Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Cremation ghat in Varanasi, India, February 2025.

People often wonder about the meaning of life, but less often about the meaning of death. When I am thinking about life and death, I realize that there is a purpose in physical mortality of all living creatures, including humans. Because what would our lives look like if we could live forever? Would we still have the same motivation to achieve great things? What would be the point of trying if we knew that our lives had no end? Why would I get up in the morning if I knew that there were millions, if not billions, of mornings ahead of me? I would probably put everything off until later. I would get stuck in a perpetual cycle of procrastination. Everyone would do that. When we are aware of the inevitability of death, we value each day more fully and deeply. We are dying with each minute. Each day is a gift and a treasure. Each day should be lived beautifully.



When I observe nature during my afternoon walks in the forest, I see that nothing really ends. This is an ongoing cycle… the tree dies, then decays. All kinds of insects and fungi begin to feed on it. The tree then decomposes and turns into organic matter, nutritious food for forest organisms. And so the never-ending cycle continues. The tree ended its life as a tree, but all of its its matter transforms into a different form. I think similar things happen with a human being. After death, our physical shell disintegrates, but our energy and soul is released and merges with the Source, with the Universe, with cosmic force. It is possible that our life energy, our spiritual energy will again take on a new material form in a new incarnation. No one really knows this. And that is why both life and death will remain the greatest mystery to us.

Cremation ghats in Varanasi, India, February 2025.