Birth life and Death, the inevitable truth.

Warning

This blog post discusses a very uncomfortable topic of death. Read with an open mind. Some parts, may bring up unpleasant memories and experiences. However the acceptance of this reality, will take you closer to the absolute truth, as you will know the difference between what is eternal and that what is not. We are not discussing the medical or legal aspects here.

Anand, the movie:

Many years back, As i watched Anand movie, there was a dialog, which i remember. See the image above....

The hero, Anand, is suffering from a terminal illness. He knows, he is not going to live for more than a few months, but is still full of life, very jovial and helping, living the life to the fullest, spreading joy around him.

We are all puppets on a stage, our strings are in the hands of God. Who will be "lifted" and gone, when and how, no one knows.

When i see someone stressed, unable to enjoy life, complaining, who is not able to help self and others, holding grudges, not forgiving, i feel sad that the person does not realise the precious moments of life are passing away like sand held in hands. This is an example of being engrossed in the mind, not able to anchor the self... Something that is ultimately an individual choice, as it fulfills one of the four human needs of significance and uncertainty, which in turn fulfill the needs of connection and certainity.

As decisions And events shape ones life, more importantly, the meaning one attaches to them...

Sudden loss of a loved one:

Sometimes there is a sudden loss of a loved one. A shocking incident...an unforeseen event.

This became evident, when my dear friend lost his wife, just 45 years old, all of a sudden, as she colllapsed and could not be revived...all in a matter of a few minutes and everyone was just helpless! 

I experienced a similar situation when i lost by brother in a road accident. He was 35. It's around 20 years now...but it still feels like yesterday. I can never forget that night.

You may have similar experiences in your life about family and friends, which bring back painful memories of the loss.

This brought many thoughts about death, karma, why does this happen to good people? Is there a rebirth. 

Questions about death

There are many questions, which arise, that this blog attempts to clarify.

There are many interpretations, commentaries, experiences about this ultimate state of the body, or life as we call it. A lot has been written. 

The perpetual cremation ground

The manikarnika ghat at Varanasi is the place where the funeral pyre does not stop..it goes on 24x7x365. A few minutes, hours or days in this place, creates a fundamental internal shift. The perspective of life itself changes. I have spent long hours here. Bodies coming, burning, the young, the old, the male and female, the rich and the poor, the end is the same. Once you imbibe this perspective of certainity of death, the way you look at life shifts fundamentally.

In fact one of the lingams here is called smashaneshwar mahdev! The evening arti here is something very very different.

Understanding the body:

Body as an electrochemical entity and not a biochemical entity.

This is the fundamental difference between how the eastern and western philosophies see the body. As in quantum physics, energy and matter are two states, electrochemical entity makes more sense. We are not going into the medico legal aspects of death here.

Body in the 5 koshas.

The first layer is the body, the second energy and the third mind. The fourth and fifth layers are about the self and bliss, which are beyond the mind. The body energy mind triade is cause and effect of the experiences one gets in life.

Body as The vehicle.

Body is like a car, the mind is the driver and the fuel is energy. All roles are linked to the physical body. Even avatars are a human form of the divine to perform their roles and set examples. 

Lokas

Just as in the dream, the mind enjoys, without the body, similarly in the lokas, there is no need for a body to enjoy the pleasures or feel the pain. It simply means that the mind is attached to the desire of having more pleasure and avoiding more pain. The mind, it's feelings, memories, continue after leaving the body. The experiences of the mind create the lokas and vice versa. When there is no mind, there are no lokas.

Deep sleep

Not the body, nor the mind is aware in deep sleep.

When the mind is not attached, just like in deep sleep, you don't get any thoughts, this state of the soul of the state of samadhi. No mind. Thoughtless. Blissful. We all experience it in deep sleep. However we fail to expand the state in waking and dreaming state. This is explained in manaspuja in the 4th shloka when acharya says..nidra samadhi sthiti.

Afterlife.

Some believe and afterlife and some don't. When you know, you don't have to believe there are many many documented cases of afterlife in Tibetan lamas for thousands of years. The process of identifying the next senior lama is also an interesting one where lamas reincarnated are sought out based on many techniques.

