Each, one could say, is merely the absence of the other. But that being so, can one not find death in life and life in death?
When one looks upon the Yin Yang symbol, in the white half a small black dot can be seen, and in the black half a white one. Why is this? Because the entire concept behind Yin Yang is balance, balance between the opposing forces of light vs. dark, active vs. passive, growth vs. atrophy, good vs. evil, existence vs. nonexistence, and of course life vs. death. Two opposing forces will mix and blend into each other while standing in direct opposition to each other. At the same time, these opposing forces each hold a little of the other inside their core to remind themselves of the polarity of all things. One extreme cannot exist without another. Thus it is wise to seek balance and compromise in all cases where extremes can be avoided. But we all know that life doesn’t always allow you to make the best decisions, and we are still forced to deal with the consequences of reckless behavior in the face of adversity.
One cannot hope to live a fulfilling life in constant fear of death and other negative consequences. Only by being in touch with one’s inevitable descent into nonexistence can one find peace in life, calm of mind during a tempest, and thus find life in death thereafter.
To the Vikings, a glorious death in battle was the greatest honor one could ever hope to achieve, and according to the religion of the time, such fallen warriors were chosen to become Einherjar in the afterlife, holy warriors who would be given the privilege of fighting alongside the Gods in the final battle Ragnarok, and thus play a part in shaping the fate of the universe and all its realms. This belief made them into the most vicious, fearless warriors of their time, and ultimately leading to their conquest of the majority of Europe, despite their force being numerically inferior to their enemies by a large margin.
In a similar vein, the life of a samurai has been compared to that of a cherry blossom: short, fleeting, and infinitely beautiful. By living for honor they find peace in their time of dying, having given everything and done all they could for what they believe in and seek to protect.
