KNOW YOUR DEATH - 13

Hell. Heaven Rebirth and Moksha.

(Refer to article no 1 in this series)

Sir Charles Sherrington (Noble Prize Winner) says – Mind is energy, Birth is energy transformation. He asserts with admirable courage and explains – Mind seems to emerge from no mind (during birth of a child from a small embryo). So conversely at death, it seems to re-emerge into no-mind.

“We die only when are ready to die”. From ‘Will to Live; by Dr. Hutschnecker.

“एकोहम बहु स्याम” "I am One, let “Me” become many!" as per the advaita doctrine (Rev. Adi Shankaracharya), the birth of the Universe is by the will of Devine mind. The universe is itself the manifestation of the Divine Mind, which willed.

Suffering of the Mind after death. 

In order to understand and ascertain the status of the mind which departs from the body at the moment of death, it is important to understand the mind’s journey from birth to death and conditioning of the mind during this whole journey. Above figure gives the process of formation of the destiny from start to the end of life.

At the moment of conception the mind associates itself with the matter and new life begins. What could be the reason the mind opts to take birth? Obviously for some desire it needs to get associated with the matter. This desire is to acquire the status of being, to have an existence! Because to fulfill the desire, the bodily existence is necessary

.

Two cells, one each from mother and father unite to form the conceived cell. This conceived cell has to have different mind than the parent cells as the child’s mind is entirely distinct/different from its parents. Here we may say that the existence-seeking mind (non-matter) uses the matter from parents to complete its desire.

This association of mind with the body has to be as per the desire of the mind which wants to take birth.  One may object this and say that this could be considered the desire of parents also to give birth to a child.

Yes it can be so. But for every sexual association the parents may have, there is no conception. (The detailed discussion on this subject is available in the book “SUPER PROCREATION” pages 57-63, in the topic “Conception and Mind”. This book is published by Manashakti, author is G.S.Kelkar).

The desire of seeking mere “existence” later converts in to the “desire of existence with pleasure and comfort”. We have already discussed the aspect of ‘Desire’ in details. The end-less aspirations of materialistic pleasures keep the mind surrounded all through the life till the arrival of the last moment.

The concept of total detachment (akarma), one ness with the God/Spirit, highest level of self-realization are seldom achieved. At death the mind has to leave the body with un-fulfilled desires.

What happens after death?

After death, emotions and capacity to crave or think goes with mind. But Mind does not possess body, the means for full-filling its craving.

Thus for example, man's sex urge is not gone, but means to satisfy it is absent. Condition is unimaginably worse. More so because a person can visualize his wife or other representative of a fair sex but cannot do any further. If one has won sex feeling, it is no more one's peril.

What is true to sex is true of all emotions. (Here, it may be noted that seeing is not the function of ‘eye’ but mind sees through the means of the eye.)

Take one more case of emotion say affection. Affection has 3 aspects. Man has affection on himself, he likes sweets. After death he will see sweets all over, but cannot eat.  Man loves his wife, whom he sees weeping. He too then boils within, having no communicating system to advise her. On the other hand, if he witnesses, her faithlessness, he is doubly disillusioned and tortured.

To the extent to which man wins his emotions here and now, he saves himself from future pangs. None could say he will not be troubled even if he has won 90% of sex feeling, since he will have 10% trouble left mathematically.

Indeed, our pain in extra-mundane form is inversely proportional to pleasure in this stride. No escape.

During life the man hankers after desires-pleasures running down of his pulse, heat, energy. He spends his energy and gets pleasure. If to give out the energy is pleasure, to gain energy must be pain. In practice to cash a currency note of $100 for its running down to $60 would mean pleasure and while earning rupee by rupee, or dollar by dollar will be hard efforts/displeasure.

Suffering after death (as torturous activity)

One thing to be made clear here is "hell" or  "heaven" are not the places or locations but they are the experiences or situations where mind lands.

Scientific 'hell'.

During life man uses umbrella or a cap as protection from rain and sun. After death, mind - the entity smaller than even light quanta is open to high and low temperature change. No protection. It will feel it as just a 'hell'. But a poor (not possessing a cap/umbrella) who is accustomed to rain, sun and hard environments has no such additional torture.

The craving rich does not perceive this. Umbrella, car, fan are not sufficient for him. He is getting himself air-conditioned. Still worse tomorrow. Thus the mind of a person accustomed to comforts is likely to feel more pain in the stage after death.

Dis-association with body does not mean non-existence

Mind-energy i.e. "capacity to beat less than 60 per minute" takes with it its personal (un-fulfilled) desires. And so far they are not disassociated, it is no use saying that the mind will continue to be happy in the hither-to-disliked surrounding. It is as wise as an argument as by a man that he is safe, when he has entered in a tiger's cage to save himself from the freed tiger. No doubt, the man locked in cannot be touched by the tiger, but it is absurd to imagine that the man will ever feel the surrounding safe.

