Scared of Death?
Question
When visiting a new land with different customs, we need a guide or mentor to help us.
My question is ....we have been told we are tiny fraction of God, like rays of sun. And that our innate right is to go to Golok Dham, which seems like a faraway land. Since our destination is unknown to us will we be afraid at the time of death? What happens after death? Who'll help us find our way after death?
Answer
Your question is right and good. We are afraid of death. In Vedas this fear is called Abinivesh. The primary reason of fear is the noise about the sufferings of hell and the insecurities of going all alone to an unknown destination. Even though we haven’t seen of the sufferings in Narak in this life yet we are scared of death. Why?
The soul (see Jeev) is eternally under the control of Maya and has visited Swarg, Earth and Narak unaccountable times. Our subconscious mind stores the impressions from past lives called sanskaar; we have immensely suffered during death and thereafter. Even though they are in the subconscious mind yet those impressions are so strong that they scare us.
Obviously, everyone wants to overcome this fear of death. Our scriptures have described several types of fear and numerous ways to overcome them. Our Saints have reproduced these solutions in many languages and they have explained in varying degrees of comprehensibility so all may understand; from a scholar to an ordinary man. Few of us put these into practice, but most of us don’t, saying it’s too difficult to do.
The world is made of Maya. According to 3 modes of Maya, there are 3 kinds of living beings in the world.
1. Sattvic: who follow the ordains of the Vedas,
2. Rajas: ones who lead a modest material life with the aim to fulfill their material desires,
3. Tamas: who lead immoral life whimsically not discriminating between good and bad.
Sattvik mode is predominant in devatas, Rajas gun is predominant in human beings and Tamas gun is predominant in demons. But all the living beings are endowed with all the 3 gunas, which surface up as per the circumstances.
Swarg has unimaginable yet temporary happiness. Our scriptures say if you want to attain swarg, then lead a pious life, follow each and every word of the Vedas. After spending a specified length of time in swarg you must come back to earth in lower life forms and wander in the cycle of birth and death. And even while living in the lap of luxury in swarg, mental ailments like anger, greed, and jealousy will still plague you.
To lead a life of Rajsik mode, one just aims to satisfy their senses. Such individuals engage their mind totally in material affairs trying to be good to others, if their own selfish motive is not hampered. Thus they keep wandering in the cycle of birth and death and suffer immensely.
If you like to go to narak, don’t care what the Vedas or saints suggest. Lead a Tamas life of eat, drink and be merry and suffer a lot in Narak then come back to earth.
There are 7 Swarg, and 28 Narak and the earth. All of these are controlled and affected by Maya. In these loks one cannot achieve permanent peace or happiness. Lord Shri Krishna says in Gita
When visiting a new land with different customs, we need a guide or mentor to help us.
My question is ....we have been told we are tiny fraction of God, like rays of sun. And that our innate right is to go to Golok Dham, which seems like a faraway land. Since our destination is unknown to us will we be afraid at the time of death? What happens after death? Who'll help us find our way after death?
Answer
Your question is right and good. We are afraid of death. In Vedas this fear is called Abinivesh. The primary reason of fear is the noise about the sufferings of hell and the insecurities of going all alone to an unknown destination. Even though we haven’t seen of the sufferings in Narak in this life yet we are scared of death. Why?
The soul (see Jeev) is eternally under the control of Maya and has visited Swarg, Earth and Narak unaccountable times. Our subconscious mind stores the impressions from past lives called sanskaar; we have immensely suffered during death and thereafter. Even though they are in the subconscious mind yet those impressions are so strong that they scare us.
Obviously, everyone wants to overcome this fear of death. Our scriptures have described several types of fear and numerous ways to overcome them. Our Saints have reproduced these solutions in many languages and they have explained in varying degrees of comprehensibility so all may understand; from a scholar to an ordinary man. Few of us put these into practice, but most of us don’t, saying it’s too difficult to do.
The world is made of Maya. According to 3 modes of Maya, there are 3 kinds of living beings in the world.
1. Sattvic: who follow the ordains of the Vedas,
2. Rajas: ones who lead a modest material life with the aim to fulfill their material desires,
3. Tamas: who lead immoral life whimsically not discriminating between good and bad.
Sattvik mode is predominant in devatas, Rajas gun is predominant in human beings and Tamas gun is predominant in demons. But all the living beings are endowed with all the 3 gunas, which surface up as per the circumstances.
Swarg has unimaginable yet temporary happiness. Our scriptures say if you want to attain swarg, then lead a pious life, follow each and every word of the Vedas. After spending a specified length of time in swarg you must come back to earth in lower life forms and wander in the cycle of birth and death. And even while living in the lap of luxury in swarg, mental ailments like anger, greed, and jealousy will still plague you.
