DEATH

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Death Introduction

In our modern society, our understanding of death is very limited. Many of us consider the ending of someone's life a bad thing. In most people's mind, death is synonymous with heartbreak, sadness or tragedy. However, even from a cursory look at life and its processes, it is rather easy to understand that death is nothing but a natural and foundational part of life. Death allows life to recycle itself by letting go of the past and make room for new growth. In the same way that plants, animals and nature as a whole take birth and grow to eventually wilt, humans are also part of that cycle.

Introducing reincarnation

Death is a transition to another world, into another life. Indeed, whilst the concept of reincarnation is not widely accepted by our society, it makes sense once we acknowledge a few key facts relating to life and our human existence within it. First of all, all actions whether done by humans, animals or any other living entity has its consequences. Despite the fact that this is common knowledge, we must also understand that the circumstances we are born into are also the result of past life actions. This explains why no one is equal. Whether we consider the material aspect of life or whether we consider the internal aspect of it, all humans are different and it has nothing to do with luck. A "good" or a "bad" birth is deserved, not obtained by luck or by a lack of it. The circumstances we find ourselves in throughout our lives reflect our actions, choices and their consequences on us, on others and the world at large.

The simple understanding that any action comes with a logical consequence extends to all living entities and beyond their current lifespan. Their lives continue beyond their last breath, which leads us to the second important fact. Our lives exist beyond our physical bodies. We are more than appearances, more than our minds and ideas, more than names. We are spiritual beings that exist even when the physical body perishes. This fact is understood through internal work like meditation and prayer. Indeed, practices that help improve our internal state and therefore stabilize our mind and consciousness help us to realize the true nature of the self.

* Purpose of Death and preparing as a consequence of understanding that purpose

This is what life is about. Death is a way for embodied souls to take a short break from material affairs and review past actions. Understanding what a soul has done right and what it has done wrong is part of that experience. Understanding this fact implies that one has to prepare for death. Vedic philosophy recognizes that life is a preparation for death and the afterlife. In the same way that one should prepare to travel abroad via plane, one should also make the necessary preparations for the time when one will inevitably leave the body. The transition is made easier when a person has been able to let go of any attachments they have had with the physical world. This includes letting go of the attachments we have towards our temporary physical body. Along with birth, death is described in the Vedas as the most intense experience a human can have. It becomes even harder if a person is unwilling to let go of their current life. This is rather common in this age where we are mostly unaware of what awaits us on the other side.

* What Actually Happens

In the Vedic texts, it is said that when the soul exits the body, it gets a different type of body suited to experience its karma in the afterlife. Although karma is infinitely complex, we can understand the journey after death by analyzing the two main ways the soul transits into the afterlife. The first way is called the Upward Path.

** The Upward path

If a person is soft-hearted, has some spiritual merit or has served goodness most of their lives, they will follow the upward path. Either a soul will go to the ancestral realm or to some type of heaven. Most will have to take birth again unless they are able to fully surrender to God and are then able to reach the highest destination called Vaikuntha. This is Krishna's final home, the ultimate abode that stands far above the tumult of time.

At the time of exiting the body, the soul on the upward path will be carried either by an ancestor, a supernatural benevolent being or they will travel to their after-death destination by themselves. However, in this age of ignorance, we must understand that this is not the path for most humans who inhabit our planet Earth.

** The Downward Path

On the downward path, the soul is seized by two servants of Yama, the god of death. The servants of Yama are called the Yama-Duthas. They are said to be fierce and frightening in disposition. Their job is to bring the soul to Yama before transitioning to its next birth, whatever that birth may be. The journey to Yama is known to be very painful. This is because the souls who go on the downward path are sinful and must rebalance their sins before being able to carry on with their physical existence. The Garuda Purana gives very extensive descriptions of what happens to the souls on the journey to Yama. Many tortures are endured by the souls who go on this path depending on the crimes they committed whilst on Earth.

It is important to note that the journey travelled by the soul can be made alot easier by the prayers of living relatives. On the journey to Yama, many do not have food or anything to quench their thirst unless the relatives offer food/water at the altar. Without prayers, the journey can be much longer and tougher.

Before the soul embarks on their journey, upon death when they are seized by the Yama dhutas they are taken to the abode of Yama briefly for an id check. They usually return to the ghostly region and hang around their dead physical body until it is buried and decomposed or cremated. Upon cremation, the soul usually visits their family members or the home they used to live in, lamenting and crying about the loss of the physical body. It must be noted that if a person is not cremated and buried instead, this process is alot longer and arduous. The person will hang around their relatives for longer until their physical corpse is fully decomposed. This is because they still have very strong attachments to their earthly lives and to their physical bodies.

The journey to Yama's abode is more or less difficult depending on the person's consciousness. After Yama's life review, a person gets to choose their next body. Usually they will spend some time in heaven for the merits they have accumulated and in hell for their accumulated sins.

Again it must be emphasized that this journey is much easier if the family of the deceased are making some offerings to God on their behalf. This difficult journey to Yama's abode is standard for a person who did not perform spiritual practices or sincerely worshipped God.

Every person is different. Their karma is different and therefore every journey  is unique and different in its details.

Yama says the following regarding the downward path : "My dear servants, bring me for punishment only those persons who are averse to the taste of that honey (the Lord's lotus feet), who do not associate with paramahamsas and who are attached to family life and worldy enjoyment, which form the path to hell