Memento Mori

"Death is only important to the extent that it makes us reflect on the value of life." (André
Malraux)

The Chilean writer Alejandro Jodorowsky, shed light on how between life and death a lantern
is always kept on: consciousness. Perhaps he is referring to ours, the physical one, the one we
commonly associate with the concept of soul. Perhaps, on the other hand, it refers to the
conscience of those who have known us in life, that once our bodies are dead, they revive it
through their memory, their emotions as they go through shared experiences, and in the best
of all cases acting in consequence of positive constructions born from advices or guides poured
by us and make them live in a more virtuous way. Both this vision and that of the Gallic
novelist André Malraux, expressed in the quote at the beginning of this article, share the view
that death should have as its intellectual objective the fact of focusing on life, just as the
darkest shadow is produced by the most intense light.

The point of this essay is that all extinct or existing cultures, civilizations or beliefs, worship
death -in their own way and with their logical differences-, with the central purpose of
generating consciousness in living, pursuing the maximization of our virtues and the
curtailment of our vices, since the time we are given is limited and uncertain. Even for those
who consider reincarnation, the quality of the previous life determines the next one. For the
poor as well as for the rich. For the man as well as for the woman. For the priest as well as for
the slave. Death, too, whispers in our ears on a daily basis that we are all equal, but we
generally do not pay any attentionto it. Could it be for this reason that ancient societies have
resorted, when dealing with the topic of life, to such strong and determining images of death?
To wake us up, because we are asleep?

If we are beings of free will, why choose a flat life, without challenges, of civic and intellectual
sedentarism? Why only focus on the first steps of Maslow's pyramid and be mere observers of
events, instead of builders? Why deprive ourselves of experiencing a complete and superior
reality such as self-realization? Why deprive others of our achievements that emerge after
reaching this stage, an attitude that also motivates our environment to follow this path? Let us
remember: the time given to us is limited and uncertain. Memento mori.

Self-realization is achieved, as mentioned above, by the exaltation of our virtues and the
escape from vices. It is the result of the development of a policy of continuous improvement,
both for public and private life.

It is not an easy path. It is a path of constant self-examination and courage and action to
accept what we cannot change, while at the same time asking for progress in everything that is
within our personal reach. It is not an easy path. The path is winding and in an uncontrolled
environment. There are external factors and agents that constantly interact with us: people,
dreams, ideas, feelings and circumstances. We should not give ourselves the luxury of wasting
a single day to build this ladder that leads us to self-realization. Because one day we may fail,
and we will need another day to recover the setback. Because we are perfectible. Because
time is limited and uncertain. Memento mori.

Acting in this way, we will never fear death. We are born and die every day, every moment.
The oxygen that makes us live, when it enters our body, also ages and oxidizes it. A change of
plans is the death of the previous plan. A new approach to life is the death of the previous
approach; just as the awakening of consciousness is the death of ignorance and of useless and
sterile lethargy.

Being asleep exempts the sleeper in a certain way from some responsibilities both to oneself
and to others. When the slumber is killed and consciousness is born, the first light to reach
self-realization - the most virtuous expression of our being - responsibilities and challenges are
also born.

It is not an easy path.

The time given to us is limited and uncertain.

Memento mori.

Boris Jerbic