Birth Death and Interval

Disillusionment, disease, debility and death may be the most accursed terms but much of philosophy, medical science and spirituality have evolved and flourished around them. Disillusionment transformed Gautama into Buddha. His father's death led the boy Venkatramana on the path of inquiry, turning him into Ramana Maharshi. An incurable disease propelled Narayana Bhattatiri to repackage the Bhagavatam into an epic poem called Narayaneeyam.

Understanding death is not possible without understanding birth and what caused it. Why are we here? From the darkness of the womb we go unto the womb of darkness called death after traversing a well lit zone called life. People are born to fulfill residual desires and the outstanding obligations of their previous tenure. The earth is karma bhoomi and here alone and nowhere else, human being has a facility to execute their desires and obligations. What is born is not man but a medley of accumulated desires, hatred, anger and frustrations. The physical frame is just a bundle of electrical bulbs through which the cross-currents of emotions express themselves. We are here on our own volition, to undergo pain and pleasure and gain vital knowledge necessary to go beyond pangs of birth.

Seeking an answer to the question: What after death? Is like wanting to know what lies beyond the edge of the universe. No one has gone there on a fact-finding Mission and come back with a status report. However, there have been reports of evidence being available on reincarnation and rebirth. Strangely, while there have been numerous incidents of people remembering their previous births with fair amount of accuracy, three has been no instance of people recalling what transpired in the interval between two births. The plausible explanation for this could be that mind remains in hibernation in the intervening period.

Death is a welcome pause in a long journey of the soul in its evolutionary course. Death is stocktaking time. After assessing the merits and demerits of the previous birth the soul is replenished with newer equipments to resume its journey. There is as much purpose in death as in life.

More often than not, death is dreaded for its timing rather than its occurrence. When a young person dies, we react far more intensely than we do when an elderly person dies. But the difference is only in perception. When the physical body or mind or mind loses its capacity to execute karma or finds no further scope within the existing framework, it contrives to have a tryst with destiny.

Every death is an inconsolable loss for near and dear ones. For the bereaved, death is a source of sorrow but for the deceased it is the cessation of all pain. We weep not because somebody had got relief but for our own sorrow. All considered death is the only viable option for this organic body, which past its prime, tends to degrade even while alive. Today has to vacate its place for tomorrow to come in Ramana Maharshi was once asked by a group of disciples. 'Where do people go after death? He responded: Did you enquire where they came from, to be able to ask this question?

None has escaped the jaws of death but some have escaped the jaws of birth and attained immorality.