Man Who's Seen 12000 Deaths / 一个目睹12000人死亡的人

Rooted in the hearts of many Hindus is the belief that if you breathe your last in Kashi (Varanasi) you attain what is popularly known as ‘Kashi Labh’ or ‘the fruit of Kashi’—moksh or “release from the cycle of rebirth impelled by the law of karma”.

许多印度教徒心中深深相信如果一个人的呼吸最后一刻在喀什（瓦拉纳西）的停止灵魂就能得到自由和救赎。

This hotel in India where people check-in to and wait to die so they can attain moksha. 印度酒店里那些等待死亡的人.

Here can maximum check in for 15 days and hope to die within that period, if more then 15 days, then need to check out of hotel and give space to others.

Kashi Labh Mukti Bhawan in Varanasi is one of the three guesthouses in the city where people check in to die. The other two are Mumukshu Bhawan and Ganga Labh Bhawan. Established in 1908, Mukti Bhawan is well-known within the city and outside.

瓦拉纳西的喀什拉布穆克提巴哈旺是人们在这里死去的三个宾馆之一。 另外两个是Mumukshu Bhawan和Ganga Labh Bhawan。 Mukti Bhawan成立于1908年，在城市内外享有盛名。

Bhairav Nath Shukla has been the Manager of Mukti Bhawan for 44 years. He has seen the rich and the poor take refuge in the guesthouse in their final days as they await death and hope to find peace. Shukla hopes with and for them. He sits on the wooden bench in the courtyard, against the red brick wall and shares with me 12 recurring life lessons from the 12000 deaths he has witnessed in his experience as the manager of Mukti Bhawan:

Bhairav Nath Shukla已经是Mukti Bhawan的经理长达44年。 他看到不管是富人和穷人在最后的日子里躲在旅馆里等待死亡，希望找到安详。 他坐在院子里的木制长椅上，靠着红砖墙，与我分享了他在Mukti Bhawan中所见证的12000人的生命结束的经历：

People check in to die.人们的死亡。

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What Can We Learn from the Dying?

我们能从死亡中学到什么呢？

1. Resolve all conflicts before you go 去世之前要了却所有心愿

Shukla recounts the story of Shri Ram Sagar Mishr, a Sanskrit scholar of his times. Mishr was the eldest of six brothers and was closest to the youngest one. Years ago an ugly argument between the two brothers led to a wall to partition the house.

舒克拉叙述了见证中的一位梵文学者Shri Ram Sagar Mishr的故事。 米什尔是六兄弟中最年长的。 几年前，他和最小的那个弟弟两兄弟之间的有不愉快的冲突导致了原本一个房子生活的家中间用一堵墙把房子隔开。

In his final days, Mishr walked to the guesthouse carrying his little paan case and asked to keep room no. 3 reserved for him. He was sure he will pass away on the 16th day from his arrival. On the 14th day he said, “Ask my estranged brother of 40 years to come see me. This bitterness makes my heart heavy. I am anxious to resolve every conflict.”

在他最后的日子里，米什尔住进旅馆里，预留3号房间给他。他携带简单行旅，因为 他确信自己将在入住的第十六天去世。 所以他在第十四天说：“我想疏远了四十年的兄弟来见我。 这种未了心愿让我的心很沉重。 我想解决这个冲突。“

A letter was sent out. On the 16th day when the youngest brother arrived, Mishr held his hand and asked to bring down the wall dividing the house. He asked his brother for forgiveness. Both brothers wept and mid sentence, Mishr stopped speaking. His face became calm. He was gone in a moment.

一封信被送出去了。 在最小的弟弟赶到达刚刚好是第十六天，米什拉握住弟弟的手，要求拆除分隔房屋的墙。 希望得到弟弟的原谅。 兄弟俩都泣不成声，突然米什尔停止了讲话。 他的脸变得平静。 他就这样走了。

Shukla has seen this story replay in many forms over the years. “People carry so much baggage, unnecessarily, all through their life only wanting to drop it at the very end of their journey. The trick lies not in not having conflicts but in resolving them as soon as one can,” says Shukla.

