If man does all work after carefully thinking it through, then later on he will not have to regret. Therefore on this subject, whatever he does, he must first think carefully. Everyone has a different duty. Some do one thing, whereas, others do another thing. But here we are discussing about the most important work, which everyone will have to do. One day or the other everyone will have to leave this body and go away. There is no surety that when a child is born, whether he will become big or not, whether he will study or not, whether he will get married or not, whether he will do business or not, whether he will have any children or not, whether he will be rich or not, etc. There is no doubts whatsoever about whether he will die or not. In other words, he will certainly die. And after death what will be our state? There is a great need to think about this point.
In the beginning of the eight chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna asked seven questions. Of them the seventh question was – “In the last breath, how are You to be known?” To this the Lord said –
Antakaale cha maameva smaran muktvaa kalevaram |
Yeh prayaati sa madbhaavam yaati naastyatra sanshayah || (Gita 8/5)
Those men who departing from the body thinks of (remembers) Me alone even at the time of death, attains Me, there is no doubt about it. (Gita 8/5).
Is this rule only for you? Regarding this the Lord says –
Yam yam vaapi smaran bhaavam tyajatyante kalevaram |
Tam tamevaiti kaunteya sadaa tadbhaavabhaavitah || (Gita 8/6)
Whatever object or being a man thinks of at the time of his death or at the time of departure from the body, that alone does he attains, O Son of Kunti , Arjuna, as having been always in these thoughts. (Gita 8/6)
Of the various different end states of a soul (jeev), one is liberation. It is also known as Salvation, Self Realization, attainment of Divinity (Truth), etc. It is called by various names. There are many different forms of liberation, of which the two most important – 1) Attaining Liberation from Birth and Death 2) Attaining Liberation from this Body.
Attaining liberation from birth and death means while living one is set free, released from bondage. At present, while the life breath still remains, if one is freed from bondage, this state is called liberated soul. “Videhamukti” is a state that takes place after death. This difference is brought about for those who believe in the attribute-less, formless element. The liberation of those who believe in “God with attributes and form” are of five types.
“Saalokya mukti” the liberated soul goes to live in the Lord’s abode, “Saarshti mukti” – the liberated soul attains similar glories as the Lord. “Saameepya mukti” the liberated soul resides close to God “Swaaroopya mukti” – the liberated soul acquires the same instruments and weapons as God and having a similar form and appearance lives with God “Saayujya mukti” the liberated soul becomes one with God i.e. to become inseparable from God.
Of these different types of liberations, whatever type of liberation a devotee wants, he attains the very same. All these different forms of liberation are within the realm of man’s “urdhvagati” (higher state). There are three main end states of a man – higher state “urdhvagati“, middle state, “madhyagati” and lower state “adhogati“. It is said in the Gita that –
Urdhvam gachanti sattvasthaa madhye tishthanti raajasaah | Jaghnyagunavruttisthaa adho gacchyanti taamasaa || (Gita 14/18)
Those who are established in the mode of goodness rise high, those in the mode of passion, remain in the middle (regions); and those in the mode of ignorance sink low. (Gita 14/18)
There are two differences among those that go to the higher state “urdhvagati”. 1) To go to the higher plains and attain God, and never to return again; 2) To go to heavenly plains and enjoy the various pleasures according to one’s virtuous deeds and on exhausting these, to return back to earthly plain. The middle state (madhyagati) is where soul is reborn in human birth after death of body.
It is only when man is beyond the three gunas (attributes) that he can attain God, however, here the higher plains is related to virtuous deeds because Gita’s “sattva guna” (mode of purity) not only gives worldly pleasures, but also gives imperishable joy of liberation. therefore mode of purity is called “anaamay” i,e, one without any modifications and changes, which is about liberation. However, when this gets blended with mode of passion due to attachment, then it becomes binding.
Tatra sattvam nirmalatvaatprakaasakamanaamayam Sukhasangena badhnaati jnaanasangena chaanagha” (Gita 14/6)
Janmabandhavinirmuktaah padam gacchyantyanaamayam. (Gita 2/51)
In the middle state there are two differences – 1) To go into the 8.4 million forms of births (wombs) (snake, scorpion etc.) 2) Going into terribly, fearsome, hellish places. In this manner these five states are covered two higher state, one middle state and two lower states. “Antakaaleen chintanke anusaar gati”.
