LIFE BEYOND DEATH

The transient leads to the transient, the eternal leads to the eternal, and Self-knowledge to Self-realisation. That is the prophecy, and that is the Reality. Yes, the Katha Upanishad discusses the idea that the transient leads to the transient. Eternal is Brahmān, the Cosmic Self, or the Absolute Existence. The Katha Upanishad (1.3.15) states that

aśabdamasparśamarūpamavyayaṃ tathā'rasannityamagandhavacca yat |
anādyanantaṃ mahataḥ paraṃ dhruvaṃ nicāyya tanmṛtyumukhātpramucyate || 1.3.15 ||

It is soundless, touchless, formless, imperishable, devoid of taste, eternal, and scentless; it is beginningless, unending, beyond the Mahat (refers to a primordial principle of the nature of both Pradhāna and Puruṣa), and unchanging, through which man eludes the grasp of Death. Eternal is devoid of sound, touch, form, decay, taste, and aroma; consequently, Brahmān is described as imperishable, for whatever possesses sound and similar attributes is subject to deterioration. However, this entity, lacking sound and other qualities, does not deteriorate or experience reduction; hence, it is eternal, because everything that decays is transient, yet this does not decay. Consequently, it is everlasting, and as an eternal entity, it is without origin; that is, it lacks a cause; everything that has a beginning, being an effect, is not eternal and is subsumed by its cause, such as earth, among others. This cause of all is eternal because it is not an effect. It lacks a cause for assimilation, and its infinite nature implies it has no conclusion or actions to carry out. The transient nature of world, seen by cycle of birth and death, does not imply that Brahmān has an end; consequently, Brahmān is also eternal. Beyond the Mahat, which is fundamentally different from the principle of Mahat identified as intelligence, exists the witness of all, characterised by eternal knowledge, with Brahmān as the Ātman of all entities. It has already been stated, 'This Ātman is veiled within all living beings, etc.' Unchanging, that is, immutable and everlasting. Its eternal nature is absolute, unlike that of the earth and similar entities. Upon comprehending Brahmān, or Cosmic Self, one liberates the Ātman from the clutches of Death, specifically from the aspects associated with Death, namely ignorance, desire, and Karma. A psycho-physical framework encompasses all living beings. They forget their sentient essence and move toward the insentient dimension to satiate their psychophysical propensities. Human beings perpetually crave security in the present state of nature. He feels insecure about the world's potential for chameleon-like transformations, which could occur at any moment and in any context. Latency and a feeling of insecurity are the predominant facets of mortality. The fear of death persists at a subliminal level for everyone. His position as the weakest or the strongest is irrelevant. No degree of physical reinforcement can eliminate the inevitability of death. Indeed, we exist within the Samsāra Chakra, the wheel of birth and death. Birth invariably precedes death. Familial, cultural, social, political, and economic values or networks influence a human being’s psycho-physical relational environment, which provides apparent strength, security, recognition, and identity. The systemic framework, cultivating the concept of "I" as ego and interweaving it with the body-mind-intellect complex, forms the core of the entire sense of "I" within the psycho-physical framework of ego. The systemic fabric forces the entity to expand in order to satisfy the insatiable desires that stem from it. The human being perceives the body-mind-intellect complex as the ultimate reality, considering all associated elements as equally real. Sensual reception and perception are equally valid. Avidya, or ignorance stemming from the body-mind-intellect system, engenders a sensuous allure and heightened perception of security. Consequently, the entity undergoes the cycles of birth and death as integral components of the reincarnation process. The notion that we are our physical bodies is but one facet of the belief in reincarnation and soul transmigration. That is how one surrenders to the life and death that constitute the perpetual cycles of the ocean of material existence. Reincarnation, conversely, functions to enlighten the Ātman, or Self, regarding the ephemeral essence of material identification with the body-mind-intellect complex, or incarnation, allowing the Ātman to recognise it by dispelling the veil of ignorance and perceiving it as a manifestation of Brahmān, the Cosmic Self, or Absolute Existence.

