We do not rush toward death, we flee the catastrophe of…
““We do not rush toward death, we flee the catastrophe of birth, survivors struggling to forget it. Fear of death is merely the projection into the future of a fear which dates back to our first moment of life. We are reluctant, of course, to treat birth as a scourge: has it not been inculcated as the sovereign good—have we not been told that the worst came at the end, not at the outset of our lives? Yet evil, the real evil, is behind, not ahead of us. What escaped Jesus did not escape Buddha: “If three things did not exist in the world, O disciples, the Perfect One would not appear in the world. …” And ahead of old age and death he places the fact of birth, source of every infirmity, every disaster.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Birth is feared because it initiates suffering, yet true evil lies behind us, not ahead.
In simple terms: Birth brings suffering; evil follows.
Key Takeaway
Reframe birth as a source of growth.
Themes
existentialism
philosophy
human condition
suffering
Mood
thoughtful
philosophical
Type
critical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- medical ethics
- parenting decisions
- end‑of‑life care
Key Concepts
mortality
free will
spiritual insight
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “evil behind us” mean?
- How can we accept birth’s hardships?
A Different Perspective
Fear of birth may ignore present challenges.