On my drive to work this morning an old George Harrison song was played on the radio.  It is from the “All Things Must Pass” album of which I had bought a copy back in 1973 ( the original release date)

I had not listened to the song in years and found myself really listening, particularly to the lyrics.  This time around I wondered “What is this about”.

Previous listens to the song focused on the music and the tunefulness of the lyrics, much more so than the meaning.  Maybe because I am older and closer to death, the meaning of the lyrics really peaked my interest this morning

A spiritual concept

Following a read through the lyrics and a little research (what would we do without Google) I determined the main theme of the song.   It is based on the Hindu concept of reincarnation.

Simply stated, if your soul is not ready to rise to Heaven on your death (due to too much Karmic debt) you are reincarnated.  The cycle continues until you have mastered the ” Art of Dying” and your soul is finally free of the material world.

Death is Inevitable

What initially attracted my attention to the song this morning was the underlying philosophy that life is not really about the art of living but rather should focus on the enevitable conclusion of life, no one escapes – death.

An interesting perspective, your live is perhaps best spent preparing for death, that is, teaching yourself the art of dying .