Like or dislike was not the consideration of the body, but of mind. If mind during life i.e. "capacity to beat 72 per minute" has no courage to face its dislike, from where would the courage appear when "capacity" is reduced?

Our analysis of mental agonies is true in any case. There is no use rejecting the "painful agonies" after death only because none can concretely 'show' a living man his condition in non-living state. And here too dreadful dreams serve as enough red signal, if one wants to take hint. When I see my hand cut by sword in dream, the pain that I experience is true at that hour. Boast of its falsity is a whitewash after the so-called awakening. If logic is not one's true teacher why should 'New Way' deny one to learn from your own experience? 

During life, pulse rate was reduced from 150 to 60. It was our pleasure. After death, the span in which 60 steps up again to 150, the period cannot be but of pain as a reverse process.

To the extent of the gravity of pain suffered by the departed mind, the Hell can be graded in 7 levels in ascending order. The pain level would be the lowest at grade 1. While it would be highest at the level 7. Similarly the Heaven being the stage of relative comfort, the grades would be in the reverse order as against the grades of hell. This means grade 1 hell is the 7^th grade heaven and grade 7 hell would be the grade 1 heaven, (illustrated in the figure).

 Remedy reaction:

'New Way' (Manashakti Ashram) suggests that since man cannot give up all his ideas of selfish pleasures, all of a sudden, let him begin earnestly. Instead of acting for 'ease' which results in 'disease' let man learn to react on own self. Spend 6.25% money time, energy in spread of new knowledge to experience a miracle. ('Enjoy' 6.25% bitter.).

Potentiality of rebirth phenomenon cannot be ruled out. On the other hand, it is not a must. If there is not left any alluring appetancy (intense desire, appetite, natural tendency) and avidity (greediness, eagerness, etc.), the mechanism of reincarnation loses its applicability as well as significance. The left over intensive desires and greedy tendencies (of the mind) may be fulfilled in the eventuality of next birth. Repetition of birth perhaps affords opportunity to learn the ultimate truth in instalment. The ultimate truth which says that vain (excessive egoistic) human deep desires (yearnings) can never be fulfilled.

 

For the one, who realizes the truth in a single span (life) the rebirth becomes redundant. From the series of articles under this title, it can be summarized that “Birth, Death and Life after death - All are based on the desire of Mind”. To make the death moment peaceful mind has to be trained throughout life.




Vijay R. Joshi,

Which Desires Lead our Life. (KNOW YOUR DEATH - 11)

How human karma is motivated / initiated.

We have seen in a separate article the concept of Sreyas and Preyas. Here we shall try to see the hierarchy of the needs (desires) as felt normally by the human being. Here we refer to the well-known “Maslow Theory of the hierarchy of needs”.

Hierarchy of needs/desires.

Maslow stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled a person seeks to fulfill the next one, and so on. It is quite true that man lives by bread alone — when there is no bread. But what happens to man’s desires when there is plenty of bread and when his belly is chronically filled? At once; other (and “higher”) needs emerge and these, rather than physiological hungers, dominate the organism. And when these in turn are satisfied, again new (and still “higher”) needs emerge and so on. This is what we mean by saying that the basic human needs are organized into a hierarchy of relative prepotency. Maslow stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled a person seeks to full fill the next one, and so on.

1. Biological and Physiological needs -air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep etc.

2. Safety needs - protection from ailments, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc.

3. Social Needs - Belongingness and Love, - work group, family, affection, relationships, etc.

4. Esteem needs - self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, managerial responsibility, etc.

5. Cognitive needs - knowledge, meaning, etc.

6. Aesthetic needs - appreciation and search for beauty, balance, form, etc.

7. Self-Actualization needs - realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.

8. Transcendence needs - helping others to achieve self-actualization.

Please note that it start from the need of the body initially then go to the needs of the mind, elevated mind toward the journey to the status of “Soul”.

Although we are all, theoretically, capable of self-actualizing, most of us will not do so, or only to a limited degree. Maslow (1970) estimated that only two percent of people will reach the state of self-actualization. Which in reality is much, much in lesser proportion.

Holy Gita.

In contrast to Maslow Gita prescribes self-control in a different manner

The self-controlled person, moving among objects, with his senses free from attachment and malevolence (hatred) and desires brought under his own control, attains tranquillity.

A disciplined person, enjoying sense objects with senses that are under control and free from attachments and aversions, attains tranquility.  Peace and happiness is achieved, not by sense gratification, but by sense control. (Gita 2/64)

We have also seen the concepts of Karma, Vikarma  and Akarma in a separate article. Gita also states that though to reach the self-realization state is the highest objective of life very rarely this is met. So in all probability, to attain the total stage of desire-lessness though ideal for highest mind evolution, very few people would be able to reach.

