I realised at a remarkably young age, upon attending my first funeral and witnessing a body consumed by flames in open-air cremation, that we enter this world empty-handed and depart likewise. Everything between these two absolutes constitutes performance. We exist to conform, to placate, to adhere to constructed norms lest we face social ostracism and the profound ennui of isolation. That image—the corporeal form, the flames, the irreversible finality—proved indelible. It was the first deceased body I had encountered, and observing its incineration imparted a truth most individuals devote their entire existence to evading: none of this possesses the significance we attribute to it.

I am not amongst those who possess the fortitude to articulate uncomfortable truths directly to others, though I am acquainted with individuals who can. Is such unvarnished candour genuinely essential? I deliberate extensively before articulating anything to anyone. I invariably treat others with the deference and consideration I myself desire. I presume this constitutes the foundational philosophy of virtuous existence, does it not? Perhaps this disposition reflects divine intention. Alternatively, perhaps I internalised these principles whilst maturing, absorbing life's instruction regarding dignity and restraint.

I observe catastrophes daily. I witness and comprehend atrocities perpetrated by humans continuously. I refer not to conventional violence—murder, genocide, sexual assault, or theft. I speak of the atrocity of systematically depriving individuals of their autonomy. Moreover, those who appropriate this fundamental freedom are not strangers but our own intimates and relatives. This reality fractures my heart.

We are born unclothed. Unburdened by sin. Devoid of desire. Pure in cognition and emotion. Yet garments transform human beings utterly. I possess no authority to interrogate divine will or the decision to render us thus vulnerable at birth—I remain merely creation, not creator. I dare not challenge such sovereignty. Nevertheless, I observe this inescapable truth: the instant you draw first breath, that precise moment determines when you shall draw your last. The Almighty alone possesses this knowledge. We can anticipate when an infant shall emerge into the world. We can never predict the exact chronology or circumstances of death. Would existence not prove superior if we acknowledged this fundamental uncertainty? To inhabit the journey without anxiety regarding tomorrow, to occupy the present moment fully.

Life constitutes a journey, wherein the manner of traversal holds significance. Yet what assumes paramount importance is the terminus. Have you attended a funeral and heard attendees eulogise the deceased, remarking upon their admirable character? This is how individuals commemorate you. They preserve your memory through your karma, through your deeds. Mortality becomes a pretext for laudatory discourse. Upon death, we bequeath a legacy, an identity. An identity of who we were. That identity, meticulously constructed throughout life's trajectory, potentially becomes exemplary for subsequent generations.

What matters is not the material circumstances of our existence nor its stated purpose, but rather the manner in which we inhabit our days. The divine intention for human existence remains uncomplicated: contentment, tranquillity, harmonious coexistence with the natural world, freedom from desire, liberation from anxiety, unfettered as atmospheric currents. We tend towards excessive preoccupation with the future, thereby forfeiting our grasp on the present. This resembles consuming an appetiser whilst already fretting about dessert, entirely neglecting the principal course. We no longer experience authentic happiness. The demographic of genuinely content individuals has diminished precipitously. Authentic happiness has become increasingly scarce.

Humanity contributes substantially each day to this scarcity of happiness. Perhaps eventually genuine contentment shall prove more valuable than precious metals. The principal perpetrator orchestrating the demise of authentic happiness is materialism, accompanied by its confederates: ego, vanity, desire, avarice, arrogance, selfishness, and societal pressure. The advent of materialistic culture precipitated the emergence of competitive existence—interpersonal rivalry. We discovered our capacity for acquisitiveness: covetousness for currency, automobiles, garments. Subsequently we required superior possessions to inflate our egos. We desired increasingly exceptional items to further augment our sense of self-importance. Upon attaining a particular threshold of self-satisfaction, we transformed into arrogant and self-absorbed individuals.

We require this inflated ego to parade with feline hauteur through public spaces, to extract superficial validation from society. For what purpose? Does it possess ultimate significance? We even inflict harm upon our intimates whilst contending for wealth. Parents literally confine their offspring within gilded cages. Children undergo indoctrination from tender ages, systematically programmed regarding societal mechanisms, conditioned to pursue pride, coerced to aspire towards identities never intended by nature. We genetically modify indigenous flora to cultivate roses rather than permit beautiful wildflowers to flourish naturally. All this to garner societal approbation—lambs masquerading in lion pelts.

Upon acquiring currency, one desires augmented wealth. Upon possessing an automobile, one covets a superior model. When consuming fish, one craves poultry. When possessing mayonnaise, one desires ketchup. This enumeration proves interminable. We have failed to cultivate authentic contentment. We must acquire the capacity to experience satisfaction with present circumstances. Simplicity constitutes the fundamental foundation of happiness: embodying humility and practicing generosity. We have rendered our existence unnecessarily complex to the detriment of both the natural environment and humanity. As we systematically decimate nature, we simultaneously destroy fellow human beings.

We endeavour to establish dominance over those economically disadvantaged or less fortunate, those aesthetically less favoured, those educationally inferior. The illustrations prove limitless. This competitive mechanism of existence serves no constructive purpose, generating moral degradation and systematically eroding humanity incrementally with each passing moment.

We humans require renewal before temporal opportunity elapses, to render the journey worthwhile. We must demonstrate willingness and capability to transcend our zones of comfort and experience existence as divinely intended. Upon death and encountering our creator, I remain certain he interrogates neither vehicular preference nor sartorial choices. He draws no distinctions. Why, therefore, should we?

The singular precious commodity we can accumulate for transition beyond mortality comprises our deeds. Our actions. Our benevolence. Our integrity. All material possessions remain terrestrially bound. The residence, the automobile, the garments, the currency—everything persists. Only our conduct, our treatment of others, our impact upon their existence—these transcend mortality.

May all indigenous wildflowers flourish magnificently in the divine garden. May they discover the authentic significance of existence's journey. May we recollect that we emerged into this world unburdened by possessions, that we shall expire retaining nothing save our deeds, and that the temporal interval between these two certainties remains ours to imbue with meaning or squander pursuing ephemeral illusions.

I frequently contemplate mortality's lessons. We accumulate what we cannot retain. We disregard what accompanies us beyond death. This constitutes simultaneously tragedy and opportunity. We possess agency for transformation. We can select alternative pathways. We can exist as divinely intended: liberated, uncomplicated, compassionate, grateful. We can terminate this futile competitive existence and simply proceed, deliberately, towards what genuinely possesses significance.

The question transcends whether we shall expire without material possessions. This remains inevitable. The pertinent inquiry concerns what our hands accomplished whilst animated by life.