‘좋은 죽음’과 유학의 죽음관

김명숙 동양사회사상학회 2009 사회사상과 문화 Vol.19 No.-

Death is one of the biggest event in life. But these days the process of death is transferred to doctors, thus dignity of finishing the finale of life or meaning for people who are left to live(Surviving) seems less important. Facing death not only provokes fear it also makes us aware of the meaning of life and makes our lives affluent so it is something we shouldn’t put behind. The point of this paper is to show what is the ‘good process of dying’(facing death) modern day Korean wants, and how ‘good death’(Death) consist of by doing a survey called ‘idea research of death for Korean’. And found out what influence is given or can be given by view of death in confucianism in ‘good death’ present age Koreans want. 죽음은 인생의 핵심 대사 중의 하나이다. 그러나 오늘날 대다수 사람들의 죽음의 과정은 병원이나 의사에게 일방적으로 떠넘겨지고 삶의 대단원을 마무리하는 존엄함이나 떠나보내는 사람들의 삶의 의미로 살아나지 못한다. 죽음에 직면하는 것은 불안감을 야기하기도 하지만 오히려 삶의 의미를 일깨워주는 경험이 되어 삶을 풍요롭게 할 가능성도 높기 때문에 뒷전으로 밀쳐 버릴 일이 아니다. 본고에서 논자는 현대 한국인들이 바라는 ‘좋은 죽어 가는 과정’(임종)이란 어떠한 것인지, ‘좋은 죽음’이란 어떻게 구성되는지를 ‘한국인의 죽음에 대한 표상 연구’라는 설문의 응답을 통해 알아보았다. 그리고 유학의 죽음관이 현대 한국인들이 바라는 ‘좋은 죽음’에 어떤 영향을 주고 있는지 혹은 줄 수 있을지를 살펴보았다.

‘좋은 죽음’과 유학의 죽음관

김명숙(Kim, Myung-Sook) 동양사회사상학회 2009 사회사상과 문화 Vol.19 No.-

죽음은 인생의 핵심 대사 중의 하나이다. 그러나 오늘날 대다수 사람들의 죽음의 과정은 병원이나 의사에게 일방적으로 떠넘겨지고 삶의 대단원을 마무리하는 존엄함이나 떠나보내는 사람들의 삶의 의미로 살아나지 못한다. 죽음에 직면하는 것은 불안감을 야기하기도 하지만 오히려 삶의 의미를 일깨워주는 경험이 되어 삶을 풍요롭게 할 가능성도 높기 때문에 뒷전으로 밀쳐 버릴 일이 아니다. 본고에서 논자는 현대 한국인들이 바라는 ‘좋은 죽어 가는 과정’(임종)이란 어떠한 것인지, ‘좋은 죽음’이란 어떻게 구성되는지를 ‘한국인의 죽음에 대한 표상 연구’라는 설문의 응답을 통해 알아보았다. 그리고 유학의 죽음관이 현대 한국인들이 바라는 ‘좋은 죽음’에 어떤 영향을 주고 있는지 혹은 줄 수 있을지를 살펴보았다. Death is one of the biggest event in life. But these days the process of death is transferred to doctors, thus dignity of finishing the finale of life or meaning for people who are left to live(Surviving) seems less important. Facing death not only provokes fear it also makes us aware of the meaning of life and makes our lives affluent so it is something we shouldn’t put behind. The point of this paper is to show what is the ‘good process of dying’(facing death) modern day Korean wants, and how ‘good death’(Death) consist of by doing a survey called ‘idea research of death for Korean’. And found out what influence is given or can be given by view of death in confucianism in ‘good death’ present age Koreans want.

