Understanding the Process of Death

By Jake Swamp

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The ancient story of how death came for the first time was handed down through word of mouth.  It is told that when the first humans came to exist in the world, there was no weeping, no death, nor sorrow.  When the creator made the first humans, three breaths of life were given so that the human could come to life.  The humans lived happily for a long time for everything was provided. 

 

One day, a man from their village fell to the ground.  He ceased to breathe.  The people in the village didn’t understand how this could happen.  Some reasoned that if they would stand him upright it would cause him to come back to life.  When they did this though, the man fell back to the ground.  Then the people felt they should stand four poles to support a scaffold on which they would lay the man’s body, in doing so, they reasoned he would surely come back to life.  This exercise was to no avail, the only thing that happened was the man’s flesh was taken off his bones by strange looking birds that existed only in those times. 

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Shortly after, another man from their village fell to the ground with no more breath and also placed his body upon the scaffold without uttering any words.  When a young girl fell to ground, the grief was now tripled. The people of the village were worried more and more each passing day, they knew not what caused these events.  Wanting to know what caused this event, drove them to the conclusion that they should seek the advice of their respected elder, who was very knowledgeable. 

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The whole group from the village arrived at the residence of the elder and confronted him with the question.  “What is the reason people fall to ground and cease their breathing”?  The elder accepted the challenge that he would try to find out what causes the people to fall to ground and cease to breathe. He told them “Tonight when I rest I will think deeply about this problem and perhaps I shall find out.”  He told the people to go back to their homes and await the news.  On the very next morning the elder called out to the people to come to his residence.  After everyone had arrived, he started to reveal the information he received, to explain why people fall to the ground with no more breath. 

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During the night as he slept, a spirit visited him and gave him information to pass on to his village.  He said “Now, firstly all of you people must now realize and accept that what happens to people when they fall to the ground will happen to every person in the future.  Secondly, you shall never be afraid of death because it is part of nature’s plan to replenish all life forms.  The Creator of life has designed the plan of nature and no one will have the power to change its course.  Thirdly, each person born into the world has been given a life span, this span of life has been hidden and only the Creator of life knows when each person will pass.”

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He continued “Sometimes a child will be born and live only to see the light and than will pass.  Sometimes a person will be born and will be destined to see many seasons come and go. The reason that the coming of death has been hidden is because the Creator wants the people to love one another each and everyday.  If the people knew exactly when their time is near perhaps the ones who had gone astray would suddenly have feelings of repentance.  The Creator wants all of the humans to be ready everyday for their time of passing.”

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The elder than continued and told the people that there was an entity called the great darkness who was assigned to cause great turmoil, an entity that cannot feel, has no mercy, goes about the world causing people to fall to the ground with no more breath.  This entity has no face, when it hits, there is sure to be much sadness.

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