Ageing and disease.

As the body ages, it is prone to disease and death. One has to accept it. This is a simple biological function with all living beings. Birth life and then death. 

The moment of dis illusionment.

Like Siddharth, who later became Buddha, contemplated on this reality and wanted to seek something beyond it. Some have a moment of such disillusionment, which manifests into a different direction in life.

Is living forever a boon or a curse?

A king asked for a boon to live forever. When he watched his future generations die as he lived for thousands of years... He ultimately pleaded the lord to take away this boon. 

Moksha or freedom after death.

Many people think that heaven, hell etc are in afterlife. In afterlife, the attached mind continues to have experiences. Why not create heaven in this lifetime by adding value to others life? The freedom means just realising that i am not my mind. That's all. As given in nirvanashatakam.

Thoughts at the time of death define rebirth.

As the mind transitions from the body to the state without the body, the thoughts at the time is the transition define it's level of further state.

Why name kids on gods and goddesses names?

Hence naming kids on names of gods and goddesses is common in Bharat as usually one remembers their loved ones and calls them during the last breath.  The names of gods are not at all random as Elon Musk named their kid! They are in fact designed to activate the specific energy centres in the body, the best example being the word "Ram".

Revival of the dead by siddhas.

There are some documents real life incidents where some siddhas have got dead people alive.

Tibetan rebirth, laamas etc.

Tibetans have mastered this method, where the next master is identified using astrology, body composition, marks on the body etc.

Aghoris and their ways.

Building in the left over prana energy in the body, even after death, the aghoris have deviced their own methods to reach a higher state. 

7 components of the body. 

According to ayurveda, these are the 7 key components of the body. Bones, flesh, blood, lymphatic fluid, semen, fat. It is interesting to note how much time, each component takes to form, semen being the most precious component. Needless to say, when the body perishes, other than a few bones, all other parts burn to ashes.

Increasing life spans.

There are 8 Chiranjeevi beings. And many examples of sadhus living for thousand of years. The most recent being telang Swami, who lived for more than 300 years in varanasi. So there was some techniques available earlier to increase the life span.

Living forever.

This has been one of the dreams of humanity. What is forgotten is that most people link this to physical body which is prone to age and disease. But the real self is always eternal.

Perpetual organizations

Even though the person is no more, the organization that was started lives on. When we continued the work in the company formed by my brother, he lived in through the work he started. He is not present in his physical form, i will not be, one of the days, but the work, the people trained, the techniques developed, will carry on.

Regrets at the time of death.

A survey was conducted for patients who were very close to death. The greatest regret is at the end is not about making making money, power, buying a larger home etc. But, it's about not doing things, chances, not exploring the opportunities, not taking the risks, one could have. Essentially, not feeling fulfilled! In the movie, the hero Anand, does not have such regrets, as he did what he could and accepted the in evitable.

Coping with loss.

What you can't change you accept. What

You can change, you act on. In the death of a close one, one can't do anything else but to accept it. However, overcoming the loss in a reasonable time is the key. 

Eft, a powerful technique.

To dis associate pain from the memory of death, eft is an excellent method. It does not make you forget. It only reduces the intensity of pain.

Eft technique to cope with loss.

https://youtu.be/kDyw3MLwzmo?si=_nUD6cUOJMdfThOV

Is a tapping technique, that uses 8 points on the body with specific statements.. This disassociates the pain and the memory. The memory remains, but when recalled, it is not as painful. There are more than 200 videos by Brad yates, each of them for a specific purpose.

The world does not stop after a person dies.

It may, for the person who is dead. For the ones left behind, they have no other option but to cope. Some take days, some months, some years and some a lifetime! The world continues its affairs. The vacuum created by a person is filled by another.

Roles and death.

Death simply means end of roles. As they are all attached to the body. As the roles are over, the memory related to the roles also fades away. What remains is the emotions, the feelings, as the mind still exists, even when one is not attached.

Finding a new partner after the loss. 

