Death is not the end.

 


Death is not the end.

Man is not limited to a single life. While this is a relief for those who seek the world, the very thought of it terrifies those who understand the downside of physical life and therefore seek liberation.

It is said the embodied being moves from one life to another like a worm in the grass that leaves one tuft of grass to latch on to another. What is this embodied being? It is the subtle body that carries the impression of various lives and the sum total of karma acquired. It moves from body to body to give expression to the karma and builds more in the process, trapping the being into a seemingly endless cycle.

The mind that is busy projecting the world survives death and again projects another viewpoint according to the conditions that rise to be fulfilled. There is an endless journey experiencing pleasure, pain and suffering.

Once the body is formed and the ego takes over the being is helpless. It is forced to forget its true nature and take on a personality, trends, and desires allocated to it. It is nearly impossible for it to shake off this cage.

The most unfortunate person in the world is the one who welcomes the ego and identifies with the body. Like a rudderless boat that is tossed in a tornado within the ocean, it moves from one situation to another unable to free oneself from the destiny that drives.

There are various steps one can take to escape this fate. The Bhagavad Gita summarizes them into four;

  • The path of selfless work, karma yoga
  • The path of devotion, bhakti yoga
  • The path of knowledge, discernment and contemplation, gyana yoga
  • The path of awakening the power within oneself, raja yoga

All of these, practiced individually or collectively, slowly separates the being from the illusion and compulsion called life. The realization that one is not the body creeps in. Like the ripe coconut the inner fruit starts separating from the outer shell.

That is the first step. The ropes of attraction and desire for the world start becoming weak. The being finds relief in detachment and seeks it more and more.

But the journey is not smooth. It is observed that sufferings then surface. What is this suffering for? The bonds of karma are much stronger and the debts have to be repaid. The results of karma start bearing fruit and trouble the being. This period is very troublesome for most. But the devoted being does not sink under the load. It realizes the inevitability of such suffering and bears it with patience. It gets more and more attracted to the Godhead and surrenders to the greater force.

While the negative karma causes trouble, the good karma protects the being and keeps it afloat.

This process has been compared to that of cleaning an old and stained pot of ink. At first the embedded ink that emanates on washing is of a very dark hue. One thinks that the situation has only gotten worse as one is frightened by the dark flow. It takes time for the situation to improve and there comes a time when the pot is truly clean.

How to face this suffering? It is difficult. Karma of aeons of births bearing fruit overwhelms. The best thing would be to approach a Guru and take up the mantra. The appropriate Guru often appears at this point. Repeating the mantra with devotion does help.

Rituals too help. Visiting holy places, doing the required penance, however symbolic, helps relieve the burden. Many take up reading and reciting the scriptures. One also finds that he has detached oneself and adopted the stance of a witness.

The pain and suffering also needs other modes of countering. One can seek the required help. Friends are a great asset in such times.

There is a benefit from such suffering. One realizes with full conviction that life is not a bed of roses but a trap from which one needs to escape. The cage becomes visible. Suffering increases the intensity of ones desire for liberation. It is said that suffering is the short cut to God.

It requires superhuman effort to overcome the challenges that come on the path. However as one proceeds a great internal change is slowly observed.

  • The ego starts losing its grip on the person
  • The dream nature of the world starts becoming obvious
  • The process of witnessing may deepen. The adept witnesses everything , the awake state, the dream state, as well as the deep sleep state
  • Positive qualities like love and compassion start manifesting
  • One develops the simplicity of a child
  • There is a desire for solitude and silence
  • One becomes serious about the spiritual practice
  • The mind that is given to the world is directed towards the divine
  • One realizes that one is a traveler in this world and loses the fear of death

The road to heaven, it is said, meanders through hell. One needs to visit the rock bottom before starting the journey upwards.

Swami Ramdass advocated a three pronged strategy for liberation;

  • Dispassionately observing the world as it passes by
  • Treating all beings as divine and all situations as put before one by the divine
  • Constantly chanting the name of the Lord

The present Kali Yuga is an age where a person can condense the suffering of hundreds of lives into one. The Mother of Pondicherry was emphatic on this.

Strange are the ways of the Lord. The path is difficult like walking the razors edge. However the one who is truly surrendered to the Lord is protected despite unfavourable circumstances.

Sri Aurobindo compares suffering to the oven of fire that perfects the mold within.

Life may feel smooth and create the illusion of permanence. That is the play of Maya; the most powerful magician. But nothing is permanent in the manifested world. Nothing is real either. The intelligent person is the one that keeps this in the back of the mind and strives to achieve the unseen permanence that lies behind it.

The scriptures call that permanence Brahman or Sat-Chid-Ananda that is ones real nature. It alone exists.