Andrew Rooke – Australia
Over 200,000 people died today and 200,000 will die tomorrow. (1) Sooner or later, we will be amongst them. Spirituality teaches us that death is not to be feared. It is a great teacher from whom we can learn much about the secrets of life. Many spiritual traditions recommend that we can learn a lot by actively contemplating the inevitability of death. This is a challenging but rewarding spiritual practice. It forces us to go beyond any superficial ideas we may have about spirituality, which are inadequate before the enormity of death, and to find something real.
Meditating on Death: Dwelling on death is not a macabre experience but rather it helps us realize the value of life, including:
- It stops us from deluding ourselves with a false sense of permanence.
- It forces us to question our identification with the mortal body and urges us to awaken an intuitive knowledge of the immortal soul.
- It teaches us not to become obsessed with the transitory things of life that we must one day leave behind us, but rather to develop those spiritual qualities that become part of our inner nature.
- It reminds us to appreciate our time with those we love and to seize the opportunities that life offers us. • It enables us to see clearly what is important and what is trivial. If we become conscious of the inevitability of death whilst we are healthy, then when illness and old age come it will not be a hocking surprise, but the expected fulfillment of life.
Ritual Death: In many spiritual traditions, seekers undergo a form of ritual death to help them ‘die’ to their lower ego self and be reborn into an awareness of their true immortal nature – genuine spiritual initiation. In the ancient Greek/Roman Pagan mystery tradition the initiates were known as ‘those about to die’, they were buried in a great trench sometimes leaving only the head exposed. The Pagan initiate, Lucius Apuleius, describes himself as undergoing such a voluntary death. The initiations often took place at midnight and would have been terrifying experiences for most of us.
Through voluntarily undergoing ritual death, initiates overcome their fears and directly confront the mystery of their own existence. Christian baptism is a type of memory of this process of immersion in water and rebirth into a new life in the Christian church.
The Australian Aboriginal tradition
In the Australian Aboriginal tradition, the Karadji or Clever Man undergoes a harrowing initiation of ritual death and rebirth where the spirits dismember him and replace his vital organs with magical crystals. All this symbolizes the process of initiation and overcoming the personality to grow closer to the Inner God. This is why the initiates of India are known as the Dwija or Twice Born, Mahatmas or Great Souls.
FOOTNOTE
(1) On average, approximately 150,000 people die every day on planet Earth. However, it's important to note that this number can vary due to population growth, age demographics, and global events.
Bibliography
Timothy Freke: Spiritual Traditions: essential teachings to transform your life. New York: Sterling Publication Co., 2001. Pages 140 and 144. Further information on many other spiritual practices are available in this fascinating book.
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Andrew Rooke from Melbourne, Australia is the editor of Theosophy Downunder, a fine magazine published quarterly. Readers of Theosophy Forward the e-Magazine (TF), after the December 2024 issue of Andrew’s magazine was announced on TF’s outlets, wrote the following:
Esther Zigane, Australia
Andrew never disappoints, in all he does and contributes, encourages in inclusivity and all that with such humility and total generosity of spirit. The articles are deep, contemporary, relevant and inspiring.
Arni Narendran, India :
That's fantastic content from Andrew Rooke and his team.
Juan Ramon Reyes Avalon, Mexico:
I am fascinated by this very special magazine, it has some truly interesting articles and a lot of learning for the student of Theosophy and similar doctrine.
Vanessa Craven, Australia:
Thanks so much for sharing my painting featured in this issue, Jan. Andrew Rooke is a good friend of mine from my days in the world of Librarianship. I am so honored to be able to contribute to this wonderful magazine which has a wealth of information and inspiration. Blessings to you all.
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Theosophy Downunder (in PDF format) is GRATIS available for anyone who is interested. Write to Andrew Rooke on
For more details about Aboriginal Funeral Traditions and Ceremonies click HERE