With the release of politician and economist Arun Shourie’s new book entitled, “Preparing for Death”, Moneylife Foundation had invited Dr Bibek Debroy, Chairman of PM’s Economic Advisory Council for an in depth discussion on the theories and learnings collected in the book.
Although the session was initially troubled by internet connectivity issues from Mr Arun Shourie, it was well attended by over 150 people on the Webex platform, while several watched it live on YouTube and Facebook platforms. Dr Debroy initiated the discussion by recalling one of the Buddhist scriptures that Mr Shourie had quoted in his book, saying that “death is a certain thing but the time and place thereof are uncertain”.
The discussion was conducted as an informal chat between Mr Shourie and Mr Debroy, as they both pondered over death, the dying process and how it could be made easier. Topics of rebirth or reincarnation were also touched upon during the discussion. More importantly, during the discussion, Mr Shourie stressed that training one’s mind through meditation is of utmost importance in order to overcome the frailness and sufferings of the body. In his opinion, it is through the mind and through meditation that mindfulness and a higher consciousness are achieved, which in turn can lead to an easier death and a more fruitful rebirth.
Video recording of the session: