Commentary: The Soul’s Final Flight

Soulful journey – representational image. PHOTO: Courtesy Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji

Death is something that we all fear and yet can’t escape it. There is no one in the world who wants to die but still death is the common destination that we all share. Because of the uncertainty surrounding it, the subject of death evokes fear, avoidance, superstition in people’s minds. However in complete contrast to these feelings of fear , the ancient Yogi’s & Saints were totally above it. As a result of this, there has been a deep curiosity among scientists to know more about the dying process ,especially the one experienced by Yogi’s because to understand the dying process, we must first understand who is undergoing the experience. It is said that before death, Yogi’s get to know that their time has come. Such an awareness gives one the opportunity to finish off all remaining attachments so that nothing can pull the mind back to the world at this delicate moment when the soul comes out of the body. Stabilized in soul-consciousness and in the loveful remembrance of Almighty Supreme, the Yogi feels numbness starting at the toes & then soul rises toward the forehead. There is the feeling of burning up the final remaining karmic accounts & the soul which is completely detached, experiences neither physical pain nor emotional confusion and just flies out from the forehead to the angelic regions. This refined and elevated way of departing is not a matter of chance, but the result of years, sometimes lifetimes of spiritual effort. The Yogis prepare themselves mentally, emotionally, and energetically to embrace death as a natural transition, not a traumatic end. For such souls, death becomes not a doorway of darkness but an entry into light. Just as a skilled musician plays the final note of a symphony with awareness and grace, a Yogi concludes his role in this worldly drama with precision, peace, and poise.

But! What about those who have no access to such preparation or who are not so elevated or spiritually aware? such a person would have a different experience altogether. The moment he/she realizes that time is up, a collage of images consisting of relatives, friends, unfinished business, unfulfilled desires, a vision of the entire life of actions, good and bad comes before his/her mind’s eye. There is often a feeling of confusion or regret, and in such an unstable state the soul comes out from the body. Hence, the more one understands the process from a spiritual perspective, the easier it is to prepare oneself.

Majority of us think that death is feared because it is unknown. However, we forget the fact that all souls have been leaving and taking bodies uncountable times, and hence the experience of leaving the body is well known in our subconscious mind. The process of dying becomes painful when we start thinking of the body as the self & start getting obsessed & attached to it thereby making it intolerable for the soul to leave it peacefully. Because of deep emotional involvement and attachment combined with the realization that “I will never see her/him again”, the karmic connection increases the sense of loss and the desire to have that person back. This is why spiritual detachment, practiced during life, becomes a priceless asset at the time of death. The more we live as souls, detached observers of this world drama, the more gracefully we can exit the stage when the time comes. Otherwise, unresolved emotions act like invisible chains, pulling the soul back into sorrow or confusion even after it has left the body.

On the other hand, when a ‘Yogi’ loses a relative or a close friend, there is no sorrow, because of understanding exactly as to what has happened. Hence, instead of crying, he will meditate & give vibrations of peace to the departed soul to help him on his way to the next body quickly and painlessly. Remember! A natural death after a good life comes with the thought that now my part here is finished with this body and these bodily relations & hence now, I should go. According to ancient scriptures & religious books, death at the end of a karma cycle is the only death followed by liberation. Therefore, it is necessary to first of all renounce all forms of negative actions which create karmic bondage, and lead a pure life; so, all vices like anger, greed, lust, arrogance, fear and attachment, are defeated.