The moment a person is born, death becomes inevitable. Along with death, change and transformation also become an inescapable part of life’s journey. Every birth carries within it the seed of change, embedded in the eternal cycle of the universe. This is a truth, and it applies not only to human beings but to all living creatures. Even inanimate objects are not exempt from this law. Decay is assured; only the timeline may differ.
Those who see birth merely as a beginning must also recognise that the direction of the journey is inevitably toward an end. When a beloved person departs from this world, we grieve deeply. Sadness clouds our clarity of thought, and we begin to question time and the reason for death itself. Yet we often forget that what has happened was always destined to happen. However, we were unaware of its cause and timing. Lamenting the loss of loved ones is like denying the inevitability. Those who truly understand the cycle of birth and death are aware of this truth and are less overwhelmed by sorrow, even in moments of loss.
Consider something as ordinary as a beautiful wooden table purchased for your home. At the moment of buying it, you would know that one day it will lose its shine and beauty. With time, it will break or decay. Yet the residue of that wood, when it merges with the soil, may become fertiliser for a new tree, or serve some other purpose. Even here, the cycle of beginning and end continues like life and death. To lament over such decay would be unwise, because it is nature unfolding as obvious.
This truth has been stated with profound clarity by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Shloka 27:
जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च |
तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ||
Death is certain for one who is born, and rebirth is inevitable for one who has died. Therefore, you should not lament over the inevitable.
The body is impermanent, and so is life itself. Anyone unwilling to accept this impermanent nature of the universe is, in a way, deceiving oneself. The fifteenth-century mystic poet Kabir expressed this truth beautifully:
आय हैं सो जाएँगे, राजा रंक फकीर।
एक सिंहासन चढ़ी चले, एक बँधे जात जंजीर।।
Everyone who has come into this world will depart-kings, beggars, and sages alike. Some leave with honour, others bound by their deeds, but all must go.
It is a time-proven fact that birth implies decay, for there is nothing permanent in this universe. Everything that comes must go. Everything must transform. Transformation is not an exception. It is the rule of existence. Those who deny this impermanent nature of the universe live under constant fear: fear of death, loss, and decay. But those who accept the transitory nature of life are free from this constant fear. They understand that it is only a matter of time and that no one can alter this law.
Such people learn to enjoy what they have, wisely and fully, til it lasts. Whether it is life, relationships, possessions, or position, they do not cling to the illusion of permanence. Instead of taking pride in ownership, they cultivate gratitude and awareness, cherishing each phase for as long as it lasts.
Elixir:
Birth is not merely the beginning of life, but the start of an inevitable journey toward decay; those who accept this truth live fully, unburdened by the fear of the end.
