Death perception in Hinduism

[Guest guest]

Recently, in response to a question for a college

project (from a student by name Jean) on how

death is perceived in different religions, I posted

my Hindu view as follows. I thought I will

share it with the Prapatti crowd.

 

Jean, I first like to thank you for inviting me to be on the panel. I must

tell you that with this question you have hit a nail on the head. In my

opinion, death is the primary cause for the birth of all religions! Because

DEATH is a devastating experience, and an everlasting redemption from death

(immortality or eternal life), is the mother of all religions.

 

For Hindus, everything is cyclic like the four seasons: Creation (beginning,

A of AUM: like a tree with fresh tender leaves in the Spring), sustainance

(being or maintainance, U of AUM: like a tree with dense green leaves in the

Summer), senesence (destruction or deterioration, M of AUM: like a tree with

pale leaves about to shed in the Autumn) and death, or silence (like a bare

tree with no leaves at all in the Winter). In this silence lies our

immortality (silence following AUM), because from that leaf- less and

(apparently dead) tree comes forth new life(leaves) in the following Spring

season. The whole process is repeated all over again and again. This cycle

of birth-death-rebirth is called sansara. In this there is one underlying

changeless thing, called SOUL, which is a chip of that old block, the Supreme

SOUL or God.

 

Hindus give different names and forms to God, just for their own

comprehension. Death is only to body and Soul is imperishable. Just this

realization of one's identity with the Divine (Jnana Yoga or union through

knowledge) will result in Moksha (solvation). Other paths are through

selfless work (karma Yoga), Meditation (Raja Yoga), Devotion or faith

(Bhakti Yoga) or total surrender to the grace of that all Mighty (Prapatti or

Saranagati Yoga). There is no rebirth and only everlasting communion with

God(Supreme soul) for anyone who takes up anyone of these five ways. Failing

to take any of these paths will result in a new life and a new chance. The

cycle keeps repeating until the soul is liberated. This also applies to

other life forms, all of which have to be born as human to be fit for

solvation. A human, by wrong deeds, can descend to a lower form and will

have to start climbing up all over again (sort of like the snakes and the

ladder game).

-K. Sreekrishna