About the understanding of death and the meaning of death in India. Reincarnation of the soul in the theory of reincarnation The cycle of birth and death in Buddhism

Thank you for your interest in the topic of reincarnation. You might also be interested in her theory. The theory of reincarnation is that after death the soul acquires a new body. The purpose of a series of reincarnations is the pursuit of enlightenment or the evolution of consciousness.

Although there are a great many theories regarding the topic of transmigration of souls, not all of them have documentary evidence. I think you will be interested to know what actions in your current life can influence the next and how. What can bring negativity into your current life? How do animals reincarnate? And who are soul mates?

Who put forward this theory?

The idea of the soul’s ability to live forever was put forward in all ancient beliefs: from Egyptian priests to Greek philosophers. Suffice it to recall one of the cornerstone myths of the Egyptians - the legend of Osiris.

If we put it very briefly, this is what we get:

The most beloved god of all Egyptians, Osiris, gave his people laws and taught them agriculture and winemaking. And his wife Isis ruled Egypt wisely and fairly while her husband traveled throughout the world, giving people knowledge. Upon returning from his wanderings, Osiris was imprisoned by his envious brother Set in a sarcophagus, and then thrown into the Nile.

After some time, Isis, faithful to her husband, found this sarcophagus, released the power of her late husband imprisoned in it and conceived a son, Horus, who subsequently managed to defeat Set in battle, but lost his eye. Horus gave the eye torn out by Seth to his dead father, who, having absorbed the divine essence of his son, was resurrected, but did not want to return to earthly life, but began to rule the world of the dead.

The Egyptians adamantly believed that every cycle (that is, year) Osiris dies and is resurrected again, bringing spring. Since then, every dead Egyptian, whose body was mummified and properly preserved, is resurrected in the Afterlife, where Osiris rules.

Reincarnation in modern Hinduism

For Hinduism and Buddhism concept reincarnation is not a myth, A natural process and to this day. So in Nepal and India, several million people withdrew from worldly affairs and began to prepare for reincarnation. They meditate and practice yoga, preach asceticism and talk very little.

The issue of the rebirth of the soul after death worries not only residents of eastern countries. Every year more and more Europeans travel to the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, where the Pashupatinath temple complex is located. It is to this temple that everyone flocks who wants not only to touch eternal life, but also to earn a worthy body and find out in whom the soul will be incarnated after the death of the physical carrier.

Reincarnation and Christianity

In all currents of the modern Christian religion, be it Uniateism or Orthodoxy, Anglicanism or Presbyterianism, idea reincarnation absolutely refuted. Despite the fact that in the New Testament there is indirect evidence of the transmigration of souls.

Many theologians note the words of the prophet Malachi, with which back in the fifth century BC he predicted the events that occurred before the first coming of the son of God. The prophecy talks about the coming of the prophet Elijah. An interesting fact is that the first interpreters believed that Elijah would return like John the Baptist, and there are more than ten similar references in the New Testament. In addition, evangelists and theologians believed that rebirth awaited all of Christ’s apostles.

We should not forget about the very essence of Christian beliefs: if God is all-forgiving and all-merciful, how can he condemn his beloved children to eternal torment in hellfire?

Reincarnation in world religions

In the modern Muslim world, as in the early Islam, the concept of transmigration or reincarnation of souls is not mentioned in the Koran. However, there is the idea that Allah created the human body and his soul. Allah can kill the living and raise the dead if it is His will.

In the Muslim world, in-depth study of theological texts is not typical for ordinary people. This is done exclusively by scientists and religious leaders, so ordinary believers do not ask such exciting questions.

Jews, in turn, do not recognize the theory of transmigration of souls, but do not deny it either. For many unofficial religions, the theory of reincarnation is optional. Everyone believes in what they want.

Theory of soul rebirth

From the theory of reincarnation it follows that at the first birth a person “occupies” a pure body in all respects - beautiful, healthy and strong, which, as he travels along the path of knowledge, seems to “wear out” depending on karma.

The first-born person is pure, but naive and infantile. It is extremely difficult for him to resist temptations and he is poorly aware of the mechanism of influence with the outside world. Due to the lack of life experience accumulated by other people over several rebirths, it is extremely difficult for such people to distinguish positive experiences from negative ones, so they absorb all the information coming from the world around them indiscriminately.

The main factor, influencing a series of earthly incarnations of one soul, is karma. The concept of karma is to a certain extent familiar to everyone who walks along the path of spiritual development. It is important to understand that in the theory of reincarnation, not only the personal karma of the current incarnation of the spirit matters, but also the karmic debts of a previous life and ancestral karma, which we will talk about next time.

Adherents of the theory of reincarnation believe that in a series of reincarnations of the soul, a person bears a karmic imprint that persists throughout all earthly lives. The karmic imprint records all the blessings and curses, bad and good deeds, acquired skills and primary talents.

Researchers of this theory believe that Every person reaches a level of spiritual development your past life by the age of 20-25.

The aspirations of the ceased life continue to exist in the new one. This applies to both the material and spiritual spheres. Richard Webster describes in his book experience your ward Taylor Mann.

Over twenty years of studying Mann's memories of past lives, Webster came up with a pattern - in all his lives, regardless of gender and time, Taylor Mann was a craftsman, he always worked with his hands and did it well. Along the path of soul development, Mr. Mann has been a builder, cabinet maker, cook, mechanic, carpenter, wood carver, etc.

Confirmation of the continuation of spiritual aspirations are the memories of one of Indian teachers Neo-Advaitas - Lion of Lucknow, in the world Papaji, who in turn was a disciple of the guru Ramana Maharshi.

Papaji talked about how in his previous life he followed the path of spiritual development and reached certain heights in meditation and yoga. But he could not achieve enlightenment, because he had strong feelings for a woman with whom he could not be because of his vows.

After incarnating his soul in a new body, he took this woman as his wife and eventually completed his spiritual path, achieving enlightenment. Papaji's wife was his soul mate for several earthly incarnations. But he did not immediately manage to realize this.

The concept of soul mates in the theory of reincarnation

Soul mates are people who have played a significant role in a soul's life over multiple rebirths through romantic or business relationships.

