Reincarnation

[Spirit Seeker]

BG: 8.6-Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.

9.25- Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; and those who worship Me will live with Me.

Namaste All,

When it comes to our next life, does one "Final Thoughts" or "State of mind" determine the next life, or is it a persons belief system or how they lived their life?

In hinduism is there a concept of an Intermediate state such as Bardo in Buddhism?

Or do our immediate thoughts during the dying process really shape what body we will be in next, regardless of how we lived our life, and who we worship etc.

I've read something like this in a few of the other threads here.

What will become of those who died unconsiously, unaware, or sudden and helpless from seeing death coming?

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam SS. I've done a lot of reflection on this idea recently. I don't think it means the state that you are in as you die, directly, but rather 'What is the natural state your mind goes to during moments of duress?" (i.e .. on your deathbed) In order to have it automatically go to thoughts of God without will, just automatically, a person will have necessarily had to have lived a dharmic life, and have had some personal evolving. There is a saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." So although we may think or claim we are going to go to thoughts of God, only when it happens will we really know. Same thing for lots of life's lessons. People will say if they won a million dollars, they'd give it all to charity, but when it happens, do they? Or does the new car become such a temptation that they forget about the charity? So it's more a condition of the subconscious mind, not the conscious mind. And of course many of us are able to hide our subconscious quite well. Spiritual evolution means changing it.

So is it, "Oh no, I'm about to die!" or "Oh Yes, I'm about to drop this body!" Do we meet it with dread, or with calm anticipation?


Aum Namasivaya

[Amrut]

BG: 8.6-Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.

9.25- Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; and those who worship Me will live with Me.

Namaste All,

When it comes to our next life, does one "Final Thoughts" or "State of mind" determine the next life, or is it a persons belief system or how they lived their life?

In hinduism is there a concept of an Intermediate state such as Bardo in Buddhism?

Or do our immediate thoughts during the dying process really shape what body we will be in next, regardless of how we lived our life, and who we worship etc.

I've read something like this in a few of the other threads here.

What will become of those who died unconsiously, unaware, or sudden and helpless from seeing death coming?

Namaste,

Do not know what will happen if someone loose consciousness when dying.

In general, if one can manage to hold on to the god even during the pain of separation from body, then God gives us last minute option to be one with him and be free from cycle of birth and death.

At the time of death or (knowingly or unknowingly) during last days of one's life, there can be many desires which one tries to satisfy or fulfill. Out of them one is predominant desire is the deciding factor for one's rebirth.

Shastras explain this by truNa jantu nyAya (Caterpillar law). Caterpillar is a small insect with many legs (around 16). when it wants to move from one tree branch to another, it will first fetch new branch. After grabbing tightly the new branch by front legs, it will leave older branch.

So the last desire in the last days, no matter the person is aware of is/her death or not, is a strong deciding factor for type, where and when to take rebirth. Our merits of this life also counts, as they may ripe for next life.

I have heard that if a person does not accept death, strongly do not wish to live his/her physical body, and strongly wish to fulfill the desire, then the process of rebirth may be halted and one has to wander in subtle body. So one becomes a ghost. I cannot give a reference in shastras for this theory, so it's just my personal opinion. Even during sudden death, in last moments person knows he/she is dying. It is said that God gives a signal to people who are going to die soon. It happened to my Grandfather. My Grandfather he was terminally ill.

Aum
IS

[Amrut]

In general, a person has to lead a spiritual life so that he can remember God during his death.

Aum
IS

[jignyAsu]

When it comes to our next life, does one "Final Thoughts" or "State of mind" determine the next life, or is it a persons belief system or how they lived their life?

Those quotes above prove that the last thought is the deciding factor. But our sadhana shapes up our last thoughts. In fact our last thoughts is the summary of the life that we have lead.

The Bhagavata Purana mentions Jada Bharata, who became a deer because of his excess attachment to a deer during last moments. But since he had done profound austerities, he could remember his last birth even as a deer ...so this is where the past life conduct comes into picture.

One may take up one particular body due to one's last predominating thoughts. However, the pleasure and pain/ups and downs/spiritual atheistic inclinations etc in those life is by one's past conducts.

What will become of those who died unconsiously, unaware, or sudden and helpless from seeing death coming?

Now, thats a great question. I guess we should watch out what goes on in our heads at all times.

[Amrut]

The Bhagavata Purana mentions Jada Bharata, who became a deer because of his excess attachment to a deer during last moments. But since he had done profound austerities, he could remember his last birth even as a deer ...so this is where the past life conduct comes into picture.

One may take up one particular body due to one's last predominating thoughts. However, the pleasure and pain/ups and downs/spiritual atheistic inclinations etc in those life is by one's past conducts.

Namaste,

That is a Classic example

Aum