The Seal of Ignorance If we follow the clue given to us by life we shall see that death is a grim and a last reminder of our imperfect state. This imperfection is due to Ignorance; ignorance of who we truly are and of the true nature of things, of the oneness and unity underlying this world of apparent division and multiplicity. It is this ignorance born from the womb of a false and illusory sense of the ego-self that constitutes the pain of life and much of its struggle. However, this ignorance itself is not a uniform thing but a continuum with necessary stages of growth. Death and its darkness prevent too rapid an efflorescence, an early tearing of the veil

Organ Transplant Viewed from a certain standpoint organ transplant is not only ethically justified but spiritually laudable. After all is it not an act of compassion and inner detachment? However although it may be justified as an act of compassion, it may not necessarily be an enlightened compassion. The spiritual view is not confined to the outer and practical Page-231 momentary good of an individual, but more importantly the inner good. Spiritual vision is not cabined within the confines of outer life as our rational mind is but looks at the complex play of forces in and around. Therein comes the difficulty. Should the body organ of an in

Violent Deaths Violent deaths as in accidents or mass catastrophes form a separate category from an inner point of view. The suddenness of the event may create confusion in the individual who is violently thrown out of the body. He may not realize at once that he is dismembered thereby making a part of his most elementary physical-vital consciousness linger in the earth atmosphere for a longer time. Sometimes these vital formations can hover around the spot of the disaster, enacting the scene over and over again, what some people perceive and label as ghosts. This formation can grow and prolong its life by feeding on the fear of people, thereby prolonging its own mis

Wisdom from the Tibetan Book of the Dead (The following are extracts taken from the Tibetan Book of the Dead, followed by the author's comments) "The state of mind at the time of death is regarded as extremely important, because this plays a vital part in the situation one is reborn into. This is one reason why suicide is regarded in Buddhism as very unfortunate, because the state of mind of the person who commits suicide is usually depressed and negative and is likely to throw him into a lower rebirth. Also, it doesn't end the suffering, it just postpones it to another life." This is very similar to what is proscribed in other fait

The Return to Earth - Rebirth Not soon is God's delight in us completed, Nor with one life we end; Termlessly in us are our spirits seated And termless joy intend. 6. Sri Aurobindo: Letters on Yoga, p.437 Page-136 Our souls and heaven are of an equal stature And have a dateless birth; The unending seed, the infinite-mould of Nature, They were not made on earth, Nor to the earth do they bequeath their ashes, But in themselves they last. An endless future brims beneath thy lashes, Child of an endless past.7 If life after death is a mystery and a cont

Resuscitation and Artificial Life Support Resuscitation is about reviving those who have technically died. It is also sometimes about prolonging life in those who are living on the edge of life and death. Revival within a certain period of time before the cord of life is snapped is very much possible. Yogis in India have always known the art of returning from the land of the dead. What the ancient mystic knew how to do consciously through spiritual and occult means, the modern scientist does semi-consciously through material methods. However, a yogi may not wish to interfere with the processes of nature since he knows that in the strange a

Euthanasia Euthanasia is a paradox of sorts. The traditional role of the physician is to save life. But here he is expected to take away life. The justifying rationale is that a very important task of the physician is to relieve the patient of the burden of suffering and pain. Just as one of the means that nature uses to relieve our miseries of one life at least is to send us for a while into the sleep of death. So also when the doctor is aware that there is no further hope to live and that prolonging survival would only mean to prolong the patient's agony and pain, then it would be better to assist him in his departure or at least deny any active support that would be m

-041_Mediumistic Trance, Séances and Possession.htm Mediumistic Trance, Séances and Possession Mediumistic Trance, Séances and Possession: These are states wherein a human being comes under a temporary or lasting influence or possession of beings from the other worlds, usually the lower vital worlds. They are capable of real harm by using the human body and mind for their own vicious influences. Certain cases of hysteria, obsessively exaggerated love of a weak sentimental type, certain forms of epilepsies, insanities, suicide and drug abuse may well be linked to a strong influence or even a temporary possession from these darker worlds. The worst of this category is the rare incarnation o

-048_The Soul's Choice.htm The Soul's Choice The important thing to understand here is that it is not our outer personality that is reborn but our inmost soul. Our name and form in this life to which we are so attached is nothing more than an outer contrivance put up by the soul. The real person is within, the personality is a mere mask. The word persona in fact means just that - a mask. It is this inmost person that chooses the next formation of its personality and the environment it would like to be born in, the kind of parentage, the experience it needs etc. It is the soul that chooses our next fate and not some arbitrary force. And unlike our ignorant personality which 14. Sr

-032_Behind the Iron Curtain (Case reports - Encounters with Death).htm Behind the Iron Curtain — Encounters with Death (The following are personal case histories of patients of the author) Death has many faces. It sometimes comes as a reliever of human miseries, as if to give rest to someone who has walked hard and long on the rugged roads of life. To the adventurer, it comes as a sudden surprise, cutting the thread of life to break the monotony of experience and allow a variation of theme. To others it appears as a destroyer who smashes things that were beautiful and grand even as it brings down things that are mean and ugly. It can act as a great leveler who balances everything — the wi