Dr. Ch. Durga Prasada Rao
Centre for Consciousness Studies
Dayalbagh Educational Institute
Dayalbagh, AGRA-282005 INDIA.
dr.cdprao@gmail.com
The concept of death is a mysterious
aspect, daunting humanity from time immemorial. Even the mere mention
of this word 'death' makes one to tremble. It causes great anxiety, creates
unbearable fear in the minds of every one. Though man is aware of the
unavoidability of death, is still afraid of facing it for he thinks that
it is the end of every thing. But all this is due to the wrong understanding
of the concept. The fear, caused by wrong understanding of a particular
concept is removed when it is properly understood. Death, according to
general understanding, is the permanent cessation of all biological functions
that sustain a living organism. And if we define death in terms of consciousness,
the living organism can be said to have died when consciousness ceases
to exist. In the absence of consciousness, the body is simply a lump of
inert matter. So it is very essential to understand the nature of death
to overcome the fear of death.
The role played by the Upanishads in analyzing the nature of death is
unique and appealing, only some of the important aspects are however focused
which give solace to the departed soul as well as the relatives of the
departed soul. . The Upanishads, also known as Vedanta are the concluding
portions of the Vedas. They are the essence, the cream, the culmination
of the Vedic Philosophy . Being esoteric in nature they deal with the
principles of creation , nature of the ultimate reality relation between
individual soul and Supreme Soul, Dissolution of the world , goal of life
and so on. The word Upanishad is derived from the root 'shad' and the
two prefixes upa and ni which together mean the guru's proximity. It is
a curious fact that Upanishad which is derived from the root 'shad' meaning
gati, the movement , as it leads the listener to the highest goal which
is realization of Self. There is still another meaning for the same root
'shad' – destruction of the innate ignorance of man that causes fear of
birth , old age and death and leading him to enlightenment and the Upanishadic
salvation. Upanishads being the quintessence of Vedic knowledge and wisdom,
combined philosophy with experience and have been influencing human mind
for the last several centuries by paving the way for transcendence from
humanity to divinity.- According to them, death is not the complete cessation
of one's existence.
Our Sastras, by suggesting a philosophical
way out, warn us not to be afraid of death. Oh fool! Why are you afraid
of death? Do you think that Yama, the God of death will spare you even
if you are afraid? But it is certain that he will not catch hold of an
unborn . Therefore, try not to be born again in this world.
मृत्यो: बिभॆषि किं मूढ! भीतं मुंचति वै
यम: |
अजातं नैव गृह्णाति कुरु यत्नमजन्मनि ||
Here the word Ajanmani i.e., birthlessness constitutes three aspects:
1. The realization of the inevitable nature
of death
2. Proper understanding of the nature of death
3. Belief in the permanent existence of soul.
For the proper understanding of the nature
of death, both worldly and other worldly knowledge is essential. Hence,
it is said in the Mundakopanishad that there are two kinds of Vidya para
and apara . Para is Supra-mundane while Apara is mundane and both are
equally worthy of acquisition. The supreme function of Para Vidya is to
bring relief from the worldly entanglements and to lead to the realization
of Atman while Aparavidya enables one to acquire knowledge of the physical
world.
द्वे विद्ये वेदितव्ये इति ह स्म यद्वद्ब्रह्मविदो
वदन्ति परा चैवापरा च | तत्रापरा ऋग्वेदो यजुर्वेद: सामवेदोSधर्ववेद: शिक्षा
कल्पो व्याकरणं निरुक्तं छन्दो ज्योतिषमिति | अथ परा यया तदक्षरमधिगम्यते|
(५)
By this it is evident that the knowledge
of both is necessary to overcome the fear of death and to attain immortality.
The discussion about death, at length,
is found in the Katha Upanishad. Nachiketa, cursed by his father Vajasaneya
reached the abode of Yama. He was bestowed with three boons by Yama, and
Nachiketa asked Yama to explain the nature of death as the third boon.
He asks: When a man dies , there is this doubt; some say that this Atman
continues after death ; some say that it ceases to be . I would like to
know the truth taught by you. This is the third of my boons. Then, Yama
to divert his attention, told him that it was very difficult to understand
even by gods. Since the truth regarding death is subtle, Yama asked Nachiketa
to choose some other boon instead . But Nachiketa insisted on that knowledge
as it was very difficult to understand, and there was no better teacher
than him to expound it and nothing else was equal to that knowledge. Yama
again tried his best to divert the attention of the boy by granting a
number of worldly pleasures such as long life, wealth and worldly comforts,
but all his attempts were in vain. Ultimately, Nachiketa's inquisitiveness
and firm determination that ' No other boon this Nachiketa will ask made
Yama pleased at heart and he explained the secret of death.
