The path of soul after death...

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dattaswami
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The path of soul after death...

Post by dattaswami »

COURSE OF ACTION AFTER DEATH

After death, the individual soul (jīva) enters an energetic subtle body and reaches the immediate upper sub-world called Preta Loka. There the soul waits for ten days for the inquiry of its deeds by God. During this period, its subtle body gets food from cosmic energy. Individual souls have different shades in their energetic bodies based on their qualities and deeds done.

The first world, Bhū Loka, is subdivided into four sub-worlds called Martya Loka, Preta Loka, Naraka Loka and Pitṛ Loka. This earth on which human beings exist is called Martya Loka or Karma Loka, which is the first sub-world of the first world, called Bhū Loka. This first sub-world is the place for doing deeds and hence, it is called a karma loka. Above this first sub-world, the other three upper sub-worlds of the Bhū Loka and the other worlds existing above the Bhū Loka, are invisible to human beings due to the unimaginable power of God. But by the grace of God, some souls can see them.

When the inquiry is over in the Preta Loka, the individual soul with its subtle body, travels along one of four channels starting from the Preta Loka which is the junction. The channel along which a soul is sent depends on the inquiry of its deeds and the corresponding fruits that are to be enjoyed by the soul. The Naraka Loka and the Pitṛ Loka, which are the two uppermost sub-worlds of Bhū Loka lying above the Preta Loka, are called bhoga lokas. All worlds lying above the Bhū Loka are also called as bhoga lokas, which are the places meant for the enjoyment of the fruits of one’s deeds. The four possible channels through which souls are sent after the inquiry in the Preta Loka are:

1) The third sub-world immediately above the Preta Loka is called Naraka Loka, which is hell. All sinners go to this world. Their souls are present in bodies which resemble black smoke. This body of smoke is called as dhūma śarīra. Note that the ‘food’ for all energetic bodies is cosmic energy itself. But for the souls in the dhūma śarīras this ‘food’ from the cosmic energy, is almost not supplied. The souls constantly suffer from terrible weakness. Very very little cosmic energy and that too very rarely, is supplied to them now and then; just to maintain the very mild energetic bodies. Naraka Loka (hell) is headed by Yama Dharmarāja. In the region just above this regular hell, special hells headed by Kālabhairava also exist.

2) The uppermost sub-world of Bhū loka is called Pitṛ loka to which all neutral souls go. This sub-world is located on the moon. The body of the soul here is made of mild moonlight and is called as a pitṛ śarīra. Food for these bodies is supplied in the form of the light energy of the moon.

3) The next immediate world above the Bhū loka is called Dyu loka. It is also called as Jyotirloka or Bhuvarloka. Souls who have done social service for fame on this earth, reach this world. In this world, the soul gets a body, which is like a little bright light and is called a jyotiḥ śarīra. Food is supplied to these bodies from the cosmic energy. This world lies is between Bhū Loka and the sun.

4) Above this second world, exists the Suvarloka or Svarga Loka starting from the globe of the sun up to the pole star (Dhruva). It is also commonly called heaven. Souls reaching this world are those who have done good work of social service, which is not for fame. The here gets a body called a bhoga śarīra. Food for this body to is supplied from cosmic energy.

Once a soul attains an energetic body, material food is not at all required by its body. It is said that the material food given to deserving priests, reaches the departed souls. But this is only an arthavāda, which is a lie told for a good purpose. It ensures that even a greedy person performs the death rituals and donates food to deserving receivers. It is very important to ensure that the receiver of our donation during any ritual is deserving of our donation. Donation to the deserving brings merit, while donation to the undeserving incurs sin.

Do not think that the donation of food, clothes and money done to undeserving receivers is a mere waste. Actually, it yields punishment since such donation is sin. The Veda says that a receiver is deserving only if the person possesses the following two things (Śrotriyasya chākāmahatasya):

i) Spiritual knowledge of the Veda (or of the holy scripture of one’s particular religion) and

ii) The lack of aspiration for receiving anything in return from the donor or performer of the ritual.

The priest is the principal receiver of the donation of money (dakṣiṇā) offered by the donor. Hence, the priest must explain the spiritual knowledge to the donor and other people assembled so as to improve their devotion. If this is not done, the whole ritual is a sheer waste! If the priest does this divine duty in the service of God without any aspiration in return, God will take care of everything for the priest.

Money cannot be the solution for everything whereas God’s grace solves all problems. The merit earned in donating to deserving priests protects the departed soul as well as the performer of the ritual. I am not saying that the ritual should not be performed. What I say is that the ritual must be performed properly with perfect knowledge of the background (Jñātvā kurīta karmāṇi—Gita). By doing the rituals perfectly, good fruits are attained and the punishment for the sin of doing the rituals wrongly can be avoided.

