An Indian Study of Love and Death/An Office for the Dead

by Sister Nivedita

An Office for the Dead

 

Written for a little Sister

An Office for the Dead

To be said within the heart:

How is the city become desolate, and how lonely is now the household, that once were full of people! …

How is the fountain stopped up, and the lamp become extinguished!

How is our fire gone out, and how are the ashes scattered upon the hearth!

For now the hand of the Potter hath shattered the vessel that He made.

And the Mother hath hidden from us with a veil, the face of our Beloved.

Dark is the night, and terrible is the storm in the midst of the burning-ghât.

Swift and deep is the river to bear away the scattered dust.

Infinite is Time, into which hurry the passing souls.

And Love cries out in vain to stay the hand of death.

Verily are the flowers withered, O Beloved, in our forests. And all the pools are emptied of their lotuses.

For us are the voices of the singing-birds become silent, and dark clouds have passed over the face of the stars.

Since thy feet come never again across our threshold. Neither is light seen again within thine eyes.

The Salutation of the Dead:

O thou that wert beforetime with us, and hast left us, hear once again, before thou goest forth, our salutation and farewell!

For all wounds and loneliness,
For all angry and impatient thoughts,
For all wherein we failed in love,
Or loving, failed to say to thee, we loved,
Forgive!
For all thy need in life,
For all thy need in death,
For labour that left thee weary,
And for love that failed to comfort thee,
Forgive!

Tenderly here at thy dead feet we make memorial of all thy past.

With infinite lovingness do we live through again in thought thy baby-days.

One by one do all thine acts of help and sweetness and gentle self-suppression come before us.

Wondrous is the memory of our journeying together. Most holy art thou now unto us, in the presence of death.

But know, thou little flower of our great love for thee, that never, till we too are wrapped in Death beside thee, shall we forget to send thee constant aid of love and prayer.

Know thou that Love is strong as Death, that many waters cannot quench, nor the floods overwhelm it.

Thy hand is not unclasped from our hand. Nor is thy name gone out of our heart’s life.

And well we know that this, our longing desire and will of love, can by no means fail to reach and give thee strength. Here or hereafter.—As God will.

But thou—dear one—rest now and be at peace. Then waking, rise and pray with us, now and in the death-hour, evermore.

The Worship:

Thou terrible dark Night!
Thou, the Night of Delusion!
Thou, the Night of Death!
To Thee our salutation.
Thee we salute. Thee we salute.
Thee we salute.

As a man puts off worn-out garments, and puts on others which are new, even so doth the embodied put off worn-out bodies, and put on others which are new. …

Of that which is born, death is certain: of that which is dead, birth is certain. …

Never is the embodied soul destroyed. …

These bodies alone of the embodied Self,—which is eternal, indestructible, and unknowable,—are said to have an end. …

Know That to be imperishable, by which all this is pervaded. None can cause the destruction of That, the Inexhaustible. …

“The body comes and goes.” From Death lead us to Immortality! …

“Peace be to you, O people of the graves! Ye have gone on before, and we are following you!” …

“O great and mighty Dead! O happy Dead! The world unnumbered ages has been weeping for the dead. Weep not for the dead! Weep rather for the living, for they have yet to die!”

The Benediction of the Dead:

The Lord bless thee and keep thee.
The Lord lift up the light of His countenance upon thee,
And be gracious unto thee,
And give thee peace.
Send thee help from the Sanctuary,
And strengthen thee out of Zion.
Give thee thy heart’s desire,
And fulfil all thy mind.

Prayer:

O Krishna, Thou loving Shepherd of the people,
Buddha, Lord of infinite compassion,
Jesus, Thou lover and Saviour of the soul,
May Ye and all the nameless Masters of the spirit,
Visions of divine compassion,
Receive and save this soul!
Keep her in Thine own presence, O Lord God,
And let light perpetual shine upon her.

Rest in peace:^[1]

Speed forth, O Soul, upon thy star-strewn path!
Speed, blissful one, where thought is ever free!
Where time and sense no longer mist the view,
Eternal peace and blessings be on thee!

Thy service true, complete thy sacrifice,
Thy home the heart of love transcendent find.
Remembrance sweet, that kills all space and time,
Like altar-roses, fill thy place behind.

Thy bonds are broke, thy quest in bliss is found,
And,—one with That which comes as Death and Life,—
Thou helpful one! Unselfish e’er on earth,
Ahead, still aid with love this world of strife.

Prayer to Rudra:

From the Unreal lead her to the Real!
From Darkness, lead her unto Light!
From Death, lead her to Immortality!
Reach her through and through her self,
And evermore—O Thou Terrible!—protect her from ignorance,
By Thy sweet compassionate Face!

The Salutation of the Mother:

Thou the giver of all blessings,
Thou the fulfiller of desires,
Thou the doer of all good,
To Thee our salutation.
Thee we salute. Thee we salute.
Thee we salute.
Thou terrible dark Night!
Thou the Night of Delusion!
Thou the Night of Death!
To Thee our salutation.
Thee we salute! Thee we salute!
Thee we salute!

1. By the Swâmi Vivekananda.