1. Outline

The body-mind-intellect system intertwines life and death. Life is a process of being centrally transient in the ephemeral world of Samsāra (birth and death). Death on the other is a journey of the Ātman (soul, or self) to the unknown when it releases from the body-mind-intellect system. According to Swami Sivananda, death does not terminate one's personality and self-awareness. It does not signify the obliteration of individuality. It is simply the termination of a significant personality. It is merely a transformation of form. Life progresses toward its sway over the universe; life continues until it unites with the Absolute. It simply facilitates access to a superior kind of existence. He contends that death merely serves as the portal to a more enriched existence. Swami Sivananda asserts that birth and death are illusions of Maya. One who is born commences the process of dying. One who dies commences to exist. Life equates to death, and death equates to life. Birth and death are simply portals of entrance and exit on the stage of existence.

Ātman, or Self, is eternal, imperishable, and an apparent expansion of Brahmān, or the Cosmic Self. The Ātman is defined in the Taittiriya Upanishad as: ‘Satyaṃ jñānamanantaṁ brahma; Brahmān, which is Reality, Knowledge, and Infinity.’

upaniṣatsārasaṅgrahaḥ

oṃ brahmavidāpnoti param . tadeṣā’bhyuktā .

satyaṃ jñānamanantaṃ brahma .

yo veda nihitaṃ guhāyāṃ parame vyoman .

so’śnute sarvān kāmānsaha . brahmaṇā vipaściteti ..

(Taittiriya Upanishad – Brahmananda Valli – 2-0)

The Knower of Brahmān reaches the Supreme. On that, this has been chanted: ‘Real, Consciousness, Infinite is Brahman;….’. Whosoever knoweth the one hid in the cave in the highest heaven attains all desires together, as Brahmān, as the Wise. It means that the Ātman is in no way different from Brahmān, the Absolute Reality, or Absolute Existence, which is pure knowledge, pure awareness or consciousness, and infinite. It signifies the distinctness of the two units: the sentient soul and the insentient body-mind-intellect system.  Life is fundamentally evanescent within the ephemeral sphere of Samsāra (birth and death). It entails all living, sentient, conscious, and cognitive entities. Life manifests through various stages, including growth, cognition, sustenance, reproduction, and multiplication, facilitated by the application of energy. Life embodies Samsāra, delineating the continuum of birth, growth, decay, and death.

Life is a concentration of desire in a specific spatio-temporal locus. It is desire that is conceived for fulfilment during the life-journey processes in the Samsāra Chakra, or the wheel of birth and death. The accumulated intensity of desires may take several lifetimes to propitiate; that may be called incarnation or reincarnation in the Samsāra Chakra. According to sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda, a human person is a manifestation of a conglomeration of wishes and desires. He asserts that wants are ingrained in every cell in our body. It resonates with myriad wants. However, because a single body cannot satisfy an infinite array of needs, one or more incarnations judiciously select a certain subset of desires to realise.

2. Scriptures

The scriptures describe life beyond death in a variety of ways. Our scriptures delineate the four paths that Ātman traverses after death. Spiritually accomplished individuals pursue the first path, known as Devayana, or the way of the gods, leading an exceptionally clean existence and dedicating themselves to profound meditation on Brahmān, but they have not achieved complete self-knowledge prior to death. They ascend to Brahmaloka, the supreme abode, and thereafter achieve nirvana. The Chhandogya Upanishad delineates this path as follows: Despite after-death rites, the Ātman ascends to light, progresses from light to day, month to waxing phase, six months of the sun's northern ascent, year to sun, sun to moon, and lightning. There he encounters a non-human being. This individual transports the soul to Brahmān. This is the sacred path—the path of Brahmān. Individuals who traverse this route do not revert to the tumult of humanity. The second track, termed pitriyana, is for ritualists and philanthropists, who have nurtured a need for the outcomes of their charity, austerity, vows, and devotion, or the way of the fathers. Subsequently, they proceed to Chandraloka, the moon realm, where they experience profound bliss as a consequence of their virtuous deeds, before returning to Earth due to their lingering terrestrial wants. For those who have lived with impurities and engaged in behaviors prescribed by sacred texts, the third path culminates in damnation.  They are born into subhuman species. They reincarnate on Earth in human forms after atoning for their malevolent deeds. The fourth level is intended for individuals who exhibit deeply malevolent attitudes and behaviours. They repeatedly reincarnate as trivial beings like insects and fleas. Ultimately, following the atonement of their malevolent deeds, they too reincarnate in human forms on Earth. Upon inhabiting a human form, a soul resumes the trajectory of spiritual progression from its prior incarnation and progresses towards self-knowledge. The scriptures assert that all souls will eventually achieve self-realisation, or self-knowledge. Nevertheless, the four processes are inapplicable to those who achieve self-knowledge prior to or at the moment of death. For these souls, there is no passage to any dimension. Upon death, their souls merge with Brahmān, while the components of their body-mind complex revert to their original source. Scriptures suggest that we might liken death to slumber and post-mortem experiences to dreams. Our cognition and behavior in our waking states shape the essence of our dreams.  Likewise, after death, the soul encounters the consequences of its thoughts and acts conducted throughout its earthly existence. Post-death experiences are authentic to the soul, akin to the reality of a dream for the dreamer, and may persist indefinitely. Subsequently, upon awakening from this slumber, the soul discovers itself reincarnated as a human entity. Scriptural texts suggest that some individuals might reincarnate as humans after death, avoiding the experiences of paradise or hell. The spiritual progress of the soul toward self-knowledge is continuous and unbroken. The soul's descent into subhuman existence from human life is merely a diversion. The final contemplation of a dying individual determines their subsequent existence in this life.

