You may grieve sincerely, Arjuna but it is without cause. Your words may seem wise, but the truly wise one grieves neither for the living nor dead! Let me explain.

Real as used in spirituality means that which is eternal, never changing, indestructible. This is the very definition of ‘reality’. Anything that is impermanent, even if it lasts a very long time and seems durable, eventually changes. The wise ones understand the difference between the real and the not-real. When you fully understand this profound fact, you will have attained the zenith of all knowledge.

One’s body according to this logic, is not real. And yet there is something that dwells in the body that is real : the Atma (soul) – which is existence itself, awareness, pure consciousness.

– The Bhagavad Gita interpreted by Jack Hawley