Most people mistakenly believe that the concept of soul mates applies only to those whose love affair lasted over several lives. This is not entirely true, because in the case of reincarnation, one cannot downplay the importance of the relationship between student and teacher, friends who influenced the events of each other’s lives, irreconcilable enemies, and so on.

The life of every person is a series of events, one way or another connected with other people. During all the incarnations of one soul, for the most part, we are surrounded by the same people. What is the likelihood that your current lover was with you in a past life? One hundred percent, although in a previous incarnation he could have been your brother or mother or your worst enemy. You can get the exact information yourself at.

What influences the rebirth of the soul

Since the purpose of reincarnation is spiritual development, one of the most important mechanisms of the theory of reincarnation of souls has become the equivalence of the experience gained throughout all lives.

"What does it mean?" - you probably ask. Everything is very simple. Some believe that if the current incarnation is in a female body, then the next one will be in a male one. A more precise formulation of the rule would sound something like this: gender alternation spirit bearer is necessary in order to balance was maintained in general, and obtained on the path of knowledge the experience was equal and versatile.

As you know, there are exceptions to any rule. In the case of reincarnation, this is exactly what happens. If the soul was unable to complete its mission and did not receive much-needed experience, in a new incarnation its bearer may face not very pleasant consequences of varying degrees of severity. Mild consequences look like an abundance of masculine traits in a woman and vice versa. And complex ones are often attributed to a split personality, which occurs as a result of the capture of the consciousness of the bearer of the spirit by a previous incarnation that failed to fulfill its tasks.

Do animal souls reincarnate after death?

Modern theorists believe that an animal is capable of being reborn in a human body, and this is natural. But in their opinion, a person under no circumstances can be reincarnated in the body of an animal.

I am not a supporter of such a theory, since I am inclined to the Hindu theory of reincarnation, which is inextricably linked with the teachings in the wheel of Samsara, which is considered the most correct. I believe that a lost pet can be returned to a family where it was truly and deeply loved.

My friends were very attached to their cat Jackson, who lived with them for thirteen years and died of illness. The family really missed their pet, until one fine moment a small squeaking lump appeared under their door, exactly like the late Jack.

This is how lost pets return to their families - it could be a stray kitten or a puppy born to a friend’s dog.

According to adherents of the theory of reincarnation, embodiment of cats after death - another story. Everyone has heard that cats have nine lives, but no one knows what happens when a cat's ninth life ends. Some believe that after going through their life cycle, cats cease to exist, others believe that cats who have lived nine lives go to the afterlife, and others believe that cats are reborn in a human body.

Whatever your vision of the theory of reincarnation, you should not get too carried away with studying your past life and making plans for the future. After all important stage the spiritual formation of any rational being is the ability to live in the present, to be aware of yourself and your role in the world around you at this very moment.

Therefore, I say goodbye for today and propose to enjoy life right now: communicate with family and friends, tell them about what you read and try to guess who you were for each other in the past, without losing touch with reality. And you can check your guess at. Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog - there will be a lot more interesting and important things here - and as a gift you will receive a technique for immersing yourself in past lives.

Best regards, Elena Izotova.

In India, the ancient sacred land of Krishna, Rama, Buddha and countless avatars (Divine incarnations), reincarnation is perceived as a reality, obvious to the humble street sweeper, to the erudite pandit (scholar), and to the righteous sadhu (holy saint). . Some scholars claim that the concept of reincarnation can only be found in late Indian philosophical literature and not in the original scriptures - the Vedas. But this is not so: mention of this phenomenon is also found in early Vedic works: “The one who brought her into the world does not know her. It is hidden from the one who contemplates it. She is hidden in her mother's womb. Having been born many times, she came into this world in suffering.” Such references literally permeate the Avatara Veda, Manusamhita, Upanishads, Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Mahabharata, Ramayana and other ancient texts of India, either included in the original Sanskrit Veda, or which are among the Vedic literary works considered to be supplementary. This established tradition, enshrined in the scriptures, laid the foundation for the unshakable Hindu belief in reincarnation.

The law of karma in Hinduism says that the characteristics of the next life are in accordance with the quality of the life lived. The word "karma" comes from the verb root Cree- “do” or “act” - words expressing a causal relationship, indicating not only an action, but also an inevitable response to it. Karma has a negative aspect known as vikarma, which roughly translates to “bad karma.” Bad in the sense that it is associated with vicious or base activities leading to subsequent birth in lower species of life and, as a negative result, binds the soul to the world of birth and death. Positive karma implies charitable, merciful activity, the result of which is the desired reaction - a reward in the form of material well-being, which also binds the soul to the material world. Finally, there is a category of actions called akarma; it involves spiritual activities that do not cause material reactions. Only akarma frees us from the cycle of birth and death, relieves us of any reactions - positive and negative, that bind us to this world of duality; it enables the soul to return to its original nature. Spiritual activities are pious. The sacred scriptures of world religions generally share the same opinion about spiritual activity, believing that it elevates a person above both good and bad karma. The Vedic texts contain provisions that clearly and definitely distinguish between three types of activities: good, bad and transcendental.

In Western countries, the word “karma” is often and not entirely correctly used to mean “fate” or “fate”. These concepts go back to the Greek moira - an action/reaction philosophy that limits the capabilities of even the gods. According to the Greeks, there is no way to escape the power of fate. Greek tragedy, one of the earliest and most popular forms of Western literature, has its roots in moira and is characterized by feelings of hopelessness and inevitability. However, Indian literature is not characterized by tragic plots, since it is believed that karma, unlike moira, can be neutralized and even erased by engaging in spiritual practice.

As Hinduism teaches, people are motivated to action mainly by their idea of what will bring them the most immediate benefit. From here follow the prerequisites for various social or antisocial behavior, which leads, on the one hand, to the pleasure associated with the life of “highly developed” human beings, on the other hand, to suffering from repeated deaths and births in various bodies of lower species. The rules governing high or low birth occupy hundreds of volumes of Vedic and post-Vedic texts.

The worldview of Samsara is the most perfect explanation of death in Hinduism, which is the culmination of Vedic and Puranic concepts. Samsara teaches that the soul, immediately after death, is reborn in the material world and continues to rotate in the cycle of birth and death until it completely clears its consciousness of materialistic desires. After this, the purified soul returns to the spiritual kingdom - where it came from and where all souls originally resided. There she finds her natural, originally inherent life next to God. Modern Hinduism, as well as Vaishnavism, Shaivism and many other traditions widespread in Eastern India, adheres to precisely this point of view, seeing in it the truth that constitutes the essence of all previous teachings.

