Back then, when I read this poem by Tagore for the first time, I was deeply shocked.
What kind of death can be so quiet and beautiful like poetry?
I have always believed that death is a very cold, dark, terrifying, and hopeless thing.
I prefer the flourishing life like summer flowers.
For Ramon Sampedro, however, one of the things he's pondered and fought for for two decades is how to die.
Decent, dignified, peacefully, peacefully.
At the age of twenty-six, due to an accident, this burly man was paralyzed in bed, unable to take care of himself. Except for the head, the brain, and the heart, this body has become like flesh.
His father, brother-in-law, and sister have taken good care of him over the years. Warmth and love have never been scarce in front of the couch for more than 20 years.
The soul, however, suffers from torment-like pain all the time.
This broken body has become an unbearable weight for life. The soul longs to fly over this fetter and reach the realm of freedom.
For him, the dignity of life is more important than life itself.
This dignity comes from giving up life.
This freedom comes from choosing to die.
"I will give up my body and give my soul to death, so that I can live forever and embrace you in your deep arms..."
It is said that it comes from the Greek "euthanasia", which is derived from "good" and "death" ” is composed of two words, which means “good death”.
Perhaps, this is the death as quiet and beautiful as autumn leaves.
However, the road to death was difficult.
With a highly paralyzed body, it is an impossible task to complete death.
Just as we need to rely on others to live, we need to rely on others to die.
But can't.
Who has the courage to push their loved ones into the gate of death with their own hands?
Death becomes a battle.
This battle lasted for more than twenty years. Day, month, month, year.
Finally, it got what it wanted.
Smiling quietly, in his dying eyes, Raymond seemed to see the quiet deep sea again, and his soul was slowly ascending, flying towards the long-awaited freedom
... Another life trapped in a mutilated body.
Stephen Hawking.
This famous scientist is even more disabled than Raymond. He has lost his language ability and can only use a computer voice synthesizer to complete his expression. It is said that in order to complete an hour-long recorded speech, he needs to prepare for 10 days.
However, in such physical distress, he carried out research on black holes and won the Einstein Prize, the highest award for theoretical physics research in the world, and the Wolf Prize in Physics. Published the famous popular science book "A Brief History of Time".
A living monument.
When the world looks up at this legendary figure in a wheelchair with adoring eyes, who would have thought that he is also suffering from the pain caused by the fetters of the body that has become a burden?
Not long ago, a piece of news about Hawking's divorce appeared in the media of various countries.
Some truths that were originally hidden from public view have gradually been revealed to the world. Some people came forward and testified that the poor old man had suffered domestic violence many times. Those frequent scars came from his strong wife who was a nurse.
This body, on which the incomparably wise mind is attached, is powerless to resist the hideousness of the relatives around him.
Tortured, beaten, humiliated.
How unbearable.
In order to maintain human dignity, he used silence and denial to cover up the fact of being abused.
How much courage does it take to live like this, to survive the painful and lonely dark night and welcome another tomorrow?
It takes courage to die, and courage to live.
Late at night. I closed the window, and outside was the silent winter night.
Even the night train rushes past the street.
Tomorrow, the tension and vitality of life will wake up from sleep as usual, stretch and jump in the sun.
It's nice to live purely and completely.
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