舒克拉多年来以各种形式目睹了同样的故事。 “人们一生随身携带很多不必的包袱，在他们的旅程结束时只想把它们都放下。 关键不在于没有冲突，而在于尽快解决它们，“舒克拉说。

The trick lies not in not having conflicts but in resolving them as soon as one can.

重要的不在于没有冲突，而在于尽快解决它们。

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2. Simplicity is the truth of life 简单是生活的真理

“People stop eating indulgent food when they know they are going to go. The understanding that dawns on many people in their final days is that they should’ve lived a simple life. They regret that the most,” says Shukla.

“当人们知道他们时日不多时候，人们不再吃奢侈的食物。 在最后几天恍然大悟应该过着简单的生活。后悔没有过简单的生活。 “舒克拉说。

A simple life, as he explains, can be attained by spending less. We spend more to accumulate more and thus create more need. To find contentment in less is the secret to having more.如他所说的，简单的生活可以很容易实现。 可往往人们都有更多需求，要得很多，不知足。

3. Filter out people’s bad traits 滤除人的不良特质

Shukla maintains that every person has shades of good and bad. But instead of dismissing “bad” people outrightly, we must seek out their good qualities. Harbouring bitterness for certain people comes from concentrating on their negatives. If you focus on the good qualities though, you spend that time getting to know them better or, maybe even, loving them.

舒克拉认为，每个人都有好的和坏的一面。 但是，我们不应该彻底地排斥“坏”的人，而应该找出自己的优良品质。 对于某些人而言，苦涩的心情来自于他们的对自己的否定。 如果你把注意力集中在优秀的素质上，那么你就会花时间去更好地了解它们，甚至是爱上它们。

To find contentment in less is the secret to having more.

知足常乐。

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4. Be willing to seek help from others 愿意寻求别人的帮助

To know and do everything by yourself might feel empowering but it limits one from absorbing what others have learnt. Shukla believes we must help others, but more importantly, have the courage to seek help when we’re in need.

如果自己要去了解和做所有事情，个人的能力有限，但是却不想得到别人的帮助和学习别人的长处。舒克拉认为，我们必须帮助别人，但更重要的是，我们有需要时也要有勇气寻求帮助。

Every person in the world knows more than us in some respect. And their knowledge can help us, only if we’re open to it.

世界上每个人在某些方面比我们都知道得更多。他们的知识可以帮助我们，只要我们敞开心扉。

He recounts the incident of an old woman being admitted on a rainy day back in the 80s. The people who got her there left her without filling the inquiry form. A few hours later, the police came to trace the relatives of the old lady who, they said, were runaway Naxalites. Shukla pretended to know nothing. The police left. When the lady’s relatives returned next morning, Shukla asked the leader uninhibitedly, “When you can kill 5-8 people yourself why didn’t you simply shoot your Nani and cremate her yourself? Why did you make me lie and feel ashamed?” The grandson fell to his knees and pleaded for forgiveness saying no one amongst them is capable of helping his religious grandmother attain salvation. He respects that, and is the reason why he brought her to Mukti Bhawan.

他讲述了一位八十岁的老太太在一个雨天被送到宾馆的事件。把她送过来的人没有办理入住就匆匆离开了宾馆。几小时后，警方来追问那位老太太的亲戚，警察说他是个杀人凶手。舒克拉假装什么都不知道。警察走了。第二天早上亲戚回来的时候，舒克问道：“你自己可以杀了5-8个人，你为什么不直接射死祖母呢？为什么送到这来？“孙子跪在地上乞求宽恕，说没有人能够帮助他的宗教祖母获得救赎。他尊重这一点，也是他把她带到Mukti Bhawan的原因。

We must help others, but more importantly, have the courage to seek help when we’re in need.