The complexity of the topic and the immense amount of detail contained in the Vedic texts and commentaries on them is staggering. Related ideas, such as uterine life, are described in them so exhaustively that, judging by the volume of knowledge contained, the Vedas are rightfully considered the most authoritative and complete source of information regarding the nature of reincarnation. To give just one small example, the Bhagavata Purana, considered the cream of the crop of Indian sacred literature, gives a carefully detailed description of how the consciousness of a living being develops from the moment it is in the womb until death:

“After a living being suffers in hell and passes through all the lower forms of life that precede the human, it, having thus atone for its sins, is reborn on Earth, receiving a human body...

The Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, said: “Under the supervision of the Supreme Lord and according to the results of his activities, the living entity, the soul, enters into the male semen and with it enters the womb of a woman to be incarnated in a certain type of body...

On the first night, the sperm fuses with the egg, and after five nights, a vesicle is formed from the egg as a result of fragmentation. After ten days, the embryo takes the shape of a plum, after which it gradually turns into either a lump of flesh or an egg...

During the first month, the embryo develops a head, and by the end of the second month, arms, legs and other parts of the body. By the end of the third month, he has nails, fingers and toes, hair, bones and skin, as well as genitals and other openings in the body: eyes, nostrils, ears, mouth and anus...

Four months after conception, the seven main components of the body are fully formed: lymph, blood, flesh, fat, bones, bone marrow and semen. By the end of the fifth month, a living creature begins to feel hunger and thirst, and after six months, the embryo, covered with a water membrane (amnion), moves to the right side of the mother’s abdomen.”

These texts go back thousands of years, but they are verifiably consistent with modern scientific research. The Bhagavata goes on to explain that although the womb is a safe place for the incarnating soul to bear, the child must undergo terrible physical suffering while in the womb and that because of this the soul forgets its previous lives. If the soul cannot do this, says the Bhagavata, it will have to carry this overwhelming burden throughout its entire life. The soul stores memories of its past lives in the subconscious, but at the level of the mind it forgets about them in order to adequately respond to its new parents and to the environment in the new life. From a Vedic perspective, the pain experienced at birth (along with the pain experienced during the death of the previous body) contributes at least in part to the oblivion of the past that accompanies each birth. Philosophers of both East and West have long made various assumptions regarding the phenomenon of oblivion, and yet it remains the main stumbling block for those who defend the theory of reincarnation, and no less so for those who deny it. If we have already lived before, the latter ask, then why don’t we remember this?

Clergy and theologians offer many different answers to this question. In the Pistis Sophia (a Gnostic Christian text dating from the 2nd century), Jesus speaks of a soul drinking from a cup “filled with the water of forgetfulness.” This idea is also supported by Plato: each individual has the ability to choose the circumstances of his next incarnation, and after this choice is made, he drinks water from the Lethe River (translated from Greek as “oblivion”), which erases everything in his memory, so that he can start a new life without obstacles. “The body is the real river Lethe,” writes another Greek philosopher Plotinus, “for the soul, clothed in it, forgets everything.” As already mentioned, to some extent, this cosmic amnesia of the soul can be explained physically: the hormone oxytocin, which controls the frequency of muscle contractions of a pregnant woman during childbirth, also contributes to the fact that the events that traumatized us are forgotten.

No matter how such forgetfulness occurs, the Bhagavata says that the fetus in the womb of the mother suffers according to its karma. But due to the fact that his consciousness has not yet fully developed, he can endure pain and, when the time comes, be born. The Bhagavata continues: “Deprived of freedom of movement, the child is confined in the womb of the mother, like a bird in a cage. At this time, if fate is favorable to him, he remembers all the vicissitudes of his hundred previous lives, and the memory of them causes him severe suffering.”

While in this state, the soul in the fetus remembers its debt to God and prays to Him for forgiveness. She remembers her fall from the heights of heavenly existence and her passage through countless bodies. The repentant soul in the womb of the mother expresses an ardent desire to restore its service to the Lord. The Bhagavata describes the soul's desire for liberation, its desire to once and for all get rid of the shackles of maya (illusory existence) and put an end to its stay in the material world. The fetus declares an infinite disgust for life in the material world and offers a prayer to the Lord: “Let me remain in this state [in the mother’s womb], and although I am in conditions that are terrible, it is better than being born out of the womb out, fall into the material world and again fall victim to maya.”

However, as the Bhagavata says, after birth the child, content with a sense of false security under the protection of loving parents and relatives, again becomes a victim of the illusion of material existence. From childhood, the soul, enclosed in the body, remains in a materialistic stupor, absorbed in the play of feelings and the objects of their satisfaction: “In a dream, a person sees himself in a different form and thinks that this is himself. In the same way, he identifies himself with his present body, obtained in accordance with pious or sinful actions, and knows nothing of his past or future lives.

The rest of the voluminous thirty-first chapter of the Third Canto of the Bhagavata gives a detailed outline of life in the material world - from childhood, then youth, maturity to old age, after which the whole process begins anew. This phenomenon is called samsara bandha, that is, “conditional life in the cycle of birth and death.” According to the Bhagavata, the goal of human life is to be liberated from this cycle through the process of bhakti-yoga, the yoga of devotional love, in which the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is central.

As maternal oxytocin enters the baby's organ system, there is reason to believe that this natural drug flushes out the memory of previous incarnations along with conscious memories of birth. This does not mean that memory erasure does not occur in life outside the womb. The inability of even the most astute adults to remember their childhood years, as well as the common loss of memory among the elderly, may be a natural way of alienating unimportant information from conscious memory.

Hinduism claims that the Universe consists of an infinite number of spiritual atoms - souls - the size of one ten-thousandth of the tip of a hair. Only a perfect mind can comprehend the soul. It is supported by five types of air currents (prapa, apana, vyana, samana and udana), is located inside the heart and spreads its influence throughout the body of the embodied living being. When the soul is purified from the contamination of the five streams of material air, then its spiritual influence manifests itself. Thus, from the moment of birth, the soul imprisoned in the body falsely identifies itself with it.

