We all know we are going to die, or more accurately, our physical bodies will die. Intellectually we know this, but most of us try not to think about it. Many people eat healthy and exercise to try to put that event into the distant future, and not worry about it. But it will come, and we do not know the time or manner of our death. The COVID-19 pandemic brought us to the reality that death could come much sooner than we expected.
We would like our death to be easy, and many hope for either a pleasant afterlife, reincarnation, or oblivion. But in the West, we do almost nothing to prepare for death, other than maybe complete a will and follow the dictates of our religion. Eastern Tantras teach us that our consciousness is immortal, that we are reborn, that there are infinite possibilities of how we are reborn as well as infinite realms and types of beings, and that our rebirth is largely up to us: the karma we create during our life, and our skill at mind control during and after death. And not all the possibilities are good ones, so it is a good idea to train for death.
In the West, most people think what happens in death is out of our control. In Tantra, including Western Tantra, we realize we are in control (or could be in control) of the entire process of dying and rebirth to a new life. If we want the process to be bearable and our next life to be beneficial, we had better learn in advance what to do while we are dying, and learn mind control so that we can choose our next life wisely. We could lose heaven or a beneficial rebirth if we are ignorant or panic.
Ultimately, we learn that the best outcome is to become one with the universe, what several spiritual traditions call union with the creator or the source, often called union with God. Try not to get hung up on exact terminology. We don’t know exactly what happens, because the ultimate experience is beyond description, according to those who have experienced it and returned to tell us about it. Enlightened masters and teachers tell us to have no expectations and just go with it, let go, surrender.
Ethical thoughts, words, and deeds are how we create the positive karma to have beneficial choices for our next life: heavens, paradises, pure lands, or fortunate reincarnations. Meditation is how we develop the mind control to navigate the death process, discern our best choice of rebirth while avoiding distractions, and actualize our choice, especially full Enlightenment as defined by Tantra.
Eastern Tantra will teach you this process if you can understand the lessons and have the time to learn them. Western Tantra will do this for Westerners if you do not. Western Tantra is a skill, not a religion, and can be combined with your current religion or adopted philosophy without conflict. The book Western Tantra describes ethics, Karma, and the dying process in ways that most Westerners can understand without the translations, confusing terminology, and cultural trappings that can impede the learning. What are you waiting for? Do you want to live forever?