Reflections By Dr. Paramjit “Romi” Chopra
Recently, I reflected on a dialogue between Sadhguru and a seeker. The conversation unraveled the illusion of death — not as an end, but as a misunderstood transition.
“There is no such thing as death. There’s just life, life, and more life — moving from one dimension to another.”
That line stayed with me.
But even deeper, it resonated with a truth I’ve carried since childhood — a teaching from Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs:
“ਪਹਿਲਾ ਮਰਣੁ ਕਬੂਲਿ ਕਰਿ ਜੀਵਨ ਕੀ ਛਡਿ ਆਸ ॥
Pehla maran kabool kar, jeevan kee chhad aas.
“First, accept death — then let go of the desire for life.”*
— is a call to radical inner surrender. When integrated, it becomes the gateway to spiritual clarity, fearless living, and divine union
In my mind I paraphrased it and remembered it as
“ਪਹਿਲਾ ਮਰਣੁ ਕਬੂਲਿ ਕਰਿ ਜੀਵਨ ਕੀ ਛਡਿ ਆਸ ॥
Pehla maran kabool kar, tabb rakh jeevan ki aasa.
“First, accept death — then entertain the hope of life.”
Spiritual Surrender Is the First Step
In both traditions — Vedic and Sikh — the teaching is clear:
You must first let go of your attachment to life to truly experience it.
This is not a nihilistic act. It is an act of supreme courage — to say:
“I am not this body. I am not these fears. I accept death, and thus, I am free.”
This is the essence of spiritual intelligence. To accept death is not to give up on life — but to finally become worthy of living.
We often hear it mentioned that our body has a soul, conversely i believe that our soul has a body.
The Doctor, The Seeker, The Witness
As a physician, I’ve seen thousands of lives — some depart quietly, others cling with pain. And what I’ve realized is this:
It is not dying that hurts most.
It is not having lived fully.
Those who have accepted their mortality ahead of time often face the end not with terror — but with grace. They have already said goodbye to fear. And in that letting go… they are truly alive.
Between Sadhguru and Guru Arjan Dev Ji
What Sadhguru explains through spiritual logic — Guru Arjan Dev Ji captures in poetic truth.
Sadhguru: “Have you died? Then how do you know what death is?”
Guru Arjan Dev Ji: “Accept death first, then hope for life.”
They converge in one powerful principle:
Death is not the enemy. Attachment is.
Freedom begins where fear ends.
Die Before You Die
Here’s what I tell myself now, and often share with those I mentor:
“Die before you die — not physically, but egoically, emotionally, spiritually. And in that inner death, you will find unshakable peace, radical clarity, and fearless living.”
That is the path of the wise and the mystic. That is the science of the soul. That is the wisdom of our Gurus.
So let us walk it — not in mourning, but in majesty.