For souls who are on the path of pravṛtti, which is the path of worldly justice, we discussed the four channels along which they are sent depending on their good and bad deeds on earth. These four channels are limited to the Bhūloka, Bhuvarloka and Suvarloka. The individual souls after enjoying the good and bad fruits of their deeds in the upper worlds or the sub-worlds of Bhū Loka, return to earth. This cyclic rotation always continues in pravṛtti. In the path of pravṛtti, there is no spiritual knowledge or devotion to God. There is only doing good deeds to serve society and avoiding bad deeds which harm society. Social service is the highest merit in this field.

The Journey of Souls on the Spiritual Path

The second path is nivṛtti. It is the path of progressing in devotion, which is based on true spiritual knowledge. On this path too, the devotee does social service but it is not for heavenly fruits. It is done on the command of God, only to please God. Here, God is more important than the social service. The fully ripened soul who follows this path, leaves this earth after death in a very bright energetic body called a divya śarīra and directly reaches the ultimate seventh world called Brahma Loka. Brahma Loka is the abode of God Datta or Father of heaven. Ripened devotees having some deficiencies, reach the three upper worlds, which lie between Suvarloka and Brahma Loka. These three worlds are called Maharloka, Jana Loka and Tapoloka. In these worlds, these highly devoted souls, get some special spiritual advice and guidance from divine preachers, who too are present in energetic bodies in these three worlds. In these three worlds, the souls also enjoy the fruits of their spiritual progress. These are the destinations of souls on the path of nivṛtti.

Uncertainty about the Departed Soul’s Destination

When a person dies, we do not know in which world the soul has gone. But during the ritual, the priests pray to God for the journey of the soul to the ultimate Brahma Loka (Śāśvata Brahmaloka nivāsa siddhyartham). This is only our good wish and hope for our departed loved one. The reality depends only on the merit of the soul. We even inform others about the passing away of the person by writing that the departed soul has reached heaven (Svargasthaḥ). This too is only our good wish for our departed elders and the reality depends only on the merit of the soul.

We also perform annual ceremonies for the departed souls every year assuming that the soul is in heaven. The assumption behind doing the rituals is providing food for the departed souls every day as per the duration of a day in their world. As stated earlier, traditionally it is assumed that donations of food and items made by us to deserving receivers here on earth reach our departed ancestors. One day in heaven (Svarga Loka) is equal to one year on earth, whereas one day in Pitṛ Loka is equal to one month on earth. Up to one year, we perform monthly ceremonies assuming that the soul has gone to Pitṛ Loka. We even call our departed relatives as pitṛ devatās assuming that they are in Pitṛ Loka.

If they remain in Pitṛ Loka, we should continue to perform these ceremonies every month since one day in Pitṛ Loka is equal to one month on the earth. But we do these ceremonies monthly only up to one year. After the first year, we perform this ritual annually. Perhaps, this is done due to the inconvenience in doing it every month! But at least as per our assumption, it means that the soul stays in Pitṛ Loka for one year and then moves to heaven (Svarga Loka) after one year. Yet we still continue to call our departed relatives as pitṛ devatās, which means that they are still residents of Pitṛ Loka! By our assumption that the departed relatives have moved to heaven after the first year, we should call them as devatās (angels), who are the residents of heaven! Of course, we must remember that even if some departed souls actually reach heaven, they are only temporary residents there. These temporary devatās get temporary energetic bodies and are different from the permanent devatās, who are present there in the energetic bodies forever. After the fruit of their good deeds is exhausted upon enjoyment in heaven for the stipulated time, the temporary devatās have to return to earth.


In spite of all the above assumptions made in the traditional death rituals, we donate a cow to the priest during the ritual. It is said that the donation of a cow to the priest is necessary since it allows the departed soul to cross the river of blood called Vaitaraṇī and reach hell. This donation of a cow is performed for everybody. It means the soul certainly goes to hell alone after death. This variety in the steps and rituals followed during the death ceremonies of departed souls is due to the uncertainty regarding the exact direction of the journey of the souls after their death.

The Essence of the Death Rituals

When a loved one dies, the surviving relatives of that person, due to their grief, get temporary detachment from worldly issues. This is called śmaśāna vairāgyam or crematorium-detachment. This condition, when their minds are temporarily free of worldly attachments, is congenial for introducing the fear of sin in them. So traditionally, the relatives are supposed to read the secondary scripture called the Garuḍa Purāṇam, in which horrible punishments are described for the corresponding sins. Either devotion to God (bhakti) or the fear of hell (bhayam) is essential to control the sinful nature of the soul. Actually, the Garuḍa Purāṇam can be read at any time by anybody and it need not be confined only to the death ritual.