Some people identify happiness with experiences, which is driven by relationships. There is nothing wrong in seeking a new partner, but do you want to add new roles in your life, get entangled in the ocean of emotions again, or use this opportunity to pursue the two goals of life. Jeevanmukti and sarva loka kalyanam. And in the process, if you connect with a partner, good. If you don't, it does not matter.

Planning to end ones life due to emotional reasons - suicide

Suicide is usually planned for over an year. A trained professional is able to spot trends of this behaviour in people. Even the most successful people like world famous comedians have committed suicide. Many help lines are available today this. The key is to spot a person with these tendencies and offer timely help.

A test could be as simple as asking the right questions.

Planning death by being fully aware

This is done by Jain munis and was even done by veer sawarkar. Where the food and water intake is slowly reduced and death comes in around two months, as the body is not able to sustain itself. This is a very consciously taken decision, where one knows that the purpose of the body is over.

Planning death by yogic processes like samadhi.

Yogis enter maha samadhi, which is consciously giving up the body. This is done by enlightened souls like yogananda and many others.

Shavasana

In shavasana, the easiest way to relax the body is to tense it (by contracting all the muscles of the body, clenching the fists, the jaw, the hand and leg muscles, in fact all the muscles in the body) and then just leave it to allow it to relax automatically (after leaving the tension).

This shavasana method is the simulation of the near exact process of death. The practise of shavasana invokes the awareness at the right time at the moment of death.

The only difference being that in death, the person makes a supreme effort to lift the energy from the lower chakras to the higher chakras. For an advanced sadhak, the pranic energy is already in the anahta chakra, as they operate with self love and compassion. The last effort is to move it from the anahta to the sahasrara chakra, using all the strength they have.

It is noted that the chakra through which you exit the body, determines largely what will be onward journey of the soul. So leaving the body through higher chakras is always recommended.

There are physical signs from which one can gauge the chakra. Mooladhara, if death comes immediately after passing stools. Sahasrara if there is bleeding through the nose. (Example swami vivekananda). Third eye, if the eyes are rolled upwards.

Changing equations after death between family members.

Even a family member passes away, the equations between family members change. This change is is sometimes disturbing as usually no one has planned for this scenario. The wise ones plan for it in advance by creating documents and strategies and systems well in advance.

Rituals after death. Their significance.

Almost all religions have some rituals associated with the dead. These are usually for a better after life for the departed soul. They also serve a purpose for the people who are still left behind and alive, to reassure then the departed soul is in safe hands or is progressing ahead.

All experiences are in the mind.

The mind, the experiences in the mind, both stay, even after the body is given up.

Living forever. Another approach

What you create lives forever. The people who learn from you,  carry that learning ahead.  A perpetual giving organization modelled on the focus of value addition lives forever. Physical existence is not needed for this.

Death rituals

Death rituals like burning, burying or feeding the vultures are common across cultures. They are primarily meant to console the living, rather than the dead.

Death of trust.

Death of not only of the body. It is of trust, that is the biggest death. This causes relationships to crumble. I had an experience in 2018, where my close friends, threatened to take legal action against me, and questioned my integrity. Looking back, i am grateful to them, as this prompted me to look beyond friendship and relationships, explore further and go on a journey i had not imagined before.

Death or end or transcending of koshas.

Death signifies and end to a particular state. Not to everything.

Death of the body.

This is the physical death. The death of a form. When the body dies, all the roles associates with the body also end. But a body is not eternal, it is accepted, that it will end some day.

Death of the prana or energy.

This happens when there is no breath in the lungs. In bahya kumbhak.

Death of the mind, emotions and roles. It's not necessary to take sanyas for this. It is the realisation that emotions are linked to desires. Desires are linked to roles. But i am not the role it's my role! This awareness is enough.

Death and regeneration is a ongoing process. We just don't realise it.

Just as the consciousness keeps the life energy alive, though in a different form, Every cell in this body is dying and getting regenerated all the time!

Can you choose the time of your death.

Iccha maran, or choosing the time of death is a previlaged available to only a few. I remember bhishma from maha bharata had this boon.

Can anyone know the time of their death before hand.