Even during one life we pass through several different bodies - baby, child, youth, adult, old man - but we remain the same person. We don't change, only our body changes. The Bhagavad Gita describes the first step on the path of enlightenment: “Just as the soul transmigrates from a child’s body to a youthful one and from it to an old one, so at the moment of death it passes into another body.” The Bhagavad Gita indirectly poses the question: if the soul transmigrates from one body to another during life, then why should this process be interrupted at the time of death? The following analogy is drawn: “Just as a person puts on new clothes, throwing off old ones, so the soul takes on a new body, leaving behind the old and useless one.” In comparing the body with worn-out clothes, a precisely found analogy is visible: we buy clothes in accordance with our taste and means; we receive a new body in accordance with our desires and karma, which constitutes our “means” for acquiring a future state of existence.

Our journey from one body to another is driven by our most refined desires and karma. We can wisely ask: who wants to be a dog or a wolf? Apparently no one. But too often, all our aspirations are not what we first mean or want them to be. In reality, our actions expose our true desires. For example, if we want to spend our lives in sweet slumber, why shouldn’t nature give us the body of a bear that sleeps for months? Or if we are consumed by sexual desire, then why don't we incarnate in the body of a dove, which is physiologically designed in such a way that it can copulate many times a day?

Each of the millions of species of living entities provides the eternal soul with a body that is best suited for a particular kind of sense gratification. According to the Vedas, this is the Lord's concession to those of His children who seek to live separately from Him in the world of matter - a playground where we can taste all the delicacies of material existence and realize that none of them compares with anida ("spiritual bliss") ") the kingdom of God.

Of all the literature dealing with the concept of reincarnation, the Vedic texts of ancient India are perhaps the most complete and timeless. Sanskritologists, Indologists and religious historians are only now beginning to study the works of the Vedic sages with their analysis of repeated births and various levels of existence. As the Western world understands these esoteric mysteries, we are rediscovering long-forgotten truths about our own culture and religious traditions. And as we penetrate deeper into the ideas bequeathed to us by self-realized Vedic teachers, the collective consciousness reaches a higher spiritual level.

Our consciousness is naturally most absorbed in what is most dear to us. “Whatever state of being a person remembers when leaving his body,” says the Bhagavad Gita, “he will certainly achieve this state.” The characteristics of the subtle body (mind and sense of individuality) at the time of death express the total result of activities over the entire life lived. If a person has managed to change his subtle body by focusing on God, then at the time of death it will create a gross body in which he will incarnate as a devotee of the Lord; if he has achieved even greater development, then he no longer accepts a new material body, but immediately receives a spiritual body and thus returns to the original spiritual home, back to God. All this is summed up beautifully by the American Indologist Dr. Guy L. Beck:

“According to the ancient texts, yoga, which has various definitions but is almost always associated with purification of the mind, combined with bhakti, devotion to the Personal Deity, is the remedy against the pain and misfortunes brought by countless births in the cycle of transmigration [reincarnation]. In fact, it is solely through the protection of a Personal Deity (be it Vishnu, Krishna, Rama, Shiva or Lakshmi) that a person is freed from the horrors of transmigration and plunges into a state of continuous bliss. Although these believers do not claim to reach the Vedic heaven, their subsequent consistently spiritual life, as spoken of in the bhakti scriptures, can be seen as a further development and perhaps a more direct response to the basic need of all humanity - to be freed from what the German philosopher Nietzsche called eternal repetition of the same thing."

H. L. Beck's admiration for the Hindu tradition is encouraging, especially in his well-founded conclusion that Indian philosophy, in all its varied forms, can boast of the most consistent and elaborate doctrine of transmigration that the world has ever known: "The Doctrine Hinduism's concept of transmigration, compared with other religious systems and theories, is undoubtedly the most comprehensive in world history. And there are several reasons for this: it has withstood centuries of external invasions and political unrest; it rebuffed numerous attacks from various kinds of critics and distorted interpretations given both from within and from without; it has evolved to accommodate many types of religious belief, be it monism, dualism, monotheism, polytheism, non-theistic teachings, etc. Despite all its complexity, the doctrine of transmigration, along with the belief in karma, remains some of the most ingrained common denominators - regardless of social status, caste, religious worldview, age and gender - among various religious movements, movements and philosophical schools that complement the original Indian tradition.”

Reincarnation, according to primitive peoples, can be made easier or more difficult using the funeral method. Children are often buried under the floor of the house, in the belief that this will make it easier for their souls to return to their mothers. Adults, whose spirits are stronger and therefore more dangerous after death, are often buried not in the house, but on the outskirts of the village.

Some African tribes resort to other means of managing the process of reincarnation: the dead, whose return for one reason or another is undesirable, are simply thrown into the bushes. Thus, they are discouraged from wanting to be born again in this community.

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Chapter 4. Hinduism: The Path of Devotion 1 F. Max Muller, Chips from a German Workshop, London: Longmans, Green, 1867, 2.300.2 Hindu Demography, American Foundation Hinduism, http://www.hmdu-americanfoundation.org/resources/hinduism_101/hinduism_demographics.3 Oxford English Dictionary

1) Reincarnation of souls (samsara)

Reincarnation of souls is perhaps the most attractive idea of Hinduism, as this idea overcomes the fear of death.

If after death your soul moves into another body, young, beautiful, full of energy, and a new life awaits you, perhaps more interesting and happy, then why should you be afraid of death?

“Just as a person, throwing off old clothes, puts on new ones, so the soul enters new material bodies, leaving behind the old and useless ones.”
(Bhagavad-Gita 2.22)

For Christians, the fear of death remains; even true believers sometimes have doubts: “What if there is nothing there?” After all, the existence of God does not guarantee us immortality: “What if He doesn’t need us there?”
This is confirmed by the fact that even the most righteous people, being already very old and sick, still cling to this life, which for them is filled with suffering.

Hindus, with their mother's milk, absorb the belief in the transmigration of souls and treat death much more easily. In India, people do not mourn dead people, as in Europe, but, on the contrary, celebrate this event.

The idea of the transmigration of souls has many supporters, although no one counted them, I think that most people on earth believe in the transmigration of souls.