There is one important precaution that must be taken during the death ritual or any other ritual. That is that the priests should explain the spiritual knowledge of the holy scripture which is recited, to all the people attending it, so that it improves their devotion to God. Usually, the priests simply recite the scripture blindly in an unknown language (Sanskrit) without knowing or explaining its meaning. In that case, it is the responsibility of the relatives of the departed soul, who are performing the ritual to demand that the priests explain the meaning of the scripture. The performers of the ritual donate money to priests so they are like the customers who pay the priests for their services.

It is said that the customer is like God. So, the donors, who are the customer-gods, must demand the explanations of the scripture from the priests. That is the only way to change these priests who have been blindly reciting the scripture for generations. It will force them to study the scripture instead of wasting time in blind recitation without knowing its meaning. There is no need to memorize the scripture and recite it. It can easily be read from the printed book. What is important is that its deep meaning should be properly explained. This deep meaning is the actual sacred spiritual knowledge. Merely reading out the translation of the Sanskrit verses is not sufficient. If the explanation of the deep spiritual knowledge becomes the main essence of the ritual, then it will benefit everyone. The people assembled will get a chance to leave their sinful behavior and get reformed. They will also develop devotion to God. Similarly, the priests themselves will get a deep understanding of the spiritual knowledge, which will reform them and develop devotion in them. If this is not done, then any type of donation to priests is not only a total waste, but it is also a sin that brings punishment upon the performer as well as the departed soul!

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Agent Smith
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Re: The path of soul after death...

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Believe and ye shall be saved!
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Dontaskme
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Re: The path of soul after death...

Post by Dontaskme »

You have never known death.
Walker
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Re: The path of soul after death...

Post by Walker »

Dontaskme wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 7:52 am You have never known death.
Such a fickle non-dualist. You requires duality. Death requires duality. Knowing requires duality. Language requires duality. Having requires duality. Meaning requires duality.

Therefore: There is no you, there is no death, there is no knowing, there is no language, there is no meaning, ain't nuttin to have, or halve.

Presto … Philosophy!

:roll:
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Re: The path of soul after death...

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Walker wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 8:08 am
Dontaskme wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 7:52 am You have never known death.
Such a fickle non-dualist. You requires duality. Death requires duality. Knowing requires duality. Language requires duality. Having requires duality. Meaning requires duality.

Therefore: There is no you, there is no death, there is no knowing, there is no language, there is no meaning, ain't nuttin to have, or halve.

Presto … Philosophy!

:roll:
You have never known death. This is not difficult to understand Walker. There is no literal death for you. No need to resist this perfectly logical piece of wisdom.
Iwannaplato
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Re: The path of soul after death...

Post by Iwannaplato »

Dontaskme wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 8:34 am You have never known death. This is not difficult to understand Walker. There is no literal death for you. No need to resist this perfectly logical piece of wisdom.
No need for anything then. No need to judge 'resistance'. No need to get irritated when people don't react the way you do to certain strings of words. No need to categorize as easy or difficult. No need to spread truths or 'truths'. Do you actually believe what you say? It really doesn't seem so.
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Re: The path of soul after death...

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I agree Iwannaplato. No need for anything extra, everything is all inclusive, nothing missing, and nothing taken away, nothing to add, everything is all there is, including these words, showing below.
Iwannaplato wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:58 am
No need for anything then. No need to judge 'resistance'. No need to get irritated when people don't react the way you do to certain strings of words. No need to categorize as easy or difficult. No need to spread truths or 'truths'. Do you actually believe what you say? It really doesn't seem so.
For Walker: You have never known death.
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Re: The path of soul after death...

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Iwannaplato wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:58 am No need for anything then. No need to judge 'resistance'. No need to get irritated when people don't react the way you do to certain strings of words. No need to categorize as easy or difficult. No need to spread truths or 'truths'. Do you actually believe what you say? It really doesn't seem so.
Not only does it really doesn't seem so, it really is not so. Why? No respect for language.
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Re: The path of soul after death...

Post by Walker »

Dontaskme wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 1:52 pm For Walker: You have never known death.
What you mean to say, and what you try to inflate with vagueness and a lack of rational exposition*, is that any living human cannot prove that he or she has actually experienced death resulting in decomposition of the body.

So what.

Every person, including you, including me, knows death in the way that any living person can know death. The phenomenon has even has been designated with a word. The word is death, and it is commonly understood.

You yourself stated that folks know God in the same way they know Dark Matter. Yet, you didn’t explain the way.

The way is the human way, and yet for some arbitrary and unstated reason you deny the same kind of knowing, human knowing, to the knowing of death.

This is because you have no respect for language or thought, so like machined AI you simply follow a formula. Up is down, nothing is everything, everything is nothing, death is life, life is death, nothing cannot be, everything is nothing, and so on ...