There are many references for this. The most interesting one being of yogi chang dev, where he used to enter a specific state, and when the time passed, used to resume his body... He lived for 1400 years!

What is the point of living in a bed ridden state.

Many people have written specific living wills not to put them on endless life support and suffering in case of a terminal illness. Instead of becoming a burden on all resources, this seems to be a wise choice.

It's time to leave the body when.

Your consumption of resources is more than your contribution.

There is nothing more you can contribute and being perfectly healthy, you are in a fulfilled state and are no longer atteched to the body.

Looking at the body.

Body is just like a mahine with parts getting old, replaced, repaired, ultimately, scrapped. It is the simplest explaination, but the hardest to accept, as body and mind, collapsed together, make it hard to think beyond.

Accepting and being ready for death.

What is unavoidable, one has to be ready for. It is going to happen

Importance of a will

It's a mis conception that a plain paper will is enough. This is only in Hindi movies. A will registered is essential..

Importance of nomination

Better than nomination, get your family members to be joint owners of assets. It's easy and saves time when the first owner dies.

Importance of adding Major kids and family members to properties and joint ownership of assets can not be under estimated.

Risk and it's mitigation.

Adventure sports are high risk and create ultimately an experience for the mind. The risk is high and reward is temporary. I have myself seen a wheelchair bound marketing professional after para gliding accident 30 years back. To me, adventure sports are not worth the risk associated. It is not about being afraid or daring, it is about comparing risk and reward. Everyone has a different perspective. Everyone makes their own choice.

Stem cells research to extend life. 

Expensive and extensive stem cell research is breaking barriers and exploring new frontiers. My dear friend Sanjeev is into the cutting edge of this technology and we often exchange notes, on the unconventional ways, we both experiment with ideas by taking trials and learning and improving.

No attachement to life.

To a person who is free, there is no attachement or aversion. There is no desire or greed or attachement to live, nor the fear or aversion of death. The knowledge that i am not the body energy and mind is clear. So death or life, the state of the same for the self. It does not matter.

Life span in relation to the universe.

The creation is a trillions of years old..this universe being 10 plus billion years old. Our life span is miniscule compared to this. Yet we feel we live eternally!

Rebirth.

To the mind, which is attached, the soul comes back as mind creates reality. The entire creation is of the mind. To the one who is not attached, it does not matter. However, they choose to take birth for helping others. Many enlightened saints have hence expressed their desire to take birth again to sing the lord's praises and help others see the path of absolute truth.

Expanding consciousness

This leads to to Samadhi and then leaving the body. When consciousness expands, the body can not contain it. Hence one leaves the body, with full awareness. This is why some enlightened souls leave the body early like swami vivekanand 40, sant dyneshwar 21, shankaracharya 32 and so on.

Is the time of death known.

Based on astrological predictions, it is possible to predict specific phases in life, where the risk is maximum. There are mantras, havans etc, that people perform to avoid it.

Universal frequency of aum.

Align to this universal frequency of aum. That charges the vibration level itself.

Why do good people die early and bad ones live longer.

This is based on a very small subset of data known to a person. This does not fit into average life spans of people. 

The planet, the star, the galaxy and the universe itself will have a time, when they will not exist. This is the death of the manifested universe itself. In this case, what will remain? 

Attachment to life after being detached:

Ramkrishna paramhansa was attached to food. He always used to ask his wife. What is cooking? While eating, He used to appreciate the food. His wife shardadevi used to wonder, why is a paramhans like ramkrishna, attached to food. He told her, the day you serve me food, and i look away, i will leave my body in next 3 days.. And it happened!

He used the food as a medium to be attached to the material world. You need an anchor, once you are liberated. Food was his anchor. A profound insight.

Ramkrishna was a sanyasi. Being in business, I am "attached" to adding value to others life. This is my life's purpose and creates a sense of fulfillment. The day this attachement drops, I will leave my body. It has nothing to hold on to. It's a fact. It's a long time ahead. But, one day it will happen, when i am confident that the organization has leaders to carry this vision of value addition ahead.

Blessing

May you become aware of the ultimate reality of end of the physical form. While being immersed in om internally the anahata sound and be free.