As we journey through our earthly existence, we remain uncertain about what lies ahead—whether it be abundance or want, respect or shame, affection or animosity, happiness or grief. Despite this unpredictability, we tend to be preoccupied with ensuring that we attract the pleasant experiences while steering clear of the unpleasant ones. However, there is one encounter that is certain and unavoidable: the encounter with death. Should we not reflect on it? While we may endure the hardships of life, such as poverty, and continue on with the hope of more favorable circumstances, facing death is altogether different; it grips us irrevocably, and as is said, it does not treat all lightly. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints" (Psalm 115:5). "The death of the wicked is terrible" (Psalms 33:22). Shouldn’t wisdom guide us to prepare thoughtfully for a secure encounter with death? I emphasize without delay, for death does not assure us a moment to ready ourselves for its approach.
What of those who ignore the need for preparation and instead attempt to dismiss the reality of death with notions of nothingness that follows? I am reminded by the wise admonition that “those who err in their minds say: 'Our birth is mere chance, and after this we shall be as though we had never been: the body shall return to dust, and our spirit will disperse like a fleeting breath’" (Prem. 2:1-3). It is hard to fathom that such thoughts exist, if not for the fact that evil necessitates falsehood and folly for its own existence. The Wise One notes how “they say in themselves”—indicating that such individuals do not engage in genuine conviction but rather stray from truth and morality; they attempt to advocate their misguided beliefs in a seductive manner to uphold their corrupt ideologies: “Let righteousness be our strength; let us ensnare the just one with our deceit, as it were to justify our thoughts” (Prem. 2:11-14). I do not wish to elaborate further on them. It is lamentable that some amongst humanity aspire to exhibit greater reason yet embody a folly more profound than that of a worm, who meticulously prepares for death by weaving a web or crafting a silk shroud—not to vanish within it, but rather so that, after enclosing its earthly existence, it may emerge into the ethereal existence of a butterfly.
Should I address those who avoid contemplating the preparation for death, instead seeking to annihilate such thoughts with the idea of nothingness that follows? I recognize from the Wise Revealer that “they say in themselves who think wrong: we are born by chance, and after this we shall be as if we had not been: ashes shall be the body, and our spirit shall be spilled out like soft air” (Prem. 2:1-3). It is indeed difficult to believe there are individuals with such reasoning, if not for the knowledge that evil subsists on falsehood and delusion. It is particularly striking how the Wise One describes them: “they say in themselves those who think wrongly.” These individuals do not speak from conviction but from a divergence from truth and righteousness; they attempt to allure others with their deceptive thoughts to uphold their immoral doctrines: “Let the law of righteousness be our strength: let us catch the righteous one with flattery, as he is for us to reprove our thoughts” (Prem. 2:11-14). I have no desire to elaborate further on them. It is lamentable for humanity that some believe themselves to be more rational than others, yet display a folly surpassing that of a humble worm, which prepares for its death with a silk web, not to vanish within it, but anticipating a resurrection into the airy existence of a butterfly, drawing lessons from its brief earthly life. Others, though not entirely lost to arrogance or madness, tend to neglect the contemplation of death, distracted instead by the multitude of their pursuits. These individuals are not rare, and they can be easily found; this is the very nature of our world. Immersed in sensual pleasures, they seek one delight after another, only to grow weary and seek rest from them, soon returning to the chase, passing their days and nights devoid of reflection on the inevitable demise. When the thought of death unexpectedly visits them, they quickly dismiss it, failing to recognize that if the idea of death is burdensome, then encountering death itself will be far more daunting, impossible to escape! A person fully engrossed in their duties, indulging in the pursuit of wealth and self-gain, frequently finds their life consumed by their labor, which dominates their time, abilities, strength, thoughts, and desires. When they glance toward the future, it is only to ascertain the labor that lies ahead and the gains they can amass. Like the rich man in the Gospel, they envision erecting “new granaries,” constructing fresh schemes for earthly success; yet they neglect to consider that, perhaps even without the foresight afforded to the rich man, “this night his soul will be taken away” (Luke 12:20). The enslaved to habit and vanity, even as death looms closer with the years, often remain oblivious to its approach, even when it is nearly upon them. Routine pleasures and social engagements captivate their attention as if they were indispensable services; gambling becomes a daily diversion for them. During rare moments of respite, they drift into wistful memories of the past in an attempt to avoid confronting their unimagined future and the reality of death. Such negligence regarding death may lead to obstacles, if not outright difficulties, at the hour of death and beyond. Were it not for the warnings of an abyss of hell and the fires of Gehenna, which threaten those who fail to establish a path to heaven during their earthly existence, we might still surmise from the inherent nature of our souls how perilous it is to enter the spiritual realm unprepared, clinging only to earthly habits and sensual desires. The soul finds satisfaction in what the mind and will embrace; its loss results in emptiness, sorrow, suffering, and ultimately death. The process of separating the mind and will from one attachment and anchoring them to another unfolds not instantaneously. Thus, any soul that has relied solely on earthly passions and habits may find itself in the spiritual realm akin to what befell the rich man in the Gospel, who spent his life indulging in empty pleasures and, after death, could find neither a higher aspiration nor relief for his thirst—indeed, he did not find even a single drop of water. Arriving in an unfamiliar spiritual domain, the soul yearns for its earthly pursuits and familiar gratifications, only to discover that they are absent. Instead, it encounters the highest objects of contemplation and the purest sources of joy and bliss, which remain foreign to its desires and inclinations. What remains for it? An inward void filled with emptiness, sorrow, suffering, and banishment from life itself.