“One in thousand men try to become,

Learned is the knowledge of perfection,

And only one of those learned men,

Really know me (concept of God)  in reality”.                       Gita chapter 7, verse 3.

“After several births, this wise man,

Realizing that everything is the universal godhead,

Reaches me and such a person is rare indeed”.                   Gita chapter 7,verse19.  

Who would lead to Bliss, who leads to re-birth ?

Gita answers this in chapter 8, verses 23, 24, 25.

 Oh Arjuna, please hear from me,

About that period of times in which,

Yogis who depart, return or not return?

Those who die in the light caused by fire,

During day time, during the waxing period of moon,

During northern solstice and are the devotees of Brahmam,

Would eventually attain the Brahmam.

Those who die when there is smoke,

Or during night, during the waning phase of moon,

And during the southern solstice and are,

Well versed in yoga, attain the moon,

And return back to earth.

To explain this in common language Saint Vinoba Bhave says :-

When the hands perform act of service till last breath, when the full moon of Bhavana shines brightly, mind’s sky is free from desire, and the intellect is free and keen – when a man dies in this state, we may presume that he has merged with God. In order to make such auspicious ending, one must watch day and night and wage skilful war. Not even for an instant, should an evil tendency be permitted to enter the mind. And in order to gain strength necessary for this, one should remember His name and meditate on is Truth. (Vinobaji in “Gita Pravachan”).

But if the life departing mind would carry with it some or other un-fulfilled desire, possibility of re-birth looms large.

We shall review in the next article the desires in some of the so-called great people’s mind at the moment of death. The last desire naturally leads to the further journey and destination in the after death stage.

Vijay R. Joshi.

Five layered existence of human being (KNOW YOUR DEATH -9)

“Pancha Kosha Viveka"

It is very important to answer the question “Who am I?’ (को हम?).

The answer to this question decides the level of self-realization. The human efforts then take the shape leading to the formation of the karma-chakra. The destiny at the departing moment in life has bearing to this level of realization. This concept is illustrated with “Pancha Kosha Viveka”.

Let us understand the concept of “Pancha Kosha Viveka”

Pancha Kosha Viveka (पंच कोष विवेक)

In India there is vast literature where human being is described in great detail in different religions of Indian origin and for the present situation the most suitable model of human being can be taken from “Taittiriya upnishad” under the title “Pancha Kosha Viveka” or “five layered existence of human being”. According to this model; human beings are not just body-mind but a complex of five layers which can be explained rationally.

Physical body or Annamaya kosha

It is made up of matter or food and it needs air, water and food for maintenance of body. But any type or amount of just food cannot make a dead body alive and body alone (without life energy) is useless.

Life-energy body or Pranamaya kosha-

As heart start beating body becomes use full. Heart is the seat of life energy or Prana. A person is considered alive till its heart is beating. But even body with beating heart is of no value if person remains still and such person is considered in coma and a comatose forever is as use full as dead person.

Mental body or Manomaya kosha –

A comatose (affected with coma) becomes useful as it start responding to the surroundings.    A person responds only when he has desire. Mind or Mana is the seat of desire and desires stimulate a person to act. Strong desire stimulate strongly. But if a normal person suddenly starts abusing and beating and killing people without reason and could not be controlled by any measure can such person be considered normal and can such person be kept free in society? Therefore a person with uncontrolled desire is harmful for the society therefore useless for the society.

Wisdom body or Vijnanamaya kosha –

A person with the power to think and decide what is right and what is wrong is considered a normal person. A person with high level of reasoning power is considered a wise person and a person with the highest level of reasoning power is considered the wisest and most useful for the society.

But what is the use of wisdom or the power to discriminate? Ultimately we discriminate everything on the basis of happiness.

The bliss body or Anandamaya kosha –

Desire of Ananda or happiness is the cause of everything in the world. Our soul which is the basis of our being is in search of the highest level of happiness. It keeps on indulging here, there and everywhere for happiness.

Happiness is the center of all the human activity. One can reach to ideal, logical, satisfying and absolute answer only by keeping happiness at the top.  

Einstein’s field theory considers the universe is united through field energy. As part of universe, a human mind has also to transcend the awareness beyond self and expand it to the beings in all the universe. This could be considered as the highest stage of the evolution of mind. The concept of human happiness should not restrict to self but should expand to the whole humanity.

Here (at the stage of awareness of the Ananandmaya kosha), human being unifies with the universal energy. That is considered as the state of highest happiness. Since at this stage there is nothing further to achieve, the state of desire-less-ness is achieved. Due to such a state of mind at the departing moment of life, there is no possibility of the re-birth.

Vijay R. Joshi.