"On Death" Summary

Almitra asks about death, and Almustafa replies that people can know death's secret only by seeking it in the heart of life. Owls are blind in daylight and cannot unveil the mystery of light. Life and death are one, just as the river and sea are one. One's hopes and desires contain a silent knowledge of the beyond, like seeds dreaming beneath the snow of spring. Trust your dreams, which hide the gate to eternity. The fear of death is like what happens when a king honors a shepherd by laying his hand on him. As the shepherd fills with joy, he is all the more mindful that he is trembling. Dying means standing naked to the wind and melting into the sun. The cessation of breathing frees the breath from restless tides that it may rise, expand and...