2) Law of retribution (karma)

Karma(translated from Sanskrit means “what has been done”) is a set all human actions that together determine his future.

“Poverty, illness, grief, imprisonment and other misfortunes are the fruits of the tree of our sins.” (Sri Chanakya Niti-shastra, 14.1)

Hindus believe that a person's future is determined by how he lives in this life and how he lived in his previous incarnations. Every human action has its consequences. If a person does good deeds, then his karma improves, and if he does evil, then his karma worsens.

This is a universal law of life.

Karma is not a punishment for sins or a reward for virtues. A change in karma is the result of the natural course of events, which are interconnected by a cause-and-effect relationship: every human action generates its own consequences. At every moment of life we have a choice of what to do, good or evil, and by making this free choice, we create our future.

The idea of karma is also very attractive, because it provides an answer to the most difficult questions that believers ask themselves:

Why does the all-good God allow so much evil into our world?
Why do maniacs torture and kill young children?
Why do godly people live worse than prostitutes and thieves?
Why do innocent people die from terrorist explosions, natural disasters and man-made disasters?

If you accept the law of karma, then all these questions will disappear by themselves, because any misfortune can be explained by karmic consequences.

In addition, the law of karma gives a person hope for justice, because according to this law, a person himself determines his own destiny, each time making a choice between good and evil.

3) Liberation from the chain of rebirths (moksha)

The main goal of Hinduism is to escape the chain of rebirths.

Please note, this is not a partial working off of karmic debts and, as a result, a more favorable fate in a new incarnation, but a final departure from the world of samsara (translated from Sanskrit as “circle of rebirths”).

Every person, rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, having a villa in Nice or living homeless on the streets, sooner or later receives a full cup of suffering. Who can avoid old age, illness, loss of loved ones? In India, where many people live in grinding poverty, this is especially true. Therefore, the idea of cessation of earthly existence and transition to other worlds where there is no suffering has become the central idea of Hinduism.

In Hinduism, the reason for the soul's presence in the world of samsara is ignorance - a misconception about the laws of the universe. In our world, the human soul is consumed by passions - lust, greed, envy, hatred. And all this gives rise to new suffering, since under the influence of negative feelings we create evil and, thus, worsen karma.

To escape the cycle of birth and death and thus be freed from all suffering, a person must realize his true nature. When the individual soul of man realizes its oneness with the source of all existence (God), it will find itself in a state of pure spirit, filled with knowledge and bliss (nirvana), which defies description.

“Whoever looks at the world with the eyes of knowledge and sees the difference between body and soul,
he can find the path leading to liberation from bondage in the material world and achieve the highest goal." (Bhagavad-Gita, 13.35)

The main way to achieve liberation is Yoga (translated from Sanskrit means “unity, connection, harmony”), which is a set of various spiritual and physical practices aimed at controlling consciousness. There are many types of yoga in Hinduism, but you must begin your spiritual path by observing

5 basic principles of moral purity:

1) refusal to use violence,

2) refusal to lie,

3) refusal to steal,

4) abstinence from sensual pleasures,

5) renunciation of greed.

4) Polytheism and Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva)

There are thousands of gods and goddesses in Hinduism, each with their own sphere of influence. For example, (the elephant-headed god) brings good luck and promotes success in scientific research, so he is worshiped by scientists. is the goddess of wisdom, eloquence and art, and is worshiped by philosophers, poets and artists. She holds in her hands a musical instrument symbolizing art. – the goddess of destruction, she destroys ignorance and maintains world order. She holds a sword in one hand and a demon's head in the other. In India there are many temples dedicated to the goddess Kali, she is revered as a slayer of demons.

The pantheon of Hindu gods has a complex hierarchical structure. Each god has his own sphere of activity, and they are all included in a complex system of interactions. In Hinduism, there are many different rituals, including sacrifices, with the help of which Hindus try to establish personal contact with the deity and receive some kind of help from him.

A special place in the Indian pantheon is occupied by the trimurti (Hindu trinity), represented by three gods:

Brahma is the creator of the world, Vishnu is the preserver of the world and Shiva is the destroyer.

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are considered different manifestations of the one supreme deity Brahman, who expresses the fundamental principle of all things - absolute reality, containing the entirety of the universe with countless gods and goddesses who appear and disappear following certain time cycles.

Followers of some modern Hindu movements consider Hinduism to be a monotheistic religion, since the different deities worshiped by representatives of different Hindu movements are, in fact, only different hypostases or manifestations of a single spiritual essence - Brahman. At the same time, a person can worship the hypostasis of God that he likes best, if he respects all other forms of worship.

5) Caste structure of society

Unlike other countries, Indian society was initially divided into various social groups - varnas and castes.

There are 4 large social groups - varnas (translated from Sanskrit means “color”):

1) varna brahmins - the class of brahman priests;
2) varna kshatriyas - the class of rulers and warriors;
3) Varna Vaishyas - the class of artisans and traders;
4) varna sudra - the class of inferiors and slaves.

People who did not belong to any of the four varnas were considered outcasts and occupied the lowest rung in society.
Castes correspond to a smaller division of society into groups based on professional affiliation.

In India, social inequality did not simply arise as a result of the stratification of society into rich and poor. The division of society into varnas is a reflection of the cosmic laws of the universe described in Rig Veda. According to Hindu philosophy, a person's level of self-awareness is determined to a large extent by which varna he belongs to. Thus, for Hindus, social inequality is natural, since it follows from the fundamental laws of the universe.

We live in a world where human equality is one of the most important values. It is proclaimed as a moral right and as a law of the state. Now the constitutions of all countries contain provisions on the equality of all citizens among themselves.

However, does this equality really exist?

Look around, someone drives a Mercedes, and someone lives on the street in a cardboard box. You can say that the homeless person is to blame, it is his own choice to live on the street - the main thing is that people have the same opportunities. But do, for example, the son of an oligarch and a boy from a family of alcoholics have the same opportunities? Already at birth, we are very different from each other: one is born smart, beautiful and rich, and the other stupid, poor and sick - and this largely determines the future fate of a person.

Once I was at a lecture on philosophy at the university. The lecture was given by the head of the department, who taught Marxism-Leninism all his life, preaching “freedom, equality and brotherhood.” And so he told us: “Sometimes it seems to me that some people live only to serve other people.” Don't you think so sometimes?