To lead a life of Rajsik mode, one just aims to satisfy their senses. Such individuals engage their mind totally in material affairs trying to be good to others, if their own selfish motive is not hampered. Thus they keep wandering in the cycle of birth and death and suffer immensely.
If you like to go to narak, don’t care what the Vedas or saints suggest. Lead a Tamas life of eat, drink and be merry and suffer a lot in Narak then come back to earth.
There are 7 Swarg, and 28 Narak and the earth. All of these are controlled and affected by Maya. In these loks one cannot achieve permanent peace or happiness. Lord Shri Krishna says in Gita
आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन । गीता
ābrahmabhuvanāllokāḥ punarāvartino'rjuna । gītā
ābrahmabhuvanāllokāḥ punarāvartino'rjuna । gītā
Feel the presence of God everywhere
“Even after going to Brahmalok (abode of creator Brahma), when account of good deeds ends, one has to come back to the earth and go through the cycle of birth and death”.
The comforts of Swarg abodes, even up to the abode of Brahma, are temporary and bereft of true happiness. Living beings in all those loks are bound by the cycle of death and birth and are affected by three modes of Maya. You can say, Heaven is a 1st class jail, earth is a 2nd class jail and hell is a 3rd class jail. Therefore, pursuing any material goal eventually results in misery.
Those who wish to be free of all 3 jails and want to attain unlimited divine happiness, they take shelter at the lotus feet of God. God is the master of Maya (मायाधीश), He is the embodiment of Happiness and Maya cannot stand against Him. Ironically we are scared of death, but still don’t fully submit our mind and intellect to Lord Shri Krishna, The One who can free us from this fear. Putting it simply, we want to pass exam with flying colors but hate to study diligently!
Also, ignorantly we consider our body to be “I” and all of this body’s relationships (parents, siblings, spouse, friends etc.) to be our true relatives. To overcome the fear of death first we have to understand and realize that “I” is NOT this body, and relatives of this body are NOT “my” real relatives. These physical relationships last only as long as the body lasts. Once this body dies the soul moves on to another body; wherein the living being establishes relationships with a different set of living beings. Whereas, relationship with God is eternal. This eternal relationship needs to be nurtured continuously to increase this feeling.
To intensify the feeling, there are three facts mentioned below which are validated by our scriptures. We have to repeat these to ourselves many times day till you believe them and even after that to firm up your belief.
1. He dwells in the heart of all living beings: He resides eternally in every living being however insignificant form they might be in e.g. He lives in dog, cat, tree, virus also.
2. God is everywhere and at every moment: Feeling His presence in all places at all times has two benefits:
a. knowing that he is watching us will refrain us from performing actions what would displease Him
b. when we bring Anandkand (the root of all bliss) Shri Krishna in our mind, we will bring inexplicable joy within us. This is real devotion.
3. God alone is Mine: Mind has been craving for material objects therefore is afflicted by the vices of Maya. Practice of feeling "God is right beside me" will remove afflictions of Maya and reinforce the feeling that God alone is mine.
Once this belief is firmly grounded in our mind, we will be constantly mentally engaged in Roopadhyan - Devotional Remembrance of Shri Krishna. At the time of death also, we will be engaged in loving remembrance of Shri Krishna.
Lord Krishna has said in Bhagavat
The comforts of Swarg abodes, even up to the abode of Brahma, are temporary and bereft of true happiness. Living beings in all those loks are bound by the cycle of death and birth and are affected by three modes of Maya. You can say, Heaven is a 1st class jail, earth is a 2nd class jail and hell is a 3rd class jail. Therefore, pursuing any material goal eventually results in misery.
Those who wish to be free of all 3 jails and want to attain unlimited divine happiness, they take shelter at the lotus feet of God. God is the master of Maya (मायाधीश), He is the embodiment of Happiness and Maya cannot stand against Him. Ironically we are scared of death, but still don’t fully submit our mind and intellect to Lord Shri Krishna, The One who can free us from this fear. Putting it simply, we want to pass exam with flying colors but hate to study diligently!
Also, ignorantly we consider our body to be “I” and all of this body’s relationships (parents, siblings, spouse, friends etc.) to be our true relatives. To overcome the fear of death first we have to understand and realize that “I” is NOT this body, and relatives of this body are NOT “my” real relatives. These physical relationships last only as long as the body lasts. Once this body dies the soul moves on to another body; wherein the living being establishes relationships with a different set of living beings. Whereas, relationship with God is eternal. This eternal relationship needs to be nurtured continuously to increase this feeling.