죽음 관련 고통 경험과 극복과정의 양상과 의미 - 스포츠발전 공헌자 산악인 이인정의 구술생애담을 대상으로

변지선 한국문화융합학회 2019 문화와 융합 Vol.41 No.6

This study is an article about experiencing the pain associated with death and the analyzing the aspect and meaning of its overcoming the process of overcoming it. This study examines the pain and death of the experiences of death for of Lee In‐jung in reference to his oral her life history’s oral life story. Lee In‐jung In his life, he suffered and overcaome the experiences of hisherfather’s death, hisercolleague’s death, his junior’s death and hiserjunior’s death, and his her own distress. Lee In‐jung climbed to overcome his her father’s death, prevailing over Lee In‐jung overcame both the economic and mental pain that she endured inand climbed hiserisfather’s absence through mountain climbing. Lee In‐jung faced suffered the death of a colleague while climbing and likewise suffered the loss of her a junior climber. He SheIn‐jung Lee overcame fought through the pain through social contributions, not through without letting herself be devoured by her personal suffering, at the same time while suffering mourning the death of close the people close to himer. Lee In‐jung endured suffered extreme isolation and physical suffering through her herdistressful experiences. Lee In‐jung HShelearned that hesshe hemust discover and respect the value of Sherpa, a Nepalese who can share the experiences regarding the moment of death. In addition, she understood the economic suffering of the Nepalese people and helped Nepalese their workers to become Honorary Consuls of Nepal. In addition, Lee In‐jung also decided to help others by through sharing experiences related to death and practicing the coping methods she preached and practiced it. The profits of the company she founded were returned used to help to society. The analysis of oral life‐historyies narrated by Lee In‐jung shows that social contribution was achieved utilized as a process ofto overcomeing the experience of personal suffering without enduring personal endurance and mourning.

요나의 실존적 죽음 체험이 갖는 심미적 기능

김지은(Ji Eun Kim) 한국기독교학회 2005 한국기독교신학논총 Vol.37 No.-

This study is on the discerning and the salvation through reflection of the existential death experience. Based on disregard of life meaning, there has been too many suicidal. And anyhow, the death has been a doctor`s work on scientific and technical grounds. Also funeral has been a funeral director on the ground of economical and environmental soundness. As a result of them, the death has been alive outside me and expelled from society. But the death is a limit situation of man and a ground of existence. Therefore society without death is a dead society as indicated in existential philosophy. Thus not avoiding the death, man seeks to regard death as base of existence and think of direction of life. And individual salvation and self realization being real meaning of religion are achieved by asking the existential question, after then having the subjective experience of death. Expecially, Jonah shows the salvation and the realized procession of individual and society throughout existential death experience. With Jung`s individuation procession operated to Jonah, we can attach the aesthetic and existential motivation of death. By Jung`s individuation procession, Jonah has a public mission as a holy people. But he conflicts asking the necessity of judgement on the evil. Self of Jonah requiring the righteousness and justice, also defuses making the righteousness and justice. Doing so, Jonah makes suicide and comes to loss crisis of self. At that time, Jonah realizes God`s guidance and goes forward with new obligation and responsibility of life as a man receiving a salvation. To accomplish the man`s real personality completion, man`s self must experience indirectly the death in aesthetic function. Thus the death is not entrance toward meaningless but necessary condition making life in abundance.

