Limiting Death

How can death be an advisor, a force that lets us know what to do? In the Handbook of Epictetus, we are shown a different approach to death, not as the final step to life but as a daily coach that helps us get an exceptional perception about life’s priorities. Epictetus believes that you have to let “death and exile and everything that is terrible appear before your eyes every day, especially death; and you will never have anything contemptible in your thoughts or crave anything excessively” (21). By understanding how fragile and impermanent everything in our universe is, a soul who is truly aware of death will try to make as little earthly attachments as possible. This soul would stop wondering what the future will bring, since it understands and accepts that death is all there finally is. The constant decay and end of all things in order to bring to birth the next fresh cycle. Epictetus connects death with the understanding of what is and what isn’t up to you, in a discrete fashion. By explaining how fate brings and takes characters, plots and scenarios from your specific play, you begin to accept and understand what is really up to you to decide and act upon.

Expectations transform us, they force our minds to be impatient, to be silenced by that which we are waiting for. A similar thing happens with demands, we are so focused on what we want to happen that we will cross every barrier to get it. Epictetus believes that “you cannot demand an equal share if you did not do the same things, with a view of getting things that are not up to us” (25). This statement helps Epictetus show and back up his main idea, how important it is to let things go, to understand how to let life take its natural course, without human intervention. Sometimes the things which we least put our efforts into are the ones that come out better. Our hopes, expectations and demands mold our momentary being and can change our lives and characters into impatient and unhappy souls. Epictetus is showing his brainwork on disappointed souls and the steps by which a human being could stop lamenting any event in his life.

By having knowledge of the inherent death and impermanence in every object and event in life, your expectations and demands diminish immediately. As you don’t demand anything that you haven’t worked for, you are never disappointed. It seems to me that Epictetus is building a Buddhist formula for a perfect, realized human being. A true handbook for life which protects its followers from ever being affected through simple principles that point out the purpose and function of each living being. Is there a true way to never be hurt by life’s events, wouldn’t this lead to being purposeless and without affect or passion?