Manjula"s Question.

[Guest guest]

Manjula asked an important question about " Life after Death". Her question is

particularly important in that it has intriguedl everyone from all walks of

life including Medical Doctors and Hindu Philosophers .

Some of the references from the Medical side for further study are:

1. Life after Life by Raymond Moody , Jr. M.D ,published by Bantam Books, NY

Edition 1977

2. Reflections on Life after Life, Same Author, 1978 Edition.

3. Recollections of Death by Michael B.Sabom, M.D; Published by Simon and

Schuster,NY 1983

4. The Transition called Death By Charles Hampton, Publishers: Theosophical

Society Publishing House, Wheaton, Illinois.

The Above authors coming from the Medical side have come to the conclusion that

there is evidence for life after death. They have learned a lot from the study

of the process of Dying and the experience of the patients at the moment of

death as well as those , who come back to life after being pronounced as

clinically dead.

 

Some of the references from the Hindu Sampradhaya (Vedic and Upanishadic

Sources) are:

1. Bhagavat Gita

2.Many Upanishads

3.Sri Bhashyam

4. Maha Bharata : Yaksha Prasna

The Yaksha asks Dharmaputra:" What is the greatest of all Wonders?"

Dharmaputra answers: " Day after Day, Countless creatures die. Yet those, who

are left behind ,beleive themselves to be deathless. What can be more wonderful

than this?"

Beyond the Quizzical Question and answer, there is a reference to that Upadesa

given by Parthasarathy in Bhagavat Geetha: "One should strive not to identify

oneself with the Body ,which is subject to Death, but with deathless Atman."The

verses 20 to 24 of Chapter II of Bhagavat Gita elaborate on this aspect .":Even

as a person casts off worn-out clothes and puts on others , which are new ,so

the embodied casts off worn out bodies,and enters into others , which are

new". Lord Krishna points out to the greiving Arjuna that," Of that which is

born, death is certain, of that which is dead, birht is certain. Over the

unavoidable, therefore , thou ought not to greive." In the subsequent chapters ,

he points out the ways to overcome this "unending" cycles of Births and Deaths"

and in the 56Th and the 66th slokas of chapter 18, Lord Krishna points the way

of Prapatti to HIM as the unfailing way to attain Moksha.

 

Sri Aurobindo in his Book "Life Divine" says on Rebirth, Karmas and Liberation

as follows: " It (Rebirth) is as necessary as birth itself; for without it,

birth would be an initial step without a sequel,the starting of a journey

without its farther steps and arrival.It is rebirth that gives the birth of an

incomplete being in a body its promise of completeness and its spiritual

significance."

 

The Brahma Sutras constitute an important scriptural base for the Theory of

Rebirth, Laws of Karma and Moksha. It focusses on Karma Vichara and Brahma

Vichara and in the final adhyaya known as Phala Adhyaya deals with the fruits of

Brahma Jnana resulting from the succesful pursuit of the appropriate Saadhanaas

.. In the fourth Paada of the fourth Adhyaya known as Bhoga Paada, The state of

blissfulness and beatitude of Moksha attained by hte liberated soul (Bhoga) is

described. It concludes by stating that this state of bliss arises from the

victory thru the

Saadhanaas and the blessings of a competent ands compassionate Acharya. The

Utkranti or the ascent of the Jivan from its last physical body , its journey

thru the path of light (Archiradi Marga) , the reunion with Paramaatma are

covered in the Phala Adhyaya.

 

We have a cogent and satisfying explanation of the Life after Life in our

scriptures.

 

Sadagopan