현대소설을 통한 죽음교육 연구

김지혜(Kim, Ji-Hye) 문학과환경학회 2018 문학과 환경 Vol.17 No.3

본 논문은 해외 죽음교육의 사례를 바탕으로 중등교육의 문학교육에서의 죽음교육의 방향성 및 내용을 고찰하는 것을 목적으로 한다. 특히 현대소설을 통한 죽음교육의 내용에 대해 살펴보았다. 죽음은 삶의 자연스러운 과정이자 삶의 도달점이다. 그러나 죽음은 누구도 경험해보지 못한 것으로 두려운 사건일 수밖에 없다. 현대사회에서는 죽음이 병원으로 격리되거나 은폐되고 있어 죽음에 대해 성찰을 할 기회가 많지 않다. 이러한 죽음에 대한 회피 및 단절을 극복하기 위해 미국, 독일, 일본 등의 청소년들은 정규 교육 과정에서 죽음교육을 받으며 삶과 죽음에 대한 성찰을 많이 하는 반면, 한국 청소년들의 죽음에 대한 성찰은 부족한 실정이다. 국어과의 문학교육에서는 허구적인 서사인 소설을 활용하여 죽음에 대한 태도 및 가치를 생각해봄으로써 존재에 대한 성찰을 하기에 적절하다. 죽음교육을 통한 존재론적 성찰은 2015 개정 국어과 교육과정에서 함양해야 하는 역량 중 하나인 ‘자기 성찰·계발 역량’과도 연관되어 있는데, 특히 죽음에 대한 이해와 성찰은 문학 영역의 성취기준에서 제시하고 있는 ‘자아 성찰’ 및 ‘인간과 세계의 총체적 이해’, ‘삶의 의미의 깨달음’을 내면화하는 데 중요한 내용이 될 수 있다. The purpose of this paper is, based on other countries’ cases of death education, to study direction of death education through literatures in junior high and high schools. Death is a natural course of life and it is a destination of life. Death, however, is not something that one can experience it and come back from it so there is no doubt that it would be a dreadful experience. In modern societies, most realistic witness of death is happed in hospitals as it is concealed and isolated from general people, therefore, people barely have the opportunity to contemplate it. To resolve this avoidance and severance, countries such as America, German, and Japan added death education to their regular academic curriculums which makes students contemplate what life and death is, whereas, adolescents in Korea do not spend sufficient time to contemplate it. For this reason, education about death is required for junior high and highs school students in Korea. It is recommendable to use fictions of Korean literature course to think about attitude toward mortality and its value for deep consideration of existence. Ontological reflection through death education is strongly related to ‘self-introspection’ and ‘overall understanding of human and the world’ which are one of ability required to cultivate through 2015 revised version of Korean language course. Furthermore, achievement standard of literature is composed of ‘self-introspection’, ‘overall understanding of human and the world’, and ‘realization of meaning of life’ and these can be more deeply understood by contemplating life and death. This paper studied suitable literatures by categorizing death education into ① understanding of death process and significance ② condolence for other’s death ③ introspection of one’s own death ④ contemplate bioethics, with referring international case of death education and Alfons Deeken, David Leviton’s purpose of death education. Death education through literatures can result in overall understanding of human and the world and genuine self-introspection and it is expected to play a significant role in ‘cultivating ability of selfintrospection’.

