‘Thou shalt understand that it is a science most profitable, and passing all other sciences, for to learn to die. For a man to know that he shall die, that is common to all men; as much as there is no man that may ever live or he hath hope or trust thereof; but thou shalt find full few that have this cunning to learn to die…. I shall give thee the mystery of this doctrine; the which shall profit thee greatly to the beginning of ghostly health, and to a stable fundament of all virtues.’—Orologium Sapientiae.
‘Against his will he dieth that hath not learned to die. Learn to die and thou shalt learn to live, for there shall none learn to live that hath not learned to die.’—Toure of all Toures: and Teacheth a Man for to Die.
The Book of the Craft of Dying (Comper’s Edition).
‘Whatever is here, that is there; what is there, the same is here. He who seeth here as different, meeteth death after death.
‘By mind alone this is to be realized, and [then] there is no difference here. From death to death he goeth, who seeth as if there is difference here.’—Katha Upanishad, iv. 10–11 (Swami Sharvananda’s Translation).