6) The universal law of changing the world (dharma)

In Hinduism, there is a universal law of change in the world - dharma (translated from Sanskrit means “the eternal order of things”). Awareness of this law helps a person to find harmony in life. The word dharma in Hinduism also means truth and reality, and is often interpreted as the correct understanding of the laws of reality or God as the root cause of reality.
People who live in accordance with the principles of dharma quickly emerge from the circle of rebirths, which is why the word dharma is often translated as “right action” or “duty.” In other words, every person has his own task in life that he must complete. If a person acts in accordance with this task, then his life proceeds normally, otherwise problems arise in his way.

The source of universal law is God, whose attributes are truth, knowledge and bliss, which is why dharma is often called truth in Hindu texts.

“The king of kings is what dharma is. Therefore, there is nothing higher than dharma.
And the powerless hopes to overcome the strong with the help of dharma,
as if with the help of the king. Truly I tell you, dharma is truth.” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.14)

Recorded and studied cases of past life memories clearly indicate the existence of life of the soul after the death of the body. In all recorded cases of reincarnation, it has been found that there is a variable time interval between the death of a person and his next incarnation on Earth. Where do we go after death until our reincarnation on Earth? Is this place the only plane of existence or are there many planes of existence? If so, what are the criteria for “getting” into one plan or another? In this article we will try to answer these and other questions from a Hindu perspective.

Note. To better understand the information, it is recommended to read articles on the three qualities of nature: Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.

What happens after death?

When a person dies, the physical body ceases to exist. However, the life of the soul does not stop there. The existence of a person excluding the physical body is known as the subtle body (linga-deha) and it consists of the mental, causal (intellect) and supracausal (subtle ego) body. This subtle body then moves to one of the 13 subtle planes of existence, outside the plane of the Earth.

14 planes of existence in the Universe

There are 14 main planes of existence in the Universe. Seven of them are positive planes of existence, and seven are negative planes of existence. The seven negative planes of existence are popularly known as Hell (Patal). Within these major planes of existence there are many sub-planes.

According to the words of Saint Adi Shankaracharya from India (VIII-IX centuries AD), Righteousness (Dharma) is that which fulfills three tasks: the preservation of social order, the worldly progress of every living being, and the evolutionary progress of man in the spiritual sphere.

Seven Positive Planes of Existence: The planes of existence occupied primarily by living humans and subtle bodies doing righteous deeds and engaging in spiritual practice according to the positive path of spiritual practice are known as the seven positive planes of existence or saplatoks. By positive path we mean that the orientation of spiritual practice is towards the realization of God in man, which is the ultimate in spiritual growth.

The Seven Negative Planes of Existence: These are the planes of existence primarily occupied by subtle bodies who have committed unrighteous acts and who engage in spiritual practice along the negative path. By the negative path we mean that the orientation of spiritual practice is aimed at developing supernatural powers. This spiritual power is mainly used to increase control over others or for negative purposes. Thus, all subtle bodies that go to any of the planes of existence of Hell become ghosts due to their evil intentions.

Subplanes of existence of Hell (Narak): Each plane of existence of Hell has a subplane known as Narak. For example, the first plane of existence of Hell is known as the first Narak, which is reserved for the worst ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) In hell, those who occupy the first Narak are punished more severely and for a longer period than those who occupy the first plane of existence of Hell.

The earth is a physically tangible plane; while the other planes are more and more subtle and therefore invisible to the gross eye. In fact, different people, although living on the plane of the Earth, experience thoughts and emotions corresponding to different planes of existence according to their spiritual level of development or thoughts. For example, spiritually developed people lead an existence that corresponds to the positive planes of existence of Heaven and beyond. In contrast, a person planning a theft experiences thoughts consistent with the 1st plane of Hell, planning some action aimed at harming others in the 2nd plane of Hell, and so on, and a person planning a murder experiences thoughts corresponding to the 7th plane of Hell. However, they cannot simultaneously experience 2 planes of existence, i.e. a person cannot experience thoughts corresponding to two different planes, for example. Heaven and Maharlok.

The Void Region (Bhuvarloka) to be precise is an equidistant region. However, we consider it as a positive plan, since subtle bodies from this region still have a chance to be born on Earth for spiritual development. When subtle bodies return to any of the regions of Hell, then there is a very remote possibility of their birth on Earth and advancement to God.

Heaven and other planes of existence in the Universe

Each positive and negative plane of existence outside the earthly (physical) plane of existence becomes more and more subtle. By subtle we mean that which goes beyond the understanding of the five senses, reason and intelligence. Satyalok is the subtlest positive plane and is therefore the most difficult to perceive or understand once the level of the highest sixth sense (ESP) has been reached.

Due to the lack of spiritual practice and a higher proportion of shortcomings (sins), most people in the current era pass into the world of the Void or one of the planes of existence of Hell. Typically, we enter the Wasteland world after death when the percentage of disadvantages (incurred due to wrong actions on Earth) is approximately 30%. Demorites usually involve anger towards others and many desires. There is a high probability of attack in the Nether World by higher level ghosts from the lower plane of existence of Hell.

The Earth is the only plane of existence where the merging of people with different spiritual levels occurs. However, after death we go to the exact level of existence corresponding to our spiritual level.

Basically, from the point of view of spiritual science, "praiseworthy actions" to achieve Heaven or higher positive planes of existence are those actions that are done without expectations with the goal of realizing God. The following three criteria can be applied:

Actions with the worldview that God Himself does this through me, and therefore I cannot claim any benefit
Acts without conscious expectation of recognition or gratitude
Action without expectation of results (action for the sake of action)

It is important to note that subtle bodies are often pulled away by negative energies and therefore remain in the world of Emptiness (Bhuvar-loka). To reach a higher plane of existence, which is beyond Heaven, one must be on a high spiritual level. This can only be achieved through consistent spiritual practice in accordance with the six basic laws of spiritual practice along with serious pacification of the ego.

By the dominant body we mean the most active body, that is, the mental, intellectual or subtle ego. For example, in the plane of the Void of Existence (Bhuvarlok), the subtle bodies still have many desires and attachments. As a result, quite often they become ghosts trying to fulfill their wish through their descendants or people on Earth. This leaves them open to higher levels of negative energies from the lower regions of Hell; who used their pull to influence people on Earth. In the World of Emptiness, subtle bodies experience only unhappiness because desires cannot be fulfilled.