鄭敏 시에 나타난 죽음의식 연구

정동매 한중인문학회 2011 한중인문학연구 Vol.34 No.-

이 논문의 목적은 郑敏 시에 나타난 죽음의식을 살펴보는 데 있다. 郑敏은 1940년대부터 근작시에 이르기까지 죽음이라는 형이상학적인 문제에 대하여 직, 간접적인 관심을 보이면서 삶과 죽음의 세계, 삶과 죽음의 본질적 관계에 대한 시적 성찰을 보여주고 있다. 따라서 죽음 을 소재로 한 시들은 郑敏 시세계의 존재론적 의미망을 연속적으로 확보하고 있다는 점에서 집중적인 고찰을 필요로 한다. 郑敏은 초기 시에서 죽음을 삶의 시간에서 분리된 이원화된 공간으로 인식한다. 따라서 죽 음에 대해 공포를 느끼며 물리적 죽음이라는 이 중력의 법칙에서 벗어나고자 하는 불복종의 태도를 보인다. 그 후 중국사회에 불어친 정치폭풍의 세례 속에서 모든 것을 포기하고 30년이 라는 공백기를 가졌던 시인은 역사적 사건과 체험을 통해 개체의 죽음이 나라, 민족의 운명과 긴밀히 연관되어 있음을 지적하면서 죽음에 휴머니즘적 관심을 보인다. 정치폭풍이 끝나면서 점차 안정을 찾아 감에 따라 역사적․시대적 불운에서 벗어나 풍요롭고 절실한 삶을 마주한 시인은 다시 죽음에 대해 지대한 관심을 보이면서 시적 탐구를 지속하고 있는데 이 시기 시인 에게 있어서 죽음의 의미는 단순한 시간의 단절이나 공간의 이동이 아니라 그 지속이며, 삶의 분절이 아니라 궁극적으로 삶의 완성이라는데 귀착된다. 이러한 삶과 죽음의 인식론적 전환을 경험한 시인은 노년에 이르러 죽음에로의 선주(先走)를 통해 죽음을 삶에 통합함으로써 정신 적인 재생과 영겁의 세계를 향한 지향을 나타내고 있다. 이처럼 세월의 흐름에 따라 삶의 경 험과 연륜을 축적한 시인의 죽음의식은 서양 철학과의 접목을 통하여 노년에 이르러 하나의 원환(圓環)을 완성하고 있다. This paper explores the poet, Zheng Min’s personal experience and description of death in her poetry. Being the biggest and the most penetrating tragedy of human being, death strongly influences people’s living existence in reality. Consequently, a profound analysis of death could be transformed into important resource for life management. Because of this, it is tempting for the poet to study and keep chanting this subject in her poetry, starting from the 1940s and afterwards, which leads her thought of death to eternity. Based on a combinition of profound western mode of thinking and eastern philosophy, the poet’s grasp and interpretation of death is conducted between life and death, which develops with her enriched experiences. Dating from the 1930s and 1940s, Zheng Min’s poetry touched upon the subject of life and death. However, the poet’s understanding of death then was only perceptual, filled with fear and therefore, hoping to keep a distance from it. From 1948 to 1979, her writing career stopped for nearly thirty years. In 1955, she returned from overseas and started to learn history through reading and socializing. The year 1979 witnessed her brand-new start of writing anew. Individuals’ death was closely associated with the nation’s fate. The poet combined death with historical culture, hurled questions concerning history and innocent death, condemned the rampage of violence and evil powers, angered by indifference to life. In her mid-life, the poet further studied the essence of death, which enabled her to realize that death, being merely another form of life, is but a critical reference to people’s real existence. A friendly mentality about death was hence developed, proposing an optimistic welcome and hand in hand with death. In her old age, the poet gave an even mature and cool consideration to death. She realized that death was not only mysterious and beautiful, but also could be dialectically transformed with life. Death was not deliberately evaded because of the thought that death could not make life disappear. Conversely, unceasing pursuit for freedom of the soul could transcend the limitness of death so as to achieve immortality. In her poetry, Zheng Min explores the mysterious essence of death. From the angle of life philosophy, she reflects on the relationships between life and death, history and death, eternity and death, as well as wholism and individuality, which is a dialectical consideration of life and death. The poet’s cognition of death embodies her incisive understanding of life.

애정비극에서 인생비극으로 - 뱃사공 인물형상 중심으로 살펴본 "邊城"의 갈등전개양상과 그 의의

안승웅 한국중국현대문학학회 2006 中國現代文學 Vol.0 No.39

Frontier Town, which is well recognized as one of the sacred books, is generally known as a love tragic drama. However, when we look through the development process of the trouble with the boatman―practically the main character of this story―as the central figure, we can see that the Frontier Town is not just a love tragic drama. The formation process of the trouble gives us a hint that the Frontier Town is a story of the boatman's life tragic drama. As the trouble progressing, the boatman's defect of personality is embossed, it is revealed that the boatman's misfortune was just his own fault. The deepening process of the trouble shows us that Frontier Town has the elements of the social tragic. The misunderstanding, which is surrounding the boatman, started originally from a very trifle thing, however, it makes the troubles be serious, and finally drives the boatman to death. This story reveals the tragic truth, that is to say, though a man is a social being, he will ever be in the state of out of communication. The settlement process of the trouble let us know that the Frontier Town is a story of revealing the ontological tragic of human being. The sudden death of the boatman makes the troubles between characters vanish at once. The grim truth, which is being in the death itself, is revealed by the death of the boatman, which was the main reason of solving troubles. In conclusion, as we look through the development process of the trouble with the boatman as the central figure once again, the Frontier Town is a work, which diversely shows us that the tragic states of a man can be faced with, with the view of individual, society and existence.

