Anything unknown can be scary, but that doesn't mean we should dread it or keep it at a distance. Zen teachers treat death as a part of life; often they're still sitting up when they depart. I like that. Death shouldn't be a dark cloud that follows us around, shrouding our behavior and our attitudes toward life. I believe it's possible to be free of that. My ambition is to die the way ripe fruit lets go of a tree. Life is great, but that doesn't mean I want to go on with it forever. Of course, it's easy to talk now; I'm not on my deathbed. When the time comes, I may be whining with the best of them.
— Peter Matthiessen, Talking on the Water by Jonathan White