This post is dedicated to our dear friend and member of the Hridaya family, Alix Angelelli—a beloved teacher and a truly beautiful soul. Alix passed away unexpectedly due to complications with dengue fever on Monday September 23rd 2024 in Mazunte, Oaxaca, Mexico. She left behind the memory of one of the wisest and purest beings I have ever met.
You will always be an example for us: kind, mature, generous, incredibly gifted, and humble. In this lifetime, you discovered true human love, achieved full accomplishment in the manifested world, and touched the depths and beauty of the Divine Essence.
Death: An End or A New Beginning, A Tragedy or A Sacred Moment of Liberation?
Alix's passing was sudden and deeply unexpected. After a long morning practice, I received a message: 'Sasha, Alix passed away from complications due to dengue. It happened in the last hour. I’m sorry'.
For a moment, everything froze. It felt impossible to believe.
A wave of shock hit me, accompanied by a vibrant stillness—a spaciousness that filled the silence, much like the one I had felt when my mother passed away a year ago.
But even in the midst of that shock, I knew there were things I had to do. On the surface, I knew I needed to call her partner and family as soon as possible. I made the necessary calls to her partner and to her family. It was 3 a.m. for them. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but I recall telling her partner (and my dear friend), 'Now, as hard as this is for us, she needs us to be fully present for her. She needs our love and support.
At the beginning of September, three weeks before her passing, Alix came to visit the Hridaya family from Mazunte. We spent beautiful days together, filled with love and fun, sharing dreams, plans, and discussing the challenges we were facing. She is my age, also a Hridaya teacher, we have (or had, I don’t know) the same or similar dreams and aspirations, similar worries etc.
And now what? All these dreams and worries suddenly feel irrelevant. In an instant, everything is gone. So, what remains?
In the wake of death, what truly remains is not sorrow, but an overwhelming sense of peace, eternity, love, and stillness. This understanding of death is beautifully captured in the teachings of many spiritual traditions, where death is seen not as an end but as a culmination—an opportunity for liberation.
Death as a Culmination of Life.
“What can I tell people about Death?” – Ramdass asked his teacher. “Tell them that Dying is like taking off the shoes that were very tight”
In Oriental culture, death is not viewed as a tragedy or the end of everything, but rather as the most important moment in life - a moment of liberation and release into a higher realm. This perspective offers a profound shift in how we perceive the inevitable end of our physical existence.
The moment of death is seen here as our greatest opportunity to release all attachments and especially, our main attachment – physical body. In that moment, everything we know begins to fade away, and we fall into the unknown. It must be terrifying, right?
I believe it is. And thus – together with the disappearing of all the ideas, concepts, worries – all that which veils us from our true nature – we have a chance to become completely free, dissolving back into the Eternal Light, recognizing one true nature as One with all, as Consciousness, as Love.
It is the moment when we are released from all the worries, struggles of the ego, physical suffering. And we can rest in peace. And if, while being next to a dying person, even for a moment you stop worrying about yourself and move beyond your own fear and sadness, you become utterly present.
In that space between the known and the unknown, when the physical body releases, we are presented with the profound opportunity to let go of all that binds us. And as we face death, we are reminded that this is not truly an end, but a beginning—a doorway to liberation and the rediscovery of our true essence
Contemplating Death Brings to the Beauty of Now.
“Die now and enjoy the rest of your life” – Oriental proverb.
Here, impermanence is a fundamental principle. Death is seen as a reminder of the temporary nature of our existence in the physical world. While today, most of us, we live as if we were eternal. We try to push the idea of death away. But this is limiting. By deluding ourselves with the naïve belief that we are somehow immortal and that death only happens to others, we prevent ourselves from fully living in the present moment. We keep being lost in thousands of worries, concepts, ideas, dreams, projections. We lose connection with the present moment, with what is truly important. There is less aliveness, joy, love here and now. Which is the only thing that truly matters.
