The Egyptians in ancient times had a very peculiar ritual of burial. They built gigantic pyramids as burial tombs for Egyptian royalty. It is said that they believed—”When you die, you take it all with you”.
The Egyptians believed that a person enters a new phase of life after death called afterlife. They used to mummify the dead bodies in the wooden or metal coffins and put riches and possessions of deceased in these coffins before actually burying them. They had faith that these possessions were necessary for making the deceased immortal and keeping him/her happy in afterlife. They believed that the measure of riches that one would take in the coffin would determine the degree of happiness in afterlife. More riches they possess after death, more happy would they be in afterlife. As such, ancient Egyptians accumulated lot of wealth during their lifetime in order to secure their afterlife.
Their belief in afterlife was actually their acceptance of the eternal truth. The truth of eternal end to this life. The truth of stepping into a new phase after fatality. However, they failed to realize that the One who has given them their worldly life does not need their riches to sustain them in their afterlife.
In modern times, nature has not changed its course. Everyone, in every sphere of existence, continues to face the inevitable truth of this life. Nevertheless, our belief has altered. Most of us have forgotten the undying reality of life—the Death. Burial or cremation, nobody takes anything along. That we all know. Despite this fact, we keep on ignoring the crucial and fated part of our worldly life.
Perhaps, we are purposely trying to forget that we are going to die. It has become quite difficult for many amongst us to accept that one day we have to leave all our riches and depart for a new journey, a new life that has no end. We don’t want to face death.
Some of us don’t want to die simply because of fear. Fear of possessing nothing for the hereafter. Such individuals remain in the state of denial until they taste the inevitable mortality.
Others who forget death remain so engrossed in earning riches which they believe will remain with them always, fulfilling all their needs of worldly life. In this ‘tussle’, the idea of death slips out.
However, the seamless reality is that no treasures and possessions last for anyone in this world. From the huge pyramids of Pharaohs to the famous Persepolis of Darius, nothing helped the people of these civilizations to escape death. The Pharaohs are buried in the pyramids of Egypt and the mortal remains of Darius were obscured in the rocky mountains of Iran. Everything worldly has perished, is perishing, and will continue to perish. Ironically, we continue accumulating enormous riches, relishing corporal pleasures, and securing our worldly life, displaying indifference towards earning something for Subah-e-Dawam-e-Zindagi…..
Forget Pharaohs and Darius. See the world around. How many of us build huge houses, no less than majestic mansions for coziness, and then destiny throws up different plans. The mansions and bungalows pass into the hands of those who never counted in the scheme of things. For them, it is ‘Rags to Riches’ story because destiny designed it. Prosperous and pauper seem relative entities. Affluent people with lots of poverty; and poor people having plentiful bliss. The worldly gains happen to be of no use to many people even when they are alive. Success doesn’t sustain them; Pleasures fail to placate them; Power isn’t their permanent pal. Time hammers the nails of transience. In its own profound ways. All hinting towards temporal things misconstrued as fixed and everlasting.
Bottomline: Our tall claim of loving our Creator needs validation. Through us. With us. If we really love our Creator, then we will crave to meet Him on the day that He has promised of. It demands belief in the idea of death and the life thereafter. We all will meet Him along with the possessions that will go down with us in our graves. The possessions of both virtue and vice that we earn all along in the world. So, when we die, we will surely take it all with us unlike Egyptians who took only tangible baggage with them.
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