An example is provided to make one understand the meaning of – “that which you think about at the time of death, you reach that”. A person was getting photographed. The photographer said to him that sit properly, make sure no parts of your body move while the photograph is being taken. At that very moment a fly came and sat on his nose. He thought that if he moves the photograph will turn out bad. Thinking so, he gently wiggled his nose, and at that very moment the photograph was shot. When the photograph was seen later, he realized the picture was spoilt. He was upset and told the photographer that you have ruined my picture! The photographer said – why do you see it as my fault? At the time of the snapshot, the expression you had on, was what was captured. Now this photograph cannot be changed. In the same way, at the time of death the thoughts that are going on within a man, accordingly the type of womb he attains. When it comes to a photograph, another shot can also be taken, but type of birth in a particular womb cannot be changed easily.
Therefore it is very essential for man to be alert at all times and to be careful; because no one knows about the time of death. One simply does not know when death may come. Therefore if any bad thoughts come to your mind, become immediately alert, that if at this very moment death may come then what would be my fate (state) ?
God says – “Tasmaatsarveshu kaaleshu maamanusmara” (Gita 8/7), i.e. at all time think of Me alone. Then there will be no need for any concern. Just like taking a life insurance then man is at peace. Just like when one take auto insurance then there is no fear of accident and parts breaking, as there is surety of getting money for the damages. In the same way, “I am God’s and God is mine” – in this manner that very close feeling of God being my very own God, an intimacy with God, the awakening of a relationship with God takes place. Thereafter, remembrance of God and thoughts about God take place naturally, at all times. When one does not have to do anything to remember God, then understand that the insurance policy for your life has materialized. It has ripened. If we have become God’s then understand that you have deposited the money for your insurance policy, and if you are all constantly thinking of God, then daily you are depositing your insurance premium!
As are the last thoughts before leaving this body, so is one’s end state, but one does not know about when that last breath will be! If at all times one is in remembrance of God, then whatever time death arrives, there is no worry; because now there is no fear remaining.
Just as remembrance of God at the last breath is a means to God Realization, similarly in the attainment of birth in other forms such as birds and animals etc., the last thought is itself the reason. That which is recollected as the last moment, the jeev (embodied soul) will have to take that form in the next birth. That which is remembered at the last moment, there itself the jeev will have to go.
Many are adopting animals and birds. He who keeps a dogs , will remember the dog at the last breath, and thereafter he will have to become a dog. Just like the camera film catches hold of the person’s image, similarly at the last breath when the natural tendency goes towards the dog, that very form and image is caught hold off and comes out of the body along with the life force. Just like that form and image, if another form and image comes in front of “jeev” then that is caught hold off through a dog’s breath and through food and water that “jeev” (soul) enters the dog. Then through impregnation it enters the female dog and is born as a puppy dog.
It is just like the photograph that was taken previously, which has now become ready to come in the forefront! Now a question arises, that why was that “jeev” caught in the form of only a dog? Just as the words that are broadcasted from the radio station are caught by the radio that is tuned into the same frequency. When the radio tunes into the same frequency, it is caught and then displayed. But when the radio does not tune into that frequency, then those words though remaining in the atmosphere are not caught. Similarly, at the last breath that which he thinks off before leaving the body, due to the similarity of type with a particular animal, it is caught by that particular animal, which is not caught by one belonging to a different class (creature).
The point is that he who acts, he alone becomes the experiencer (enjoyer and sufferer of consequences) of those actions. Now what is action and their experiencer? One must inquire into it. We went somewhere in a car, and there someone asked us that how did you come here? So we said, that we came by car. The car took us there. If there was no driver of the car, then would the car be able to take us there? It simply cannot take us there. It is the driver who took us there. If we are sitting somewhere and make the driver sit next to us and tell him to take us to a particular place, will he be able to take us there? To go there we need not only the driver, but also the car. Neither the driver alone, nor the car alone can take us there. So the act of going there neither can the driver do it alone nor the car do so by itself. Rather when the two come together, then the action takes place. When one is clever, then the plan will work. If he is not clever, then the plan cannot work. Similarly the embodied soul “jeev” takes on the governance of the gross body, then work gets done by it. Without the body, the embodied soul cannot do anything and without the embodied soul “jeevatma“, the body cannot do anything. Therefore it is in the union of the two that actions take place. He who is the doer, is himself the experiencer.
In performing actions there is predominance of the body, and in enjoying the fruits, there is predominance of the embodied soul. Just like if a person was killed by a car accident, then the motor car was the main cause of the death, but in suffering through the punishment it is the driver that is main. It is with the assistance of the driver that the motor crashes and kills and through the association with the car, the driver suffers the punishment. Therefore in both the doer-ship and the enjoyer-ship there remains the union of the body and the embodied soul.