아버지 죽음 상실의 자기치유 과정에 대한 해석현상학적 분석

김경희 ( Kyunghee Kim ) 사단법인 아시아문화학술원 2021 인문사회 21 Vol.12 No.6

본 연구는 청소년기에 아버지와 사별한 50대 성인들의 상실과 극복에 대한 해석현상학적 분석(IPA)이다. 이를 위해 청소년기에 아버지와 사별한 50대 성인 3명을 대상으로 심층면담을 실시하여 자료를 수집했다. Smith et al.(2009)이 제안한 해석현상학적 분석방법으로 접근하여 수집된 연구자료를 분석한 결과, 아버지 상실의 자기치유 과정에 관한 30개의 하위주제와 10개의 상위주제가 도출되었다. 이러한 상위주제를 수렴하여 연구참여자의 체험을 현상학적으로 해석할 수 있는 대주제는 ‘비극에 좌절하지 않고 자기의 삶을 수용하며 아버지의 죽음은 물론 세상과 화해하는 삶’으로 정리된다. 이러한 연구결과를 통해 개별적이면서 공통적인 아버지 사별 경험의 의미와 본질을 발견할 수 있었다. 본 연구결과에 근거하여 ‘죽음을 통한 세상과 화해’에 대해 논의했다. 이러한 연구를 통해 아버지 사별에 대한 사회적 이해와 관심을 확산하고 죽음에 대한 인문학적 통찰과 새로운 사유의 장을 제시하고자 했다. This study is an interpretative phenomenological analysis about loss and restoration of adults in their fifties who experienced father’s death in adolescence. Data were collected by in-depth interviews from three participants who had undergone father’s death during their adolescence. The data were analyzed based on Smith et al. (2009)’s Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), and 30 sub themes and 10 main themes about self-healing process on father’s death. The ultimate theme of IPA, which was collected from major topics, was ‘accepting one’s life without being frustrated by tragedy and reconciling with father’s death and the world.’ The meaning and essence about father’s death were individual and common at the same time. Based on the study results, key finding on ‘Reconciliation with the world through death’ was discussed. The study suggested spreading social understanding and interest about father’s death, and presenting a humanistic insight and new field of thought about death.

