"How can this thing, that is me, ever die?"

Forms come and go. Individual identities will perish. That is what most people refer to when they say "me", the individual identity, and THAT "me" will die.

But the essence that is molded into form and identity, never ceases to be.

A million waves come and go on the surface of the ocean. They arise, become strong and powerful, and then perish. Their form-identity is temporary. But their "essence" is "ocean", and the ocean remains. "Waves" never existed, only the "ocean" being sculpted into shapes.

The same is true for all form, body, mind, ego, and even "spirit".

All these things "arise" from the fundamental "essence", and then return to it, just like waves. And these forms are never seperate from the "essence", just as waves are never seperate from the ocean.

That underlying, undifferentiated, formless, timeless "essence" is the only thing that can be said to be the true "me". All else is just dream images.

--James

That's a great post. It's very peaceful. I Hope you don't mind...I may print it out and put it on our fridge. I have been talking to my kids lately about this very thing: how we're all so wonderfully, uniquely and devinely designed....and how God has plans for us to live forever.

It's amazing to walk and talk on this earth and see all the beautiful things of creation and realize that millions upon billions of magical things had to happen just perfectly and precisely for each of us to be placed here. Thanks for sharing.