The knowledge of the secret of death constitutes
three aspects.
I. WHAT IS BORN MUST DIE:
The general dictum Jatasya maranam dhruvam
explains that death is inevitable to a person who is born. An allegorical
expression about death depicts the same thing very interestingly.
There is a cage like body of which all the nine doors are open. There
is dwelling an air like bird. It is surprising how it is still surviving
and nothing to surprise if it goes off.
उद्घाटितनवद्वारे पंजरे विहगो sनिल:
यत्तिष्ठति तदाश्चर्यं प्रयाणे विस्मय: कुत: (Udbhatacharya's poem)
Nachiketa has already an idea about the transitory nature of life. He,
without any fear, responded to the curse of his father by requesting not
to repent over it and also added that like corn, a man ripens and falls
to the ground; like corn, he springs up again in his season.
अनुपश्य यथा पूर्वे प्रतिपश्य तथा Sपरे
सस्यमिव मर्त्य: पच्यते सस्यमिवाजायते पुन:( कठ उपनिषद्१/६)
The un - avoidability of death is stressed
in the Bhagavadgita also which is also considered to be the quintessence
of the Upanishads. Lord krishna speaks to Arjuna
He says: one that is born death is certain and certain is birth for the
one that has died . Therefore for what is unavoidable, thou shalt not
grieve.
जातस्य हि धृवो मृत्यु: धृवं जन्म मृतस्य
च
तस्मादपरिहार्यॆsर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि (II-27)
On some other occasion also Krishna consoles
Arjuna by explaining the nature of death. Arjuna! every thing in this
world is created for a purpose. The moment the purpose is served it is
not needed any more. It is even so with men. Each man is set on this strange
eventful jourey called life. He has been sent into this world with a purpose.
Once that purpose is served , the earth has no more need of him. It is
the case with all of us , even me . I have created myself on this earth
for a purpose. It is not yet over. Some thing still remains . The moment
it is finished , I will die too, and so will you and your dear brothers.
Do not grieve.
In Dhammapada it is said “ Not in the
sky nor in the depths of ocean nor having entered caverns of the mountains,
nay such a place is not to be found in the world where a man may dwell
without being overpowered by death. Many parables are also there in our
literature to explain this truth.
Mahabharata went to the extent of ridiculing
the peculiar mind set of the people who think that life is permanent even
though they witness the death of every living being in every moment. Yudhisthira,
being asked by Yaksha whether there is any amazing thing in the world
replies that every moment , some body somewhere is breathing his last
; yet the wonder of wonders is that who are alive for the moment feel
as though they are assured of their lives.
अहन्यहनि भूतानि गच्छन्ति यममन्दिर
मन्ये शाश्वतमिच्छन्ति किमाश्चर्यमत:परम्
So it is necessary to realize the certainty of death.
II. DEATH IS LIFE AND LIFE IS DEATH:
As rightly pointed out by the French Philosopher
Pierre Chandain “ we are not physical beings having spiritual experiences
but spiritual beings having physical experiences”. But man, being attached
to mundane objects, ignores one's own divine nature and confines himself
to the physical domain. It is our inbound duty to realize our true nature
to uplift the humanity
.
The idea of life in this world actually being a death is by no means new.
The Greek Philosopher and mystic, Heraclitus ( c.535-475 BCE) , clearly
fond of the word play
Suggested by the idea, wrote:
Our life is death and our death life.
(Heraclitus, in golden verses of Pythagoras, 52-53, HVPp 105)
He went to the extent of saying that life in this world, though it is
called life, is in fact spiritual death. The metaphorical expression of
him sounds this idea.
The name of the bow (bios) is life (bios), but its work is death.
(Heraclitus , Fragment,115,HPWp.91) A treasury of Mystic Terms, 6.2 p
160-161.