我们必须帮助别人，但更重要的是，我们有需要时有勇气寻求帮助。

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5. Find beauty in simple things 在简单的事情中寻找美好

Mukti Bhavan plays soulful bhajans and devotional songs three times a day. “Some people”, he says, “stop and admire a note or the sound of the instruments as if they have never heard it before, even if they have. They pause to appreciate it and find beauty in it.”

Mukti Bhavan每天有三次演奏深情的Bhajans和奉献歌曲。 他说，“有些人”会停下来欣赏每一个音符或者乐器的声音，就好像他们以前从来没有听过一样的欣赏，即使他们有。 他们停下来欣赏它，并找到它的美好。“

But that’s not true of everyone, he adds. People who are too critical or too proud, are the ones who find it hard to find joy in small things because their minds are preoccupied with “seemingly” more important things.

但是，这不是每个人都会这样做的，他补充道。 那些过于挑剔或过于骄傲的人，是很难在小事上找到乐趣的，因为他们的只专注于“看似”更重要的事情。

6. Acceptance is liberation 接受才能释怀

Most people shirk away from accepting what they are going through. This constant denial breeds in them emotions that are highly dangerous. Only once you accept your situation is when you become free to decide what to do about it. Without acceptance you are always in the grey space.

大多数人总会逃避接受正在经历的事情。 这种不断的否定会产生高度压抑的情绪。 只有当你接受你时，你才可以自由决定如何处理。 没有接受，你总是在灰色的空间。

When you are not in denial of a problem you have the strength to find a solution.

当你接受困难的时候，你才有力量找到解决的办法。

Indifference, avoidance, and denial of a certain truth, Shukla believes, cause anxiety; they develop a fear of that thing in the person. Instead, accept the situation so you are free to think what you want to do about it and how. Acceptance will liberate you and empower you.

舒克拉认为，冷漠，回避问题，会引起焦虑; 会产生了对这个事物的恐惧。 相反，接受问题，以便你可以从容地思考你想要做什么以及如何做。 接受将给予你力量和释怀。

Stop and admire a note or the sound of the instruments.

停下来安静的欣赏一个每个音符或乐器的声音。

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7. Accepting everyone as the same makes service easier 接受每个人一样使服务更容易

The secret to Shukla’s unfazed dedication and determination towards his demanding job can be understood via this life lesson. He admits that life would’ve been difficult if he treated people who admit themselves to Mukti Bhavan differently, based on their caste, creed, colour, and social or economic status. Categorisation leads to complication and one ends up serving no one well. “The day you treat everyone the same is the day you breathe light and worry less about who might feel offended or not. Make your job easier,” he says.

舒克拉对自己艰苦工作的无私奉献和决心可以通过他这一生的经历来理解。 他承认，如果按照种姓，信仰，肤色，社会或经济地位来对待宾馆里的人，那么他的生活就会很困难。 分类会导致的并发症，最终导致有的人没有人服务。 “对待每一个人都要平等对待，不用担心谁会感到冒犯。 这样让工作更轻松，“他说。

8. If/When you find your purpose, do something about it 如果/当你找到你的目的，就做一些事情

To have awareness about one’s calling is great, but only if you do something about it.

要明白有理想是伟大的，但前提是你为此做出努力。

A lot of people, Shukla says, know their purpose but don’t do anything about realising it, making it come to life. Simply sitting on it is worse than not having a calling in the first place. Having a perspective towards your purpose will help you measure the time and effort you need to dedicate to it, while you’re caught up in what you think you can’t let go or escape. Take action on what truly matters.

舒克拉说，许多人知道他们的目标，但是没有做任何关于实现这个目标的努力，来实现。 给自己一个目标，并且行动起来才可以帮助你衡量你需要投入的时间和精力。真正对自己重要的事情就要采取行动。

Categorisation leads to complication and one ends up serving no one well.

分类会导致并发症，最终导致没有人服务。

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9. Habits become values 良好的习惯成为价值

Shukla recommends cultivating good habits to be able to house good values. And building good habits happens over time, with practice. “It’s like building a muscle; you have to keep at it everyday.”