The sins that man commits, through unfair means will go with him. When he deceives, lies and cheats, earns money dishonestly, that money will stay here after death, but that accumulated punishments from sins, lying and cheating, dishonesty etc. will go with him. Not even a single cent of the accumulated money will go with him, and the feelings that have been spoilt, not a cent will stay behind on earth. Further ahead in the worlds beyond, one will have to suffer gravely for the many appalling sins. For the things that will remain here, man spoils the sentiments that will go with him and he considers himself to be very brilliant! How much work has been done! In just a few days, I have become a millionaire! But he ruined that wealth which will go with him! If this is intelligence, then who should be called “stupid”? For all those things that are bound to leave him, he has spoilt the things that will go with you – Such ignorance (darkness) was not there in our country “Bharatvarsh” !
Sibi dadheech harichand naresaa | Sahe dharma hit koti kalesaa || (Manasa, Ayodhyaa 95/2)
King Shibi cuts off chunks of flesh from his body, for feeding and protection of those that had taken refuge in him. Later he gave his entire body away. Rishi Dadheechi gave away his bones. King Harishchandra gave away his kingdom. By placing in the service of others those perishable things, that do not remain forever, they accumulated that extra-ordinary treasure that goes with them. They were very discerning and perceptive, as they left the things that were going to leave them, and that which was going to stay with them, they did not allow those things to be destroyed.
Ways to Improve Inner Sentiments
Nowadays people do not worry about spoiling the inner sentiments. However shady they are within, but outwardly, in front of the society, they continue to hold on to honor, respect, position etc. ! If someone looks towards their faults, then they look away defending that it is their private and personal life. If their private life is dishonest and a suspect, how will the community and society remain good? Even the society will be entirely ruined, because it is the individuals that make up the society. It is the improvement of the individual that causes the improvement in society. What is the benefit of big talks on external improvement, giving lectures, with testimonials from people that say this guy is very good, while not improving the inner sentiments?
Tulasi so nar chatur hai, Ram bhajan lavleen |
Pardhan parman haranko, vaishyaa bhi parveen ||
Really speaking, only he is truly clever who engages in remembrance of God, purifies his feelings, and improves his habit. If they make their internal sentiments impure, then even if outwardly they receive all the praise and marvel, accumulate a lot of wealth then they are just like a prostitute, proficient in doing the same !
I am not able to take money from anyone without giving something in return, but a prostitute takes money for free. Even if we draw someone’s mind towards us, do some drama, sing and play songs, then others will give praises, but a prostitute does not have to make even that much effort. If we do the maximum amount of effort then we will become like a prostitute, what else will we become? There is no honor in this.
The real honor and respect is that we become pure from within. Let people not consider us to be good, or don’t know us to be good, or don’t call us good in the world, but if our sentiments are good, then from within there will be joy at all times, there will be bliss, and even after death the end outcome will be good. Whether the society considers us to be good is not in our hands. The society may call us good or they may call us bad, but it is entirely up to us to become good, and not become bad. In reality that which is real, it cannot be hidden, it will reveal it self. Saints have said –
Bhajan kare paataal mein, pragat hoye aakaash |
Daabi-doobi na rahe, kasturi ki baas ||
Even if someone makes “kasturi” take an oath not to reveal itself, then too the moment the box opens, it spreads it’s fragrance everywhere. Just like that, we can hide our sentiments for sometime, but they will show up to the world. Those with subtle intellect specially can sense and recognize them. As are the sentiments, so is the End State
If we want to go to a good end state (transmigration after death of body), then we must purify our “bhaav”, i.e. our intent, our disposition, our natural state, our sentiments. If our intent, our sentiments, our habits, our nature becomes pure, then we cannot go into lower births. He who has compassion and forgiveness, he who is at peace and is joyful, if he is born as a scorpion or a snake, then he will be unable to do the work of a snake or a scorpion. Only a man who gives pain and suffering to others, who without any reason gives trouble and difficulty to others, who harms others for his own selfishness,becomes a scorpion or a snake or one who is born in lower wombs.
A person that appears good in society, who remains silent, but on receiving the right opportunity slyly robs another, with such nature he becomes a cat. Just as a cat keeps her eyes closed and quietly lays around and when she sees that there is cream or butter in an open container, and no one is watching, then the cat slyly and quickly grabs hold of it, because this is her habit, her nature. This habit is also formed in human birth. A being changes his nature and God changes his form (body). Even in a play is given a part that he can properly act out. One who grazes goats and sheep, he cannot be made the minister of a kingdom. Therefore he who makes his nature gentle, calm and pure, he can never fall to lower states (forms of births). If his sentiments are pure at all times, then in the last breath also it he will remain pure. His end state will be according to the sentiment at the time of his last breath. Whatever form of womb he takes on, there too his sentiments will be pure.
