Ego comes from an inability to accept death. Death is inevitable for all living creatures, whether we want to believe it or not. Arrogant futurists who believe that the indefinite prolonging of human life is a good idea are just as misdirected as suicide bombers. People can learn to stop forcing their desires upon the world and simply cope with life as it is.

Death is not just a possibility— it is the truth. It’s the surest thing. Once you come to terms with it, you become freer. People devote their lives to making creations that will endure, stockpile money to hang off to their progeny, and generally try to project ego upon the world in hopes that they will be remembered. This is as harmful an attachment as any other.

To try to cheat death is to disrespect nature. You are a part of this world and always will be. The world is functioning through you at all times, even if you feel like an individual force. The “you” that you perceive as your self eventually goes away, but the matter and energy that makes up your body never goes away. It just changes form over time.

When you realize that your egoistic imprint on the world is entirely unimportant, you can focus on living fully in the present. You can devote yourself to pursuits that give you intrinsic joy and intrigue rather than working for a faraway future.

Allow yourself the pleasure of transcending death. Meditation is a process by which we understand the void that comes before and after life. We can look into the workings of death and become content with its inevitability. In doing so, we live life more fully. Once you accept death, you stop obsessing over it. You can love your loved ones without thinking about losing them. You can love yourself without thinking you have to endure past your allotted time. You can simply be.