농촌여성노인의 배우자 사별 적응과정

장희선(Jang, hee Sun),김윤정(Kim, Yun Jeong) 한국노년학회 2011 한국노년학 Vol.31 No.4

본 연구에서는 근거 이론적 접근을 통하여 농촌지역에 살고 있는 여성 노인의 사별적응을 살펴보고 확인하여 그에 대한 실체이론을 개발하고자 하였다. 연구의 참여자는 농촌노인의 배우자를 사별한 여성으로 배우자 상실 후 단독거주자로서 홀로 살고 있으며 배우자를 사별한지 12개월 미만이 되는 14명이었다. 수집기간은 2010년 1월부터 8개월간의 기간이 소요되었고, 인터뷰는 1회기 당 40분-90분까지 소요되었으며 현장메모를 동시에 기록하였고 녹음된 내용은 본 연구자가 직접 필사하였다. 연구 자료는 심층면담과 참여관찰 및 참여자를 돌보는 지역사회 담당간호사의 도움을 받아 수집하였다. 수집된 자료는 Strauss & Corbin(1998)의 근거이론방법을 적용하여 분석하였다. 연구결과 개방코딩 과정에서 80개의 개념과 28개의 하위범주, 12개의 범주가 도출되었으며, 배우자 사별 적응과정은 '울타리가 무너져 내림'의 인과적 조건과 '살아생전부부의 금실정도', '살아생전 부부의 주도권'의 맥락적 조건에 영향을 받아 나타나는 '홀로 여생을 감당해 나감'의 중심현상에 대한 '지원체계', '건강상태가 달라짐', '경제상황 정도'의 중재적 조건에 영향을 받으면서 '상황 끌어안기', '생활의 변화를 시도함'의 전략을 사용하여 '홀로 살아갈 길을 찾음'의 과정인 것으로 나타났다. 시간의 흐름에 따른 적응과정은 충격과 감정분출 단계, 그리움과 원망단계, 체념과 수용단계, 삶의 재구성단계의 4단계로 나타났다. 이상의 결과는 농촌여성의 배우자를 사별하고 살아가야하는 참여자들이 여러 맥락요인들의 영향을 조절하면서 중재전략을 적정하게 사용하여 삶에 적응할 수 있도록 하는 '홀로 살아갈 길을 찾음'의 과정 및 유형에 노인복지중재의 방향을 제시하고 실질적인 실천적 복지중재를 개발하고 적응하는데 기초 자료를 제공하였다. This study observed elderly women's adaptation process on separation by death in rural areas through grounded theory approach and developed its entity theory. Participants for this study were 14 elderly women who have lost their husbands in the last 12 months. The study was conducted for 8 months starting January 2010. Each interview per session took 40 to 90 minutes, study notes were taken on site, and recorded contents were transcribed by the researcher which was myself. The research data were collected by in-depth interview and with help of local community's nurses who were in charge of taking care of the participants. The collected data were analyzed by applying Strauss & Corbin's grounded theory (1998). As a result of study, 80 concepts, 28 subcategories, and 12 categories were deducted during open coding process. Adaptation process on separation by death was process of 'finding a way to live alone' which used strategy of 'attempting a make changes in life', and 'embracing the situation' which were influenced by conciliatory conditions of 'degree on economic condition', 'change in health', and 'supporting system' which focuses on phenomenon of 'bearing life alone' which is influenced by context condition of 'marital chemistry of couples during lifetime', and 'the couple's leadership during lifetime' together with casual conditions of 'the fall of wall'. The adaptation process accordance to time flow were divided into 4 steps which were step of 'shock and release of emotions', step of 'longing and resentment', step of 'resignation and acceptance', and step of 'life's restructure'. Above results suggest right directions for welfare for the aged and process of 'finding a way to live alone' for participants by controlling several factors and using intervention strategy, and provided basic data required for developing and applying practical welfare mediation.