To intensify the feeling, there are three facts mentioned below which are validated by our scriptures. We have to repeat these to ourselves many times day till you believe them and even after that to firm up your belief.
1. He dwells in the heart of all living beings: He resides eternally in every living being however insignificant form they might be in e.g. He lives in dog, cat, tree, virus also.
2. God is everywhere and at every moment: Feeling His presence in all places at all times has two benefits:
a. knowing that he is watching us will refrain us from performing actions what would displease Him
b. when we bring Anandkand (the root of all bliss) Shri Krishna in our mind, we will bring inexplicable joy within us. This is real devotion.
3. God alone is Mine: Mind has been craving for material objects therefore is afflicted by the vices of Maya. Practice of feeling "God is right beside me" will remove afflictions of Maya and reinforce the feeling that God alone is mine.
Once this belief is firmly grounded in our mind, we will be constantly mentally engaged in Roopadhyan - Devotional Remembrance of Shri Krishna. At the time of death also, we will be engaged in loving remembrance of Shri Krishna.
Lord Krishna has said in Bhagavat
विषयान् ध्यायतश्चित्तं विषयेषु विषज्जते ।
मामनुरस्मरश्चित्तं मय्येवप्रविलीयते ॥ भा १०.१४.२७
viṣayān dhyāyataścittaṃ viṣayeṣu viṣajjate ।
māmanurasmaraścittaṃ mayyevapravilīyate ॥ bhā 10.14.27
मामनुरस्मरश्चित्तं मय्येवप्रविलीयते ॥ भा १०.१४.२७
viṣayān dhyāyataścittaṃ viṣayeṣu viṣajjate ।
māmanurasmaraścittaṃ mayyevapravilīyate ॥ bhā 10.14.27
“Those who think of material matters attain them. Those who think of Me attain Me”.
He repeated the same concept in Gita
He repeated the same concept in Gita
यान्ति देवव्रता देवान्, पितृन्यान्ति पितृव्रताः ।
भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या, मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि ॥ गीता ९.२५
yānti devavratā devān, pitṛnyānti pitṛvratāḥ ।
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā, madbhaktā yānti māmapi ॥ gītā 9.25
भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या, मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि ॥ गीता ९.२५
yānti devavratā devān, pitṛnyānti pitṛvratāḥ ।
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā, madbhaktā yānti māmapi ॥ gītā 9.25
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“Those who think of celestial gods (devata) attain them, those who think of their ancestors attain them, and those who think of material matters attain those; whereas those who think of Me attain Me”.
In both these verses Lord Krishna says, whosoever continually remembers Me, comes to Me. Thus, if you also want to attain Golok, just submit yourself to Shri Krishna. That is so easy! All you have to do, while performing any kind of physical or mental action, 1. feel the presence of God and 2. feel you are doing everything only to please Him. |
Jagadguruttam Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj
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यत्करोषि यदश्नासि यज्जुहोषि ददासि यत्।
यत्तपस्यसि कौन्तेय तत्कुरुष्व मदर्पणम्। गीता ९.२७
yatkaroṣi yadaśnāsi yajjuhoṣi dadāsi yat।
yattapasyasi kaunteya tatkuruṣva madarpaṇam। gītā 9.27
यत्तपस्यसि कौन्तेय तत्कुरुष्व मदर्पणम्। गीता ९.२७
yatkaroṣi yadaśnāsi yajjuhoṣi dadāsi yat।
yattapasyasi kaunteya tatkuruṣva madarpaṇam। gītā 9.27
“Each and every action (conversation, donation, eating etc) should be done to please Him". If you feel this will displease Him just stop doing it.
तद्विज्ञानार्थं स गुरुमेवाभिगच्छेत् समित्पाणि: क्षोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठम्॥
tadvijñānārthaṃ sa gurumevābhigacchet samitpāṇi: kṣotriyaṃ brahmaniṣṭham॥
tadvijñānārthaṃ sa gurumevābhigacchet samitpāṇi: kṣotriyaṃ brahmaniṣṭham॥
“Your Guru should have met God, and should also know all the secrets of the Vedic philosophy”.
Thus in brief, those who don’t choose to put into practice the instructions of scriptures and saints(Guru), go on a path of misery, and suffer from the fear of death. Others, who righteously follow Guru’s instructions, choose the path of Real bliss, enjoy divine happiness forever in the permanent divine abode of God and celebrate “death of the fear of death”.
Thus in brief, those who don’t choose to put into practice the instructions of scriptures and saints(Guru), go on a path of misery, and suffer from the fear of death. Others, who righteously follow Guru’s instructions, choose the path of Real bliss, enjoy divine happiness forever in the permanent divine abode of God and celebrate “death of the fear of death”.
