When the body falls away, what is left behind-- in one word or as in many as you

Question:Your essence of being some may call it love, I do. In Zen Buddhism it is believed that your energy is returned to that which it has never left ,kind of cool huh? We live on through each and everything that we have touched or experienced. And it goes on for ever because energy cannot be destroyed.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Your essence of being some may call it love, I do. In Zen Buddhism it is believed that your energy is returned to that which it has never left ,kind of cool huh? We live on through each and everything that we have touched or experienced. And it goes on for ever because energy cannot be destroyed.

I think it's the body that is what is left behind. It is just a shell for the person that you truly are. The spirit inside of you, I believe goes on.
To where? There are many different opinions.

Love

The thought and idea of someone remains in all who love them thus leaving an emotional dark zone until those people move beyond the loss of the essence of this idea and accept that the person is no more. So powerful is this dark zone that many feel compelled to believe in an afterlife.

The idea continues at this point but generally in a more positive light. If (person) was here they would...

When the body ceases to function and loses form I believe that the only things that truly survive are memories! Memories are soo important that people have died in order to be remembered while others killed in the process of hiding or exposing some memories...

After these memories are gone is when a person truly dies, I believe...

However, another part of me might think that some sort of 'karma' or justification / revenge is left back at times. The good vs. evil deeds are balanced and the resultant is placed back in earth to improve / deteriorate the harmony... I find it quite hard to explain this, so it might be easier to stick to the first part.

Most religions emphasizes on the soul, spirit, afterlife and so on but it just doesn't suite me in my thinking patterns... What's your perspective?

our fingerprints and footprints in the lives of others and the shell that carried our mortal identity turning to dust.

Hi Char :)

This is an interesting and an intriguing question. I'm not religious or overtly spiritual so don't believe in an afterlife or reincarnation. However, I think a person leaves behind a memory of themselves to others and, of course, material wealth (i.e. cars, houses, savings.) The latter being true if the deceased was rich *laughs.*

The atoms that make up your body have existed since the big bang, and will continue to exist long after you die. Your memory lives on in the atoms (the brain) of other people until they die and so on and so on.

When the body falls away, what is left behind?

The thoughts and memories of others and how we touched and influenced their lifes.

The skeleton? hehe!

I'd like to think the person's works. Art, music, whatever. Socrates, Beethoven, michelangelo, they have been dead for how long? And we still know their names...

Our soul.

The Golden Parachute?