This understanding encourages us to live more fully here and now, to appreciate the present moment, to be honest with ourselves and others.
To live fully, you need to embrace freedom. When you become clear that you will die someday, you experience a deeper sense of freedom and empowerment in the present.
Facing Death we are Honest and Clear about what is truly important.
“Death can unlock the secret of real life. (…) An intimacy with Death is needed. Fears melt away in a true Love relationship. Death is always available, honest, and faithful. It will never disappoint you. It is always there with you, if you learn how to find it. Death is beautiful and enough in itself. But to taste such a Love, release all expectations. Death (…) will ask for more transparency. It can do this in so many ways. Forms, concepts, beliefs, and doubts are utterly irrelevant in front of Death. You cannot trick such a Lover.” - Sahajananda
Wouldn't you want to express what is really important to your dear ones? Wouldn't many regrets and worries as well as little frustrations and conflicts fade away when facing death? Would you still think about how your parents didn’t appreciate you 20 years ago or about how your ex ex partner treated you 5 years ago when you were on the edge of dying?
Would you still delude yourself into thinking that saving for a new iPhone is important or (sorry) worrying about being 100% strict about your specific diet?
Death is cleaning up the space...from all that is of little importance, from all that could be surrendered. When we reflect on death, we become more honest with ourselves, more transparent in our actions. This contemplation gives us a broader perspective, one that invites us to reset our priorities and reevaluate the way we live.
The awareness that our time on Earth is finite propels us to reset our priorities and reevaluate the way we live. By acknowledging that we could die tomorrow, we are inspired to let go of trivial concerns and embrace what truly matters. This heightened sense of urgency encourages us to live honestly and with purpose, making the most of each day that we are blessed with.
Remembering Death. Living Fully, Beyond Fear.
Death is our eternal companion. It is always to our left, an arm's length behind us. Death is the only wise adviser that a warrior has. Whenever he feels that everything is going wrong and he's about to be annihilated, he can turn to his death and ask if that is so. - Carlos Castaneda
In essence, the contemplation of death serves as a catalyst for personal growth and spiritual awakening. By embracing the impermanence of life, we are able to free ourselves from the shackles of attachment and fear, and instead, invite a deeper sense of peace and gratitude into our lives.
Would you be still living out of fear, lying to yourself or others if it was your last day? Would you postpone doing what you always desired?
Of course, we can keep living in a limited way, tied up by fear, protecting ourselves from hurt and failures - but the price of this is our Life, full life where we Love, Serve, experience fully Joy and Sadness.
Contemplation:
Sit quietly for a moment.
Feel your body, center yourself in the Heart.
Contemplate: how would I live if this was the last year of my life? Knowing that in a year the person, this body which I take myself for, will cease to exist.
Helpful questions could be:
What would I do? (Or what do i currently do that suddenly seems irrelevant)
What would I prioritize?
What would I let go of & stop worrying about?
With whom, where would I spend this time?
What have I been postponing over and over and why?
What stops me from doing that? (and if there is fear, idea etc – then ask yourself: would it be still so relevant if I knew I am dying or could I let go of that)
Surrender and Trust are Essential in Life and in Death
We have been meeting in zoom twice per day to meditate on Alix and to send her blessings.
And we will continue every Sunday at 10 am (Mexico time) – 6 pm (France time) for the next 49 days.
During such meditation we want to connect to her soul, to send her our love and support and to “whisper”:
- We Love you, we are here with you, but don’t worry about us: we are gonna be fine. Let go of us, of everything.
- Relax in trust, surrender as fully as possible.
- Don’t grasp onto anything, let go of attachments, of your body and personality.
- Don’t follow any phenomena – recognize that they are all creations of mind.
- Recognize your true ESSENCE, Follow the Light, dissolve back into Eternal Light that you have always been.
“Our dear friend, our dear Alix, may your soul surrender fully in Trust and Peace and may it recognize its True Nature, dissolving back into Light that you have always been.”
Comentários