The more we live in the sanctity that life and death reveal in each other, the more loving we grow.
Mark Nepo
Life and Death
Topic: Life Beyond Death & the Spirit World
The closer we get to truth and beauty, the more truthful and beautiful we become. In the same way, the closer we get to that sacred meadow called death, the more and more alive we grow. And the more we live in the sanctity that life and death reveal in each other, the more loving we grow.
Mark Nepo was born on February 23, 1951, in Brooklyn, New York, and has dedicated over four decades to intertwining poetry and spirituality. With a PhD in English, he embarked on a teaching career at the State University of New York at Albany that spanned twenty years. His upbringing in New York infused his work with a blend of urban wisdom and a quest for deeper truths, setting the stage for his contributions to literature and spiritual thought.
The turning point in Nepo’s life came with his battle against lymphoma in his thirties, profoundly shaping his worldview and creative output. This experience led to significant works like "The Book of Awakening," offering meditations on the essence of life. His writings, including "Seven Thousand Ways to Listen," "Reduced to Joy," and "Inhabiting Wonder," delve into the complexities of human experience, advocating for a life lived with depth and mindfulness.
Now residing in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Nepo continues to influence through his books, workshops, and lectures. His journey reflects a commitment to resilience, deep listening, and openness, guiding others to navigate life’s challenges with grace. Nepo’s work serves as a beacon for those seeking to engage more fully with the world and their inner selves, embodying the journey towards authenticity and understanding.
Nepo, Mark. Finding Inner Courage. MarkNepo.com, 2006, www.marknepo.com/books/finding_inner_courage/.
Mark Nepo
Theme: Life Beyond Death
About This Mark Nepo Quotation [Commentary]
Mark Nepo writes, “The closer we get to that sacred meadow called death, the more and more alive we grow.” In this line, he invites a different way of seeing death—not as disappearance, but as deepening. As with truth and beauty, which make us “more truthful and beautiful” as we approach them, death too draws us into fuller life. Rather than something to resist, Nepo sees death as a place of vitality and reverence. His phrase “sacred meadow” suggests a space that is open, quiet, and deeply alive—not separate from life, but holding it.
In the same passage, he writes, “the more we live in the sanctity that life and death reveal in each other, the more loving we grow.” Here, the focus shifts to relationship—how life and death illuminate one another. He does not treat them as opposites, but as forces that together reveal something essential. To live in their “sanctity” is to recognize the holiness that arises when we see both clearly. This awareness does not diminish love but expands it. Growth in love, for Nepo, comes not from turning away from death, but from facing it with openness.
This way of seeing speaks quietly to the theme of Life Beyond Death. When Mark Nepo writes that we “grow more alive” as we draw closer to death, he points toward a kind of aliveness that is shaped by acceptance. Death becomes not the end of life but part of what allows us to live more fully. In accepting its nearness, we may come to live in the “sanctity” that helps us grow in truth, beauty, and love.
About Mark Nepo’s Finding Inner Courage [Commentary]
In Finding Inner Courage, Mark Nepo explores the connection between personal growth and life’s challenges, particularly focusing on suffering, mortality, and the courage to face them with an open heart. He reflects on how approaching life and death with reverence can transform us, suggesting that as we draw closer to death, we become more alive. Nepo invites readers to see life and death as intertwined, each revealing the sacredness of the other. His idea that “the closer we get to that sacred meadow called death, the more and more alive we grow” emphasizes that acknowledging our mortality helps us live with greater vitality and love. By embracing life’s beauty and impermanence, we find the courage to live more fully.
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