In the plane of existence known as Heaven, subtle bodies experience an overabundance of happiness. This happiness far exceeds the happiness experienced on Earth in quantity, quality and duration. As we ascend to the positive planes of existence, there is an increase in the quality of happiness and unhappiness.

Positive planes of existence and reincarnation on Earth

From the subtle planes of existence below Mahar-lok, people must reincarnate on the earthly plane of existence to settle their destiny and complete their calculations. If after his death a person reaches higher regions such as Mahar-loka due to a higher spiritual level, his soul may end its earthly journey and stop reincarnating. However, these evolving subtle bodies may choose to be born of their own free will. They do this due to their expansive nature primarily to act as spiritual guides for humanity and help society evolve in a positive way.

Through spiritual research we have discovered that there are 5 factors that influence this potential for further spiritual growth.

Having a large amount of spiritual emotions (bhavas)
Having a low ego
Having an intense desire for spiritual growth,
By performing regular spiritual practice at an increasingly higher level,
Affected or not affected by negative energies. When affected or possessed by negative energies, they can seriously hinder the ability to grow spiritually. In the afterlife, such affected subtle bodies may be blocked from entering the higher regions of the Universe by negative energies.

The meaning of the plane of existence on Earth

The plane of existence of the Earth is very important. This is the only plane of existence where we can quickly increase our spiritual growth and settle our date and record report in no time. The main reason for this is that through the physical body we can do a lot to increase spiritual growth and spiritual level and reduce the underlying subtle component of Tama.

Apart from Earth, spiritual growth most often only occurs in regions outside of Heaven, such as Maharloka. This is because in Heaven, subtle bodies risk falling into the endless pleasures it offers. In the planes of existence of Void and Hell, the punishment is so severe, as well as the distress of other top-level ghosts, that it becomes very difficult to rise above suffering to undertake any spiritual practice of value. As one goes to the lower planes of existence of Hell, as the subtle base component of Sattva gradually reduces the environment, it becomes less favorable for the experience of happiness.

Within the planes of existence of Hell, there are some ghosts who perform certain types of spiritual practices in order to gain spiritual power. The highest in the hierarchy of ghosts are sorcerers from the seventh plane of existence of Hell. They have enormous spiritual power and control all other types of ghosts with lesser spiritual power.

When a person penetrates deeper into the various planes of existence of Hell, that is, from the 1st to the 7th, the degree of happiness experienced by the subtle bodies in him decreases, and the degree of unhappiness continues to increase. The minimal experience of happiness is also one of being preoccupied with memories of past positive events, pleasant memories of wealth in a past life, etc. The experience of unhappiness is associated with memories of physical pain and offensive events, memories of unfulfilled desires, e.g. education, home, career, expectations of happiness from children in a past life.

The degree of punishment and pain that must be endured in the different planes of existence of Hell and the associated Narakas increases with the subsequent plane of existence of Hell. Moreover, the period of punishment that must be endured in each Naraka is superior in comparison to the corresponding plane of existence of Hell. If we consider the punishment in the first plane of existence of Hell as 100%, then the punishment in the corresponding first Naraka will be 50% greater, that is, 150%.

Each one is assigned that plane of existence which corresponds to his basic nature in terms of Sattva, Raja and Tama. This is also a function of the spiritual level. Consequently, subtle bodies from the lower positive planes of existence cannot move to the higher positive planes of existence, and those from the first or second negative planes of existence cannot move to the deeper planes of existence of Hell. It's similar to how people on airplanes have difficulty breathing at high altitudes, but people at higher altitudes cope just fine.

Factors that determine the path of the soul after the death of the body

At the time of death, when the physical body becomes inactive, the life energy used for the functioning of the physical body is released. This vital energy at the time of death pushes the subtle body away from the Earth region. The “weight” of the subtle body primarily depends on the amount of the subtle basic component of Tama in our being.

3 Subtle Basic Components: Each of us is made up of three subtle basic components or guas. These components are spiritual in nature and cannot be seen, but they define our personalities. They are:

Sattva: Purity and knowledge
Raja: action and passion
Tama: Ignorance and inertia. In the average person in the current era, the main subtle component of Tama reaches 50%.

The more we become imbued with the components of Raja and Tama, the more we exhibit the following characteristics, which add to our "weight" and influence of the plane of existence we enter in our afterlife:

More attachment to worldly things and selfishness
More unfulfilled wishes
Feeling of revenge
Higher number of deficiencies or incorrect actions
Higher incidence of personality defects such as anger, greed, fear, etc.
Selfishness: By ego we mean how much a person identifies with his body, mind and intellect, as opposed to the soul within

The constant reduction of the proportion of the subtle basic component of Tama and its associated characteristics mentioned above occurs only with sustained spiritual practice in accordance with the six basic laws of spiritual practice. Psychological improvements through self-help books or attempts to be good are superficial and temporary at best.

The importance of mental state at the time of death

The mental state at the time of death, in addition to what was mentioned above, is very important. Our mental state usually refers to a portion of the subtle basic components of our being.

If a person performs spiritual practice even at the time of death, then the influence of desires, attachments, ghosts, etc. will be minimal. This makes his thin body lighter. Therefore, if he goes away in this state, he reaches a better plane of existence among the sub-planes than that which he would have reached if he had yielded to fear.

At the time of death, if a person chants the "Name of God" and is also in a state of submission to the will of God, then he reaches an even better plane of existence in his life after death and his stay occurs with lightning speed.

Factors that determine stay on negative planes

Listed below are the types of deeds in our lives on Earth that usually land in one of the planes of existence of Hell. The extent, duration, and intent of wrongful actions are important factors in determining the planes of existence of hell achieved after death, not just the action itself.

There are two types of death by time:

Final Death: This is the time of death that no one can escape.
Possible death: Here a person is approaching death, but can be saved due to his merits.

In cases where a person is experiencing an overwhelming crisis in their life or has severe personality disorders, they may consider taking on their own life of depression. Ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) also fuel the depression of a suicidal person and sometimes contribute to pushing the person over the edge towards suicide. However, in most cases, suicide remains a deliberate act that happens when a person experiences a possible death phase as per his destiny.