There is a story in Srimad Bhagwat. King Bharat was a very great king of Bharat (India). At the end of his life he gave up everything and went off to Pulahaashram and became immersed in remembrance and devotion of God. One day when he went to bathe in Gangaji, he saw that a pregnant deer was drinking water at the banks of Gangaji. The moment she began to drink water, there was a roaring sound of a tiger. The frightened deer, leaped forward in an attempt to cross the river. While doing so, she delivered a baby deer, and she died there and then. King Bharat saw the baby deer was now without a mother. Who would look after this baby? He felt compassionate and immediately lifted the baby deer and took it to his home. He fed it fruit juice and in due time the baby began to learn to eat grass. He looked after the baby constantly. Just as mother and father are attached to their child, similarly, Bharatji became attached to this deer. When the baby deer used to play, twirl, brush his horns against him, and scratch etc., then Bharatji used to feel great joy. Day and night he used to remain immersed, worrying about the baby’s care and well-being. Somedays when the baby deer was not to be seen, then he felt deep anguish. In this manner, days passed by and his end was nearing. At the final moment as well, thinking about the baby deer, he died and became a deer in his next life.
He whose nature has become pure, he cannot go to lower forms of birth. Bharatji’s nature was already pure, he had given up sense pleasures and was living in the forest and used to perform many austerities, then how could he have gone to a lower form of birth? The answer to this is that to get the body of a deer is not a lower birth. Lower birth is when the inner sentiments fall. Therefore even being born as a deer, he remembered about his past life. Instead of eating grass, he ate greens and leaves. Due to being free from worldly pleasures, he did not stay with his deer mother so that there would be no more attachment, to avoid any further births from the womb of a deer. Even while being born as a deer, there was immense alertness and caution, which is very rare even in humans. He has the pure sentiments of renunciation, due to which even on receiving the body of a deer, he did not take a fall. After that birth, he was born in a pious Brahmin family. There his name was “Jada Bharat.”
He did not want to have any attachments, to get entangled and bound. He was constantly alert and cautious, he was called “Jada” (insentient). The point is that the worship, adoration, remembrance, austerities never go to waste. Also the principle that whatever is thought about and remembered at the time of last breath that too is not wasted. Therefore while doing our duties, performing actions one must be ever cautious and alert and one must contemplate and be in remembrance of only God. This is a very important point for human beings. We cannot change our actions and our thoughts in other form of births. We cannot change the nature of animals and birds to make them turn towards the spiritual path. We can train them according to their nature. But to provide teachings such as do your duty (prescribed actions) and contemplate on God by which you will attain salvation, these rights are only available in the human birth. * If we make our nature impure, if we spoil our habits, then falling down to lower births is not impossible ! Therefore –
“Darate raho yeh jindagi bekaar na ho jaaye.
Sapne mein kisi jeev ka apkaar na ho jaaye |”
To be saved from going to lower births, two points are most important 1) serving others without any selfish motive 2) remembering God. This work only man can do and in this his humanity is proven. He who does things that are harmful and undesirable to others, is in reality harming himself. And those who give happiness to others, they are as such, becoming happy themselves. Without harming yourself, you can never harm another. Just as man first becomes a thief and then actually steals. Whether after stealing the goods come into his hands or not, regardless, he becomes a thief. In other words, in him the sentiments of a thief get established (I am a thief).
Death is inevitable. Even the slightest bit of carelessness can lead to our downfall in the life beyond. At present, we have attained this human birth. Therefore while this body remains, we must do that work in which there is no risk, i.e. that whenever death arrives then minimally we won’t go to lower births. He who is ever alert, how can he go into misfortunate states? Therefore with great caution and care we must spend our lives doing our duty for the well-being of others and at all times be in remembrance of God.
* Animals and birds do not have the capability to turn towards God, then too from the perspective of exception, the impressions from past births or for any other reason, they too can turn towards God. Because being a part of God, all beings have the an equal relationship with God. Therefore in walking the path towards God (Divinity) there is no objection from God. Even among animals and birds, Gajendra, Jataayu, Kaakbhushandi and many others have become devotees of God.
From “Amartaa ki Aur” in hindi by Swami Ramsukhdasji Maharaj.
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