Questions like these that baffle the human mind and have done so for centuries: What happens after death? Is there really life after death? Such riddles can never be known by those who have not crossed over “to the other side,” so to speak, and the only ones who know the answer can never reveal it. As they say, the dead tell no tales. It is a question central to the identity of every civilization, dating back to before the Common Era. In the ancient epic of Gilgamesh, the afterlife is nothing but darkness and dust. In the Bhagavad-Gita there is only one cycle of reincarnation which may or may not lead to enlightenment. And in the book of Job it is believed that righteous, God-fearing people could one day enter heaven. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Gilgamesh was a man scared to death of death. He had felt this way ever since his beloved friend Enkidu had a vision of the underworld on his deathbed. Enkidu describes it as “the house from which no one leaves” (plate XII, line 134) and “the road from which there is no return” (line 135). Both descriptions gravely haunt Gilgamesh. Furthermore, Enkidu sees “crowns in a heap” (line 142), the crowns of past kings. Not even a royal bloodline can save Gilgamesh from the only certainty in life. Gilgamesh is deeply distressed and cries out, “Shouldn't I die too? Am I not like Enkidu?" (Tablet 8, line 3). He begins a frantic quest to find a source of immortality, to stay the hand that all men hold. He fails... but, ironically, he also succeeds. No, he doesn't live forever, but in a way he does. He lives through his successes, like the wall he built and his story, which was passed down over the centuries. In the culture of his time, this was as good as it got approach immortality. Arjuna was a confused man. His daily quest to fulfill the wishes of the gods and achieve enlightenment was attacked by his morality and opposition to war. He turns to Krishna and cries, “I do not foresee any good resulting from the massacre of my relatives in war!” (Chapter 1, stanza 31) He, like presumably many of his time, has no desire to engage in war and conquest because he sees no benefit in killing his relatives and countrymen. He fears the bad karma associated with such acts. But Krishna tries to relax him, saying that “Death is assured to all the born, and birth assured to all the dead; you should not mourn what is merely an inevitable consequence” (chapter 2, stanza 27). and birth are only two sides of an infinite cycle. Krishna also says to Arjuna “Nor should you tremble to perceive your duty as a warrior” (chapter 2, stanza 31). enemies, family or otherwise. In fact, life is just one constant reincarnation after another, and “enlightenment” is the only true afterlife. Krishna goes on to say, “When, untroubled by revelation, your higher mind is still and remains fixed in meditation, then you will obtain discipline” (Chapter 2, verse 53). In other words, enlightenment is only attainable by those who have learned to act without any feelings. This is everyone's duty. Job was a submissive and righteous man. The writer of Job said that “he was blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil” (Job 1:1). He was the best example of a “man of God” of his time. Even when God allowed Satan to come and destroy Job's family, possessions, and health, he did not sin. After his wife told him to curse God and die, he replied, "Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?" (Job 2:10). All the.