THE worldly man completely identifies life with the manifestations and activities of the gross body. For him, therefore, the beginning and the end of bodily existence are also the beginning and end of the individualised soul. Identification of soul and body All his experience seems to testify to the transitoriness of the physical body, and he has often witnessed the disintegration of those physical bodies which were once vibrant with life. Hence he is naturally impelled to believe that life is conterminous with bodily existence.

        As the worldly man considers death to be the cessation of life, he gives great importance to it. Death as background of life There are few who contemplate on death for prolonged periods; but in spite of the fact that most persons are completely engrossed in their worldly pursuits, they are impressed by the incident of death when confronted by it.

        Apart from giving a general background to the scene of life, death also assumes an accentuated and overwhelming importance among the multicoloured