How does the idea of soul-stuff connect humans, animals, and plants in some Indonesian traditions?

In some Indonesian traditions, particularly among rice cultivators, the concept of soul-stuff serves as a fundamental link between humans, animals, and plants by emphasizing the continuity of life rather than individual postmortem survival.1

The idea functions through the following principles:

• Shared Vitality: Soul-stuff is viewed as an indestructible reservoir of life created by a deity. It is considered a common essence that permeates all living beings.1
• Universal Identity: Because the same "stuff" is shared by all, there is a relationship of identity between different levels of existence. This essence is eternally reborn, either by returning to the creator for redistribution or by transmigrating into an embryonic human, animal, or plant.1
• Distinction from Death Souls: This tradition is distinct from beliefs in a "death soul" that leaves the body only after life ends. Instead, soul-stuff is an impersonal, vitalizing essence that can be separable from the body during life, such as during sleep.213

By positing that all life forms are manifestations of the same circulating, indestructible vitality, these traditions establish a profound, interconnected unity across the natural world.1