죽음, 自我의 消滅過程에 대한 탐색

권영구(Kwon, Yung-Gu) 강원대학교 인문과학연구소 2015 인문과학연구 Vol.0 No.45

본 연구의 목적은 불교의 가르침에 나타난 自我의 生滅實相을 탐색함으로써 죽음에 대한 이해에 깊이를 더하고 나아가 자신의 존재가치와 삶의 의미를 되돌아보는 계기를 마련하는 데 있다. 불교는 태생적으로 生死問題의 근원적 해결에 초점을 맞추어 2,500여 년을 일관되게 내려오고 있으므로 죽음에 대한 가르침이 대단히 광범위하고 다양하며 심오하다. 본 연구에서는 죽음에 대한 성찰을 통하여 自我의 實相을 觀하는 수행으로 圓覺을 證得하는 길을 일깨워주는 『圓覺經』 普眼菩薩章의 가르침과 죽음에 대한 깊은 이해로 잘 알려진 티베트 불교의 죽음 과정에 대한 敎說을 중심으로 ‘나’의 존재가 어떻게 生成되고 무엇으로 구성되어 있으며 죽음에 이르러 어떻게 消滅되는지에만 초점을 맞추어 논의의 범위를 한정하였다. 붓다는 말세중생이 세상의 진리를 확연히 깨달을 수 있는 길을 묻는 보안보살에게 ‘戒를 굳건히 하고 깊은 奢摩他行에 의지하여 죽음 앞에 자신의 모습이 어떻게 되는지를 깊이 성찰해보라’는 가르침을 주었다. 이것은 간단히 말해 깊은 ‘죽음 명상’을 통하여 自我의 實相을 올바로 깨달으면 圓覺에 이를 수 있다는 것을 일깨워준 것이다. 붓다의 이 가르침에 의지하여 철저한 수행생활로 일관해온 티베트의 殊勝한 스승들이 깊은 죽음 명상을 통해 실제 체험하고 알게 된 自我의 實相과 붓다가 앞의 경전에서 일깨워준 가르침이 결코 다르지 않다는 사실을 새삼 확인할 수 있었다. 우리가 ‘나’라고 믿고 그처럼 집착하고 매달리는 自我의 實相은 깊이 성찰해보면 결국 ‘나’라고 할 만한 일정한 正體性(identity)도 없으며[無我], 因緣和合으로 만들어진 緣起的 존재로서, 幻과 같고[空性], 이러한 幻인 ‘나’는 因緣이 다하여 죽음에 이르면 다시 흩어져 자연으로 되돌아간다. 그렇다면 문제는 어떻게 하면 幻華에 불과한 허망한 ‘나’에 매달려 오직 부와 명예와 나의 것들이라 생각되는 모든 것을 위하여 지금처럼 헌신하며 헐떡거리는 고단한 삶에서 벗어나 청정한 圓覺이 顯現하는 의미 있는 삶을 지향할 수 있느냐이다. 이를 위하여 제시해준 方便이 ‘正念으로 죽음을 깊이 성찰하는 명상수행을 생활화하라’는 것이다. 이것이야말로 우리의 삶을 늘 새롭게 관조하며 올바른 길로 나아가도록 이끌어주는 귀중한 가르침이라 하겠다. This paper is aiming to deepen the understanding of our dying and death by searching the reality of the self appearing in Buddhist teachings, and further more to provide with the opportunity to review the value and meaning of one"s life. The Buddhist teachings on death is very diversified, deep, and extensive, because the purpose of Buddhism has been how to overcome the sufferings from life and death to the root for more than 2,500 years consistently from the beginning. This study focuses mainly on the reality of the life and death of the self appearing in the teachings of the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment and Tibetan Buddhism which is well known by its deep understanding on death. The Sutra teaches the way to the Perfect Enlightenment by mindfulness meditation on death for the people who yearn for the pure enlightened mind of the Tath?gata. When the bodhisattva Universal Vision begged of the Buddha on behalf of the sentient beings of the degenerate age, to expound on the expedient means to be devised to cause them all to get enlightened, Buddha gave him the teaching that they should correct their thought and rid themselves of all illusions, first relying on the Tath?gata"s practice samatha. Firmly established in moral discipline, then they should uninterruptedly be mindful of the question "When we were dying and the Four Elements might have been separated, what would happen on the false body?" In brief, this means that you can get enlightened if you were able to realize the reality of yourself by deep mindfulness meditation on death. Not a few venerable masters in Tibetan Buddhism, who had lived their lives with thorough practice following the Buddha"s teaching, showed us evidently again that, the reality of the self in the Buddha"s teaching is not really different from what they had experienced and found by the deep mindful meditation on death. We usually believe in ego "I" as a personal, separate and unique identity so firmly that we always eagerly want to attach and hang on it. But if we look deeply into the reality of the ego, it does not have any constant identity[no-self] and only a synthesis of beings which are interrelated and interdependent on each other[co-existence]. So ultimately, the ego appears apparently as only an illusory object. And when such an illusory object "I" spends all its energy to sustain the interrelationship with necessary beings, it will die, separate and scatter back into the nature. Now the most important issue is how to come out of the present foolish life attaching to one"s false self, ego so desperately and gaspingly, and let one"s life direct to cultivating Enlightened Buddha"s mind, and finally realize meaningful true life. As an expedient mean for this purpose, Buddha taught us the way: Firmly keeping in moral discipline by coherent mindful watching and living in harmony with neighbours, then practicing meditation on death in deep concentration with silent sitting in a quiet room. This message should be one of the most important and effective teaching which we should always keep in mind and put into practice in our daily lives.