舒克拉建议培养良好的习惯，以保持良好的价值。 随着时间的推移，保持良好的习惯。 “这就像想要锻炼出一块肌肉; 你必须每天坚持下去。“

Till one doesn’t consistently work towards being just or kind or truthful or honest or compassionate, every single time he is challenged, one cannot expect to have attained that quality.

一直不断为公正，善良，诚实或富有同情心而努力，每一次他受到挑战，都能指望达到高品质。

10. Choose what you want to learn 选择你想学的东西

In the vastness of the infinite amount of knowledge available to us it is easy to get lost and confused. “The key lesson here is to be mindful of choosing what you deeply feel will be of value to you,” he says. People might impose subjects and philosophies on you because it interests them and while you must acknowledge their suggestions, the wise thing to do is delve deeper into what rejoices your own heart and mind.

在我们可以获得的大量知识中，很容易迷失和迷惑。 他说：“这里的关键是要选择你认为有价值的兴趣。 人们可能因为种种原因强加于你，而你必须保留自己的意愿，明智的做出选择，使自己的心灵和思想丰富起来。

With a smile on his face Shukla says, “In the last days of their life a lot of people can’t speak, walk or communicate with others with as much ease as they could, earlier. So, they turn inwards. And start to remember the things that made their heart sing once, things that they cared to learn more about over the course of their life, which enriches their days now.”

舒克拉脸上带着笑容说：“在他们生命的最后几天，很多人开始回忆那些让他们怦然心动的瞬间，然后为不能在早些时候尽可能敞开心扉畅谈或交流。 所以，他们很向内。 要用心表达那些在一生经历中在乎的情感，才能让日子充实。

They start to remember the things that made their heart sing once.

他们开始记起那让他们怦然心动的东西。

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11. You don’t break ties with people; you break ties with the thought they produce 你不打破人与人的关系。 你打破了他们所产生的思想的联系

You can seldom distance yourself from people you have truly loved or connected with in some way. However, in any relationship, along the way, certain mismatch of ideologies causes people to stop communicating. This never means you are no longer associated with that person. It simply means that you don’t associate with a dominant thought that person brings with him/her, and to avoid more conflict you move away. The divorce, Shukla affirms, is with the thought and never with the person. To understand that is to unburden yourself from being bitter and revengeful.

不管是爱情还是友情，任何一段情感中一旦分手，破裂。这绝对不是意味着你就是和这个人的决裂，而是你和这个人的思想没有得到共识。舒克拉认为离婚只是因为思想不同避免更多冲突，而不是两个人的决裂。要把这这分离理解为对痛苦的摆脱。

12. 10 percent of what you earn should be kept aside for dharma 你所挣财富应该分出10％，用于慈善

Dharma, Shukla doesn’t define as something religious or spiritual. Instead, he says it is associated more with doing good for others and feeling responsible about that. A simple calculation according to him is to keep 10 percent of your income for goodwill.

达摩，舒克拉没有定义为宗教或精神的东西。 相反，他表示信仰更多的意义是做好人好事，并对此做出行动。 他保持10％的收入为慈善。

Many people donate or do charitable acts towards the end of their life because death is hard on them. In their suffering, they begin to empathise with others’ suffering. He says those who have the companionship of loved ones, the blessings of unknown strangers, and an all-encompassing goodwill of people exit peacefully and gracefully. That is possible when you don’t cling on to everything you have, and leave some part of it for others.

很多人在生命的尽头都捐赠或做慈善行为，因为死亡很痛苦。 在他们的痛苦中，他们开始体谅他人的痛苦。 他说，那些有亲人陪伴，和陌生人的祝福，以及全民善意的人们都会平静而温文地死去。 当你抓不住你所有财富时，请把一部分留给需要的人。

https://v.qq.com/txp/iframe/player.html?vid=j133290obxc&width=500&height=375&auto=0

Words By Deepak Ramola

Originally posted on Project Fuel

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