Merciful Death

The neighbour's dog, Girl, died last night. Feisty little creature she was, a pin sized mongrel who undeniably 'ruled the roost' . My neighbour's a part time dog breeder and in the last 2 years I have seen them all.. German Shepherds, Dobermans, Rottweilers, Dalmatians...you named it but all of them had one thing in common... they all submitted to Girl though 3 times bigger than her. It only took a few minutes of introduction, a low growl from her, and the Shepherds and Rottweilers immediately acknowledged 'who is the boss'.

Suspicious little thing she was, she trusted no man. Except for her own people, no one could come a metre near their yard. It took me 2 months to urge her to accept doggie bites from me but she never ever let me touch her till she died. Which was why I was shocked when about a week ago, one night, when no one was about, one of the German Shepherds, a good natured dog, Krista, left out of the kennel started mauling her! It was a vicious attack and what was more shocking was Girl did not fight back. I thought it was probably Girl had not been so well the past few weeks. After splashing a few pails of water, hanging over the fence shouting till I went hoarse, Krista let Girl go. I thought then Girl was goners but she survived. But 2 days ago, I saw her curled up under a jambu tree near our yard instead. I called out to her but she just stared blankly. I had a feeling then but I hoped still. But she went. The neighbour told me, she suffered quite a bit before she died... vomitting blood and trying to sleep inside their house.

Then it dawned upon me, probably all Krista did was to try save Girl from suffering...a merciful killing. Not unlike some animals who eat their sick youngs and kill the very old. Nature has a compassionate way of making it easier for the dying.. by killing them first. Hence the saying 'having to be cruel to be kind'. A human mind is limited in understanding nature's ways. There is always that bigger picture. Had I intervened with nature and let Girl to suffer a bit longer? Perhaps I did. But I am human and therefore conditioned to 'prolong' suffering as long as we don't have to die yet. A fear of death presides over our many actions.

A few years ago, I was talking to a friend's elderly father who summed up that the cause of overpopulation in this world was modern medicine that increased human life span. He strongly felt everyone should be left to die naturally. While it seemed by 50, the human body and mind start breaking down in stages in preparation for eventual death, we tend to fight it back and ageing becomes a struggle, a misery.

Osho, (Rajnesh) the controversial new age Guru had said that a child with an uncurable sickness or condition that we know for a fact would affect its quality of life should be let to die. He had quoted a child with Down Syndrome on life support but of course he had based this on the concept of reincarnations. He believed that such souls would have a quicker transition to his next life and probably a better life thereafter if only allowed to die. But most of the time, we hold them back selfishly in the name of love.

For ages, the native Americans and some tribes around the world have practiced a ritual for the old. When the time nears, they just go away, find a secluded spot, expose themselves to the elements and let nature do the rest. No one holds them back, they allowed to die in dignity.. and to die consciously. Dying consciously while the senses are still intact and the mind is aware, is according to many spiritual teachings, the final greatest achievement for a human life.