularly held in my local parlance). That being the case, wouldn’t it be wise to question thus: What if this is the last sleep? Sounds very strange or scary? Certainly!
I am not a scaremonger, anyway. But it is pertinent to face this reality of life called death. We may not be venturing into a series on death and dying or life and living. But since this was one of the issues mentioned in passing in one of the previous editions, I thought I should explore it a little (further) in line with the different editions that had to do with what to do before going to the bed. So, this is not out of sync with those editions. I could probably have put it this way: Before You Go To Bed: Know That Sleep Is A Foretaste of Death. That way, it would appear to be a continuation of that line of thought. Nevertheless, whether or not it is put that way, this little explanation should be able to shed some light on it.
We are well aware of situations whereby someone is already very seriously sick. In this instance, it could be so much so that people around them begin to think in this direction: Who knows whether they can survive the next minute or hour? If the expected unexpected happens in this circumstance, it is not as scary or nightmarish as in the case where someone who is full of life (as can be said) surprisingly or suddenly gets whisked away by the furious hands of death. Thus, let us look at another picture of this issue of sleeping and not waking up the next day, which has to do with the case of ‘sudden death’ (as partially pointed out above). We are not unaware of the fact that, at times, people go to bed being very sound (in health). In such a scenario, no one bears in mind that they may not see the next day. But, all of a sudden, the unexpected (the very scary thing) happens. And life is gone. He or she is no more. In such a situation, it becomes a very shocking event or experience. We all tend to wonder, question and question ourselves about what this life is really like. In a number of cases, we end up saying this: such is life. Such is life? If such is life, has it really sunk deep into our innermost beings?
Since this is the case or a reality of life, it is important for us to always bear in mind that sleep is a foretaste of death. When we sleep, we become unaware of our physical environment and the activities that go on around us (to a large extent). We find ourselves in ‘another world’ as it were. So, what happens if we don’t return from ‘that world’ to the physical world? This is a very serious question that shouldn’t be dismissed with a wave of the hand or given an icy welcome. Even if we are not being told to be living in a perpetual negative consciousness of death, thereby carrying within us the heavy burden of death-consciousness at every point in time, we should let a positive sense of death-consciousness pervade our lifestyle as it would help in the positive moderation of our lives. One thinks that it could really play a good role in checkmating one’s do’s and don’ts thereby helping one to live a much better life in view of eternity or the life beyond this realm of physicality.
Does it not bother, surprise, or shock you how a lot of times human beings live as if they are entirely in-charge of life and death? They feel or think they can do and undo. They can control the entire creation, including being able to control God and the devil. And it is quite strange that they assume or assure themselves of a sense of supremacy that seems to surpass God’s. This is nothing but a very satanic point of view and misleadingly dangerous one. So, they live their lives without taking into cognisance the need to understand life and death. They see no need of putting life and death into their proper perspectives in the journey of life. Life has to be understood and death shouldn’t be misunderstood (after all). Life lives. Life dies. Death lives. Death dies. But we as mortals experience both here. And beyond here, whether we seem to believe it or not, there is a ‘higher’ life and there is as well eternal death, doom or damnation.
Although this is not supposed to be a sort of religious sermon about life after death (or the afterlife), one shouldn’t ‘stupidly’ sideline or evade the truth that has both temporary and eternal relevance as a reckless negligence of how needful this truth is leads to gross eternal consequences. This is the meat of the matter in discussing seeing sleep as a foretaste of death. If this position is carefully taken, then, one wouldn’t be on the path of moral and other forms of recklessness that diminish or debase our lives and the spark of divinity inherent in humanity.
As we all know, a lot of times, people carry the burdens of grudges, bitterness, unforgiveness, hatred, malice, slanderous feelings, and so much more to sleep. What do they think these ‘viruses’ do to their lives? Are these not too much of a burden to be carried to the bed? What if this is the last sleep? How are they going to carry these heavy loads to meet their Maker? We have got to be ruminating on this except we assume, think or believe that we came from ‘nowhere’ and will end up ‘nowhere’. But are we as ordinary as the birds of the air or flowers of the field?
We are humans created by God and are expected to go back to Him to give an account of how our ‘pilgrimage’ here went. What’s the need getting to greet Him with these self-destructive burdens? No need! Let’s prepare to have a peaceful sleep just in case this is the last sleep that leads to the eternal sleep; for sleep is a foretaste of death.
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