http://www.wraith.ca/random_thoughts/death.htm
I can't say I know for certain, but I hope this life isn't all there is. Not that I'm ungrateful, I value the opportunities that this life has to offer. I also hope that the wings of death will carry me forward to another plane on which to grow and develop.
Death is an end; an end to set of hopes and dreams, fears, successes and failures. What is carried forward, if anything, has been a topic of debate spanning history. Many cultures believe that people do change levels of being in some fashion; the direction and magnitude of the change being the sum total of positive and negative doings and/or personal growth. This seems to be a 'fair' model; limitations being set by unresolved fears and advancements dictated by positive growth of spirit. The universe is about balance and a circular flow of life and energy, and there is no malice in nature's course. But after our individual circles are complete, is there more? As our bodies become the dirt which grows the grass which feeds the cows which we once ate, does the spirit which we once called life continue? Do we continue, or did man invent God for fear of dying?
Each of us needs to make our own choice and live our lives accordingly. I constantly strive for personal growth and the conquering of my fears; not to make sure my tally is enough for the next step toward nirvana, but because I've defined that growth as part of the purpose of my life. I believe that at the moment of death, that sum will add clearly before my eyes and the feeling of accomplishment or failure upon viewing that display will make the difference between a good death and a bad one.