One's earthly life was only a part of an eternal journey, and one's death was seen as a transition from

one phase to the next. A proper burial was of the utmost importance to the ancient Egyptians of every
class. The body of the deceased was washed, dressed in wrappings (mummified), and buried with those
objects which they would want or need in the afterlife. The more money one had, of course, the more
elaborate one's tomb and grave goods, but even the poorest people provided proper graves for their
loved ones. Without a proper burial one could not hope to move on to the Hall of Truth and pass the
judgment of Osiris. Further, if a family did not honor the dead properly at death, they were almost
guaranteeing the return of that person's spirit, which would haunt them and cause all manner of
trouble. Honoring the dead meant not only paying respects to that individual but to the individual's
contributions and achievements in life, all of which were made possible by the goodness of the gods.

Living with mindfulness of kindness, harmony, balance, and gratitude toward the gods, they hoped to
find their hearts lighter than the feather of truth when they came to stand in judgment before Osiris
after death. Once they had been justified, they would pass on to an eternity of the very daily life they
had left behind when they died. Everything in their lives which seemed lost at death was returned in the
afterlife. Their emphasis, in every aspect of their lives, was to create a life worth living for an eternity. No
doubt many individuals often failed at this, but the ideal was one worth striving for and imbued the daily
lives of the ancient Egyptians with a meaning and purpose which infused and inspired their impressive
culture.