 The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (4.4.1-4.4.2) states when the soul leaves the body, the life-breath follows, and then all the organs. The soul then acquires a specific consciousness and transitions into a body associated with that consciousness. When this sense of self weakens and loses its meaning, the organs begin to respond to it. Eventually, the heart receives these completely withdrawn light particles. When the presiding deity of the eye retreats from all directions, the man loses the ability to perceive color. The self under consideration weakens. In reality, the body weakens, but we figuratively refer to its weakness as the self's, as its formlessness prevents it from becoming weak on its own. The subtle body of the dying man unites every organ. At that moment, the presiding deities stop their activity, and the organs unite within the heart. Once the organs unite in the heart, the body undergoes the following transformation: The orifice of the heart, also known as the 'top', refers to the nerve-end, which serves as the self's exit. This orifice brightens, akin to a dream state, as the organs reveal themselves through the light of the 'Ātman'. Through that top, brightened by the light of the Ātman, the individual self, with the subtle body as its limiting adjunct, departs. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad states that when the soul leaves the body, the life breath follows and then all the organs. The soul then acquires a specific consciousness and transitions into a body associated with that consciousness.

The Chandogya Upanishad (8.12.1) explains that this body is mortal, and it has been captured by death. Yet it is the base of the Self, which is immortal and formless. One who has a body is subject to both happiness and unhappiness. In fact, there is no end to happiness and unhappiness so long as one has a body. But when a person is free from the body, nothing good or evil can touch him.

The Katha Upanishad contends that the Ātman, the true essence of a being, is eternal and beyond birth and death. The Ātman is hidden in the heart of every creature and can be revealed to those who meet certain moral preconditions. The goal of the Katha Upanishad is to escape the cycle of death and rebirth by dissolving the sense of individuality. Birth and death, according to sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda, are not real for the Jiva, who is present before taking a body and after leaving it. The Jiva takes a body to perform deeds and experience their fruits. When the Jiva exhausts its allotted fruits, it departs for other worlds and returns in another body.

The Srimad Bhagavad Gita declares succinctly that the soul is never born nor does it ever perish; nor, once it has existed, does it ever cease to exist. The soul is uncreated, everlasting, imperishable, and timeless. The death of the body does not annihilate it. The Bhagavad Gita asserts that just as an individual discards old clothing for new attire, at the time of death, the soul relinquishes its obsolete body and enters a new one.

3. Remarks

According to the Srimad Bhagavad Gita (8.6), a man only achieves the objects he contemplates at the end of his life, immersing himself in their thoughts. And the dying person's last thought inevitably reflects his inmost desire. We are responsible for our own elevation or debasement, declares Srimad Bhagavad Gita (6.4-6.7). Nobody can navigate the path of self-realisation, or self-knowledge, for us. Let your mind elevate you, not degrade you. The mind can be your friend or foe. When a person renounces all desires for the fruits of action and becomes detached from sense objects and actions, they elevate themselves in the science of yoga, according to the Bhagavad Gita (6.4). The yogis who have conquered the mind rise above the dualities of cold and heat, joy and sorrow, and honour and dishonor. Such yogis remain peaceful and steadfast in their devotion to God. We have described these different courses after death to caution people against neglecting the path of self-knowledge, which is the only path that can grant immortality, eternal peace, and happiness.

-Asutosh Satpathy