The question is, why even bother?


* The Elizabeth Holmes syndrome.
Last edited by Walker on Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The path of soul after death...

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Dontaskme wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 1:52 pm I agree Iwannaplato. No need for anything extra
I didn't say that, so you're not agreeing with me, here.
everything is all inclusive
nor did I say or imply that. And then, if so, why the judgment of Walker's 'resistance'.
Online it's easy to deny what one has said and meant and judged.

If one wants to save face, which is an odd choice for someone saying there is no self.
nothing missing, and nothing taken away, nothing to add,
Then why add, correct, judge?
everything is all there is,
Yes, by definition.
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Re: The path of soul after death...

Post by Iwannaplato »

Walker wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:08 am The question is, why even bother?
Yes, that is the main question and to answer it would require honest introspection. Why judge and categorize and defend are other supportive questions of that main one?

Why post 'profundity' when everything is fine? Why constantly tell others the 'truth' while saying there no knowing, no truth, and presenting oneself as knowing and proclaimed a breakthrough when you were a child? When there is no person to have had a breakthrough years ago or at least so we are told?

What are the secondary gains of this pattern?

This kind of interpersonal pattern is much harder to maintain in real life, where there is live interaction, where you can see the person's facial expressions.

Here, online, it's easier to think you're managing to hide what is going on.
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Re: The path of soul after death...

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Iwannaplato wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:12 am I didn't say that, so you're not agreeing with me, here.
I agree, you didn't say that.
everything is all inclusive
Iwannaplato wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:12 amnor did I say or imply that. And then, if so, why the judgment of Walker's 'resistance'.
Because that's what's happening.
Iwannaplato wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:12 amOnline it's easy to deny what one has said and meant and judged.
And that too, is just whaat's happening.
Iwannaplato wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:12 amIf one wants to save face, which is an odd choice for someone saying there is no self.
No face has ever seen itself.
nothing missing, and nothing taken away, nothing to add,
Iwannaplato wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:12 amThen why add, correct, judge?
Because that's what's happening.
everything is all there is,
Iwannaplato wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:12 amYes, by definition.
No word can define 'what is happening', or every word defines 'what is happening'.
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Re: The path of soul after death...

Post by Dontaskme »

Iwannaplato wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:16 am
Walker wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:08 am The question is, why even bother?
Yes, that is the main question and to answer it would require honest introspection. Why judge and categorize and defend are other supportive questions of that main one?

Why post 'profundity' when everything is fine? Why constantly tell others the 'truth' while saying there no knowing, no truth, and presenting oneself as knowing and proclaimed a breakthrough when you were a child? When there is no person to have had a breakthrough years ago or at least so we are told?

What are the secondary gains of this pattern?

This kind of interpersonal pattern is much harder to maintain in real life, where there is live interaction, where you can see the person's facial expressions.

Here, online, it's easier to think you're managing to hide what is going on.
These words appearing to be read here, is simply what is happening.

Q: Why even bother?
A: There is no Why.

It's like saying why is there something rather than nothing. Or why is there nothing rather than something. Or why is there just something forever eternally. Or why is there nothing forever eternally. There's just no answer to these Why questions.
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Re: The path of soul after death...

Post by Dontaskme »

Iwannaplato wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:16 am
Walker wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:08 am The question is, why even bother?
Yes, that is the main question and to answer it would require honest introspection. Why judge and categorize and defend are other supportive questions of that main one?

Why post 'profundity' when everything is fine? Why constantly tell others the 'truth' while saying there no knowing, no truth, and presenting oneself as knowing and proclaimed a breakthrough when you were a child? When there is no person to have had a breakthrough years ago or at least so we are told?

What are the secondary gains of this pattern?

This kind of interpersonal pattern is much harder to maintain in real life, where there is live interaction, where you can see the person's facial expressions.

Here, online, it's easier to think you're managing to hide what is going on.
Just to remind you this is an online philosophy forum. No philosophy is still a philosophy. Not-knowing is still a knowing.

I speak this way because it's an understanding I have, it's what philosophers do, they philosophise. Me, included. I am more than happy to talk this philosophy face to face with another human being. I have no problem with the facial expressions of who I choose to speak my philosophy to.

Philosophers are seekers of truth, so it's obvious that they are going to express what they find and call that their truth.

If people reading a philosophers findings is not happy with another persons findings, they simply have to realise they are not being forced to accept it.

I happen to speak in nondualistic terminology because I personally understand reality to be nondual. So that's how I will philosophise, in a nondual context.

Me thinks you complain too much.
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Re: The path of soul after death...

Post by Dontaskme »

Now

Back to the death idea.

You have never known death.

So there is no after death.
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