This poignant quote from Hermann Hesse invites us to consider the omnipresence of death not just as an external event or distant moment in time, but as an inherent element within our very being and every choice we make. Death transcends physical place and time — it is not bound by location ('neither there nor here') but rather arises constantly, shadowing all paths we travel in life. This perspective challenges the common notion of death as simply the end awaiting us somewhere ahead; instead, it is a dynamic presence embedded within our lives, intimately linked with how we engage with existence itself.

The third line, "It is in you and in me as soon as we betray life," suggests a profound ethical and existential message: death manifests internally whenever we turn away from life, whether that means rejecting vitality, authenticity, or the wholeness of our experience. To "betray life" could be understood metaphorically as succumbing to despair, apathy, fear, or dishonesty — essentially any act that diminishes our connection with the true essence of living. Death here is not just the end, but an active force that grows with each moment we disconnect from life’s fullness.

By framing death as existing in spiritual or philosophical terms rather than merely biological, Hesse prompts a meditation on the quality of our lives. He encourages us to live authentically and courageously, staying aligned to our life-energy in order to keep the insidious presence of death at bay. This manifesto for embracing life emphasizes a hopeful empowerment: we hold the power to nurture or betray life, and through that, influence the extent to which death inhabits us. It reminds us that living meaningfully is the antidote to death’s subtle but pervasive infiltration.