Japanese Death Poems
In the death poem or jisei, the essential idea was that at one's final moment of life, one's reflection on death (one's own usually but also death in general) could be especially lucid and meaningful and therefore also constituted an important observation about life. The poem was considered a gift to one's loved ones, students, and friends. The tradition began with zen monks, but was also popular with poets, whose poems were often just as solemn as those of monks, or entirely flippant and humorous. The poems are often full of symbols of death, such as the full moon, the western sky, the song of the cuckoo, and images of the season in which the writer died.
Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death by Yoel Hoffmann.
Examples from Hoffman:
Gesshu Soko, died January 10, 1696, at age 79:
Goku Kyonen, died October 8, 1272, at age 56:
The story goes that when Goku felt that his death was close, he gathered this monk disciples around him. Sitting up, he gave the floor a single tap, said the above poem, raised his stick, tapped the floor again, cried, "See! See!" Then, sitting upright, he died.
Hosshin, 13th century wrote:
Hosshin's last word was "Katsu!" which signifies the attainment of enlightenment. Sort of a spiritual "Eureka."
Shoro, died April 1894, at age 80:
Senryu, died September 23, 1790, at 73:
Kozan Ichikyo, died February 12, 1360, at 77. A few days before his death, he called his pupils together, ordered them to bury him without ceremony, forbidding them to hold services in his memory. After writing this poem on the morning of his death, he lay down his brush and died sitting upright.
Shinsui, died September 9, 1769, at 49:
Yoshitoshi, a printmaker who produced a series called "One Hundred Aspects of the Moon". His death poem reads:
The death poem of Basho, one of the greatest haiku poets of all time:
Zoso Royo died on the fifth day of the sixth month, 1276, at 84:
Four Death Poems set to Music: http://www.christopherbrakel.com/4JDP.html
They say that the moment of death can be terrifying, especially when it comes suddenly and one is unprepared. No one wakes up in the morning and thinks, today I will die in an accident, today I'll be murdered, but one never knows. So prepare. In order to meet death consciously and with a composed mind, begin each day with a death poem. Haiku is a good form to use, or simply restrict yourself to four lines.