TheAncientEgyptianpracticeofsayinggracebeforemeals,wasevencarriedoutbyordinaryhouse-
holders.Priortoconsumingfoodorengaginginfestiveoccasions,suchasparties,etc.,thehostofan
ordinaryhouseholdwouldinvitethegueststoviewanimageofadivinity,principallyAsar,thegod
oftheafterlife.Theywouldbringoutanddisplayforall,thefigureofamummy,usuallyoneanda
halftothreefeettall,standingerectorlyingdown.Thepurposeofthisritualisticactwastoremind
everyoneabouttheirownmortality,therebyshowingthegueststhatlifeisfleeting,evenastheyare
abouttoenjoyasumptuousmeal.Inthismanner,apersonisremindedoftheultimatefateoflifeand
areflectivestateofmindisengenderedratherthananarrogant,egoisticanddeludedstate.Thisprac-
ticealsoservedtoremindoneofthepurposeoflife,tobecomeonewiththeSupremeSelf,inthis
case in the form of Asar, before the death of the body.
PREPARING FOR DEATH
Plate 16: Asaras figurine displayed at parties and dinners affairs
Takingintoaccounttheteachingsrelatedtoari(karma)anditseffectsinthelifeofahumanbeingas
wellasthecentralteachingofKemeticMysticalPhilosophy(Bodytoearth,Soultoheaven),thetrue
purposeofhealthmustbedefinedasfollows.Fromaphilosophicalpointofview,humanlifeisnot
themostdesirablestateofbeing.Inreality,humanbeingsarespiritswhohaveforgottentheirtrue
identity.Itisthistrueidentitywhichisthedesiredstateanditcannotbeattainedifthereisaperpetu-
alstateofphysicallife.Thatis,ahumanbeingcannotgrowfullyifthereisnophysicaldeathtoallow
theirsoultomoveon(reincarnate)soastolearnnewlessonsoflifeuntilenlightenmentisattained.
Thisisthepurposeofthedeathofthebody.So,whilethequalityandquantityoflifeshouldbeex-
tendedbyreasonableandnaturalmeans,itmustbekeptinmindthateverythingthatisbornmustdie.
Everythingthatbeginsmustcometoanend.Theonlywaytoescapethislawoftimeandspaceisto