I've always been fascinated with death and darkness, and I still

The words of The Undertaker, the legendary figure of the wrestling world, strike with the weight of mystery and depth: “I’ve always been fascinated with death and darkness, and I still am.” To the unthinking ear, these words may sound grim, even macabre—but to those who listen with the heart, they reveal something far greater: a meditation on the unknown, the shadow, and the eternal dance between light and darkness. In these words, one finds not a love for despair, but a reverence for the forces that define the limits of life itself.

Throughout the ages, the ancients have taught that one cannot know life until one has faced death—not merely as an event, but as a presence that walks beside every living soul. The Undertaker, both as man and myth, embodies this truth. His fascination with death and darkness is not the hunger of one who delights in sorrow, but the curiosity of a soul seeking to understand the full circle of existence. For to understand darkness is to understand the nature of fear; to understand death is to grasp the sacredness of life. Only those who gaze into the abyss without flinching can return with wisdom in their eyes.

In the arenas of the modern world, where spectacle often replaces substance, The Undertaker became a symbol of something ancient and eternal—the reminder that mortality walks among us, cloaked in awe. Like a priest of the twilight, he entered his ring as if stepping into a ritual space, where victory and loss mirrored life and death themselves. His fascination with darkness became a performance of philosophy: the dramatization of the truth that death is not to be mocked or fled, but to be faced and respected. Through his persona, audiences were made to confront their own unease with mortality—and in doing so, they were freed from it, if only for a moment.

Consider the story of Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha. In his youth, he lived surrounded by beauty and comfort, shielded from the sight of pain and death. Yet when he finally encountered an old man, a sick man, and a corpse, he was shaken to the core. It was his fascination with suffering and death that led him on a quest for enlightenment. He realized that to deny the darkness is to remain blind; only by walking through it can one find liberation. In much the same way, The Undertaker’s lifelong engagement with the imagery of death was not an embrace of despair, but a journey into understanding—a modern myth echoing the eternal teaching: that transformation is born in shadow.

Death and darkness are not enemies; they are teachers. They strip away illusion and reveal what endures. When one becomes fascinated by them—not in morbid obsession, but in reverent curiosity—one begins to live more fully. The warrior who accepts death fights with greater courage. The artist who explores darkness creates with greater truth. And the soul who accepts that life is fleeting loves with greater intensity. This is the paradox that The Undertaker, like the mystics before him, invites us to face: that within the dark lies the seed of light, and within the end lies the beginning.

His words also carry a challenge—to modern souls who flee from discomfort and chase only pleasure. To be fascinated by death is to acknowledge reality; to deny it is to live half-asleep. The ancients built temples not only to gods of life, but also to gods of the underworld, for they knew that wholeness requires both. In truth, it is the contemplation of death that gives rise to purpose. As Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-emperor, once wrote: “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” The Undertaker’s fascination, in its deepest form, is a modern echo of that same stoic wisdom.

Lesson and Practice:
Do not fear the darkness, for it is the cradle of strength. Sit with your fears, and let them speak; walk through the shadows of your life, and let them reveal what you truly value. Reflect upon death, not as an end, but as a teacher that reminds you of the gift of this very moment. Seek not to banish the dark, but to balance it with light. Remember always: those who dare to face what others avoid become the keepers of courage and wisdom. As The Undertaker teaches through his words and life, the one who walks through the valley of death with open eyes will find that there is nothing left to fear—and that in mastering the darkness, one finally learns how to live.