Life on Earth is a precious thing and is given to us primarily for spiritual growth. When we kill others, we create/destroy a karmic "account" with them. However, by committing suicide, we miss the opportunity for spiritual growth. The severity of the sin may vary depending on the circumstances under which a person commits suicide. The invariably subtle body of the average suicide case will go to Bhuvarloka (astral plane). However, for great sins incurred during their life and the circumstances under which they commit suicide, they may go to the lower regions of Hell.

Why is there a time interval between two reincarnations?

In a study using hypnotic trance to trace a person's past lives, it was discovered that the time lag between two reincarnations on Earth could average between 50 and 400 years. The reasons for this lag are as follows:

The subtle body remains in Heaven or in the space of the Void of existence for variable periods of time to succeed in its merits and demerits (sins).

Circumstances on the earthly plane of existence must be favorable in order to complete the accounting of life experiences from previous births. This corresponds to the law of Karma. Reincarnation of the subtle body is delayed until the various other souls with whom they will have connections are ready to materialize.
Sometimes in a past life regression the person does not report being reincarnated in a trance state. The reason for this is that the past incarnation was useless in terms of accumulating life experience (the person did not learn anything), therefore, he does not remember any details.
In the case of subtle bodies that have been assigned to the deeper planes of existence of Hell, the time lag between two reincarnations can be thousands of years. They remain in their Hell plane of existence until they finish their punishment. In most cases, this means languishing in the plane of existence of Hell in their life after death until the dissolution of the Universe.

Life after death - in summary

The above facts about the different planes of existence give us a fair idea of the possible consequences in our life after death of the way we live. Only with spiritual practice or extreme worthy deeds can one go to the higher planes of existence and thereby avoid misfortune and punishment and enjoy higher levels of happiness. There are also better chances of reincarnation on the earthly plane of existence in circumstances conducive to spiritual practice. This is so that a person moves further in the subtle planes of existence in the Universe. As we go further in the present Era (Kaliyug), there is less chance of people moving to higher planes of existence.

Once we go to the lower dimensions, such as the plane of existence of the Void or other planes of existence of Hell, we remain there and experience severe misfortune for centuries until we fully pay for our shortcomings (sins) by suffering intense punishments and get a chance reincarnate on Earth.

Carrying out consistent spiritual practice on the earthly plane of existence in accordance with the 6 basic laws of spiritual practice is like swimming against the tide in the current era. However, it is also a guaranteed way to progress to higher planes of existence in our afterlife.

Excerpt from Nicholas Roerich’s book “Seven Great Mysteries of the Cosmos.”

A dying European will never be able to take his bank account or family, his experience, or his long and difficult career to the next world. He almost always feels discomfort and a feeling that he has lost or lost something. Many people at this moment feel the absurdity of their life’s path, as if they were playing some incomprehensible game, written according to someone else’s rules, and now the end has come. There is a fundamentally different attitude towards death as such in India. This is not grief, this is not fear, this is happiness and the same phenomenon as rain or wind. This is inevitability, subject to certain laws. It is simply a change in state of existence. A market trader dying may assume that his next incarnation will be much more comfortable or enjoyable. For him it's just a change of form.

Every devout Hindu is sure that death is just a transition of the existence of the soul from one layer of reality to another plane of existence. The concept of karma and rules of behavior during life runs unshakably and as a thick line through the life of every Indian. Here again we encounter the wheel of samsara, a complex structure that initially implies a place for everyone according to his behavior. Closing his eyes on his deathbed, an enlightened Hindu hopes that his new life will be better.

And ideally, it will not exist at all. It is possible that either the hall of fame of the god he has chosen, or a new caste, or new respect from people has already been prepared for him. But this is if he lived according to all the rules. The clearly defined rules of life and happiness forced Hindus to develop a unique attitude towards death, philosophical, but at the same time pragmatic and clear.

Here, of course, one cannot help but touch upon the differences in different directions of Hinduism as such; its traditions have their own discrepancies, depending on the school, on the confession and on the interpretation of the sacred scriptures. But there are three main traditions. As they are called, "sampradaya". The famous trinity of Hindu gods is familiar to almost all of us since childhood: Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. These three rays diverge to the sides, providing rich ground for discrepancies and disagreements, but in this case we are only interested in the attitude towards death. Everything is simple here. There is a devotee of the chosen god, for example, one of the three named. After death, having lived a righteous life, he either joins his deity, merging with him in an esoteric temple of veneration, or continues his circle of incarnations, placed in a new body. There are many interpretations in the design of rituals and methods of glorification, but the essence is the same. Even if we take the world-famous Hare Krishnas, without whom not a single city in Russia can survive, then in essence they all came from the school of Vaishnavism.

Some gurus who have studied the Vedas have suggested that Krishna is the supreme incarnation of the god Vishnu. From this a whole religion emerged. Among the Hare Krishnas, after death a devotee has a hall of fame for Krishna with a very clear hierarchy, which is known to each of them during his lifetime. The same can be said about representatives of other schools, about Brahminists or Shaivites. Although supporters of Shiva, for example, have one of the branches, Kashmir Shaivism, which says that the soul is God himself, and after death the soul simply knows its essence. But the main thing in all of this is that for Hindus, death is not a loss, misfortune or grief. This is simply a transition to another state, quality.

They are preparing for death, waiting for it. And there are essentially two options. Either you continue the cycle of incarnations, or you simply recognize your god and dissolve in him. This state is described both in Buddhism as nirvana and as the highest enlightenment in many religions of India. That's the point. For the average European, death is a tragedy, the end of everything. For a Hindu, this is simply one of the stages of existence for which one must be prepared. Don't look for tears and lamentations on funeral pyres - they are not there. This is simply the process of the soul transitioning to a new state.

Of course, if an accident occurs, such as a fire, plane crash or flood, then Indians will, like everyone else, save their lives and property. In this case, an Indian, a Russian, and an American will behave in the same way. But each of them will act for different reasons. And the only reason why a Hindu will not sit idly by while a plane crashes is because he must be convinced that his death came on time, that dharma has been fulfilled, that there is no responsibility on him. Only if all of the above is true will he close his eyes and accept death. Otherwise, he will be saved, like any of us.