Divine light and impermanence: spiritual ripeness in later life across Islamic and Thai Theravāda traditions

Asia’s rapidly aging populations urgently require theologically grounded frameworks for pastoral care that transcend biomedical reductionism. This mixed-methods study examines how Islamic nūr (divine light) and Thai Theravāda anicca (impermanence) configure late life as “spiritual ripeness” – a threshold of heightened wisdom, ethical accountability, and contemplative depth. Drawing on primary textual analysis and semi-structured interviews with 120 Muslim and Buddhist elders in Pakistan and Thailand (2025–2026), the study identifies significant positive correlations between practice duration and spiritual well-being (r = .72, p < .001) and death acceptance (r = .68, p < .001). Despite metaphysical differences, both traditions comparably support elder flourishing. Concrete implications for chaplains, pastoral counselors, and interfaith caregivers are presented.