May 1942 - AN AIRMAN’S LETTER TO HIS MOTHER

Rather than drape the Queen in black canvas (the bizarre official protocol of British Columbia), perhaps we can think of this a bit differently. 

This was the headline this morning across British Columbia news: 
 
"Official portraits of Queen Elizabeth II across British Columbia have been draped in black canvas in accordance with protocol as the world mourns her passing."  

This is the official protocol?  Most certainly, there must be better ways to think about death. 

When the end of life comes, one goes out of it like a candle in the wind, what then happens depends upon his or her character, and his or her prevailing consciousness, his or her preparedness, and his or her last thoughts.

It was incredible to be with our friend and well know Vernon man Bob Sattler recently, along with his beautiful wife Dar. We helped each through his death. Dar was right beside Bob and witnessed the advanced soul of Bob going through the process of passing to another sphere of consciousness, the process we call death. Bob was able to spread mental sunshine around so that the bereaved ones gathered at his bedside felt it as a consoling counterbalance to their natural human grief. This truth made some kind of impression upon us all that this universal event in Nature can actually be a change to brighter, happier, and freer existence. 

Bob taught us that a dying man should cross his arms over his chest with interlaced fingers. He should withdraw the mind from everything earthly and raise it lovingly in the highest aspiration. 

This is the way a man may best die--while resting on a chair or couch or sleeping in a bed, a peaceful expression on his face as if seeing or hearing something of unusual beauty, a pleased expression around the mouth.

My guess is the Queen, who lived an incredible life to the age of 96, also had a similar experience and therefore - why in the world are we draping her picture in black canvas across the province?

Training of mind helps one to bear sorrows and bereavements with courage. Grief exists only so long as one considers oneself to be of a definite form. If the form is transcended one will know that the oneself is eternal. There is no death nor birth. That which is born is only the body. The body is the creation of the ego. But the ego is not ordinarily perceived without the body. It is always identified with the body. It is the thought which matters.  The sensible one considers if he or she knew his body in deep sleep. Why does he or she feel it in the waking state? But, although the body was not felt in sleep, did not the Self exist then? How was he or she in deep sleep? How is he or she when awake? What is the difference? Ego rises up and that is waking. Simultaneously thoughts arise. Let us find out to whom are the thoughts. Wherefrom do they arise? They must spring up from the conscious Self. Apprehending it even vaguely helps the extinction of the ego. Thereafter the realisation of the one Infinite Existence becomes possible. In that state there are no individuals other than the Eternal Existence. Hence there is no thought of death, wailing, and draping pictures in black canvas.  

If the Queen considered she was born she would not have been able to avoid the fear of death. It is more likely that after 96 years she may have had time to reflect on if she was born or if the Self has any birth. She may have discovered that the Self always exists, that the body which is born resolves itself into thought and that the emergence of thought is the root of all mischief. Find wherefrom thoughts emerge. Then you will abide in the ever-present inmost Self and be free from the idea of birth or the fear of death. 

The Emily Dahl Foundation 
September 9 ,2022