Upanishads state that death is the real
state of one's own existence and it is the natural state while life is
artificial. According to Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj , a yogi, Death is a
change in the living process of a particular body. Integration ends and
disintegration sets in. In the Mahabharata, when Arjuna was grieving over
the sad demise of his son Abhimanyu, Krishna sought to disabuse his mind
in the following way: Oh Arjuna ! This boy, whom you are claiming as your
son, came down into life from an unseen metaphysical realm. He has now
gone back to that realm. He does not belong to you, even as you don't
belong to him. What is the good of your wailing over a matter , over which
you have no control?.
अदृश्यात्स समुद्भूत: पुनश्चादृश्यतां गत:
नाsसौ तव न तस्य त्वं कुतो हि परिदॆवना?
Kalidasa also expressed the same view when Aja, the son of Raghu was wailing
over the death of his wife Indumati . It is said that we are in an unnatural
state while in life and death reinstates us to our natural state. So man
is expected to be satisfied with whatever span of life he lives and he
should not grieve over death, because it is his natural state.
मरणं प्रकृति: शरीरिणां विकृतिर्जीवितमुच्यते बुधै:
क्षणमप्यतिष्ठते श्वसन्यदि जन्तुर्ननु लाभवानसौ|
(रघुवंश:/ Canto VIII/87.).
Johann Gottlieb Fitchte ( 1762-1814), the German philosopher, who lived
several centuries after kalidasa was of the same view who opined “ what
we call life is perhaps death, and what we call death takes us back to
the realm from which we are shot down to this life.
DEATH IS FOR THE BODY NOT FOR SOUL
In the Katha Upanishad, Yama explains
Nachiketa, in a nutshell that the man who has the knowledge of Atman neither
takes birth nor dies. Because Atman has neither cause nor effect. It is
unborn, permanent and eternally remains the same; ancient; it is not killed
even if the body perishes.
न जायते म्रियते वा विपश्चि
न्नायं कुतश्चिन्न बभूव कश्चित् |
अजो नित्य: शाश्वतोSयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे||(२/१६)
SEEING PLURALITY IS ALSO DEATH:
According to the Upanishads, Consciousness which is one without a second,
is the primary and fundamental aspect of Reality. It is both emperical
and transcendental. The entire universe is cradled in consciousness which
arises where there is perfect order and harmony. It plays different roles
in different states of human life and beyond. The states such as waking,
dreaming, deep sleep are obvious and mundane and the fourth state, also
known as Turiya is extra-ordinary hence it is supra- mundane. The conscious
Self in waking state is called Vishva, a gross enjoyer of external objects;
in dream state, it is Taijasa, subtle enjoyer of internal objects. The
same consciousness in deep sleep, is prajna, is a mass of cognition unified,
consisting of bliss and enjoyment of bliss. The same consciousness, devoid
of these qualities, is said to be the fourth(transcendental) state, Turiya.
Unlike the other three, it is supra - normal, unseen, beyond empirical
determination, beyond the grasp of mind, unthinkable, indescribable consciousness
alone where all phenomena cease, unchanging, peaceful, non dual, action-less,
incomprehensible, un-inferable and in essence, it is the state of Pure
Consciousness.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says that Consciousness
also known as Atman is here ; the same is there ; that which is there
; the same is here { this world) he who perceives Atman as many suffers
death after death. Everything is only the manifestation of Atman . There
is nothing different from it. One who finds diversity is repeatedly subject
to birth and death.
By the mind I.e initiation alone it is to be perceived.
There is in fact no diversity .
He gets death after death ,
Who perceives here seeming diversity? Br.Up. 4/4/222)
katha Upanishad also expresses the same view by using verbatim twice.
मृत्यो: स: मृत्युमाप्नोति य इह नानेव पश्यति| (2/4/10-11)
On the close perusal of the Upanishads,
we can realize that the underlying principle of them is consciousness
which is immortal and the realization of which keeps one beyond death
and makes him the enjoyer of Supreme Bliss. Chandogya Upanishad also states
that the nature of Atman (soul) is Sat, Chit and Ananda; Ever-existent,
Consciousness and Bliss. All beings here are indeed, born from Bliss,
having been born, they remain in Bliss, and on departing, they enter into
Bliss
यतो वा इमानि भूतानि जायन्ते येन जातानि जीवन्ति य
त्प्रयन्त्यभिसंविशन्ति तद्विजिज्ञासस्व तद्ब्रह्मेति (तै.उ.३-४)
(yato va imani bhutani jayante
yena jatani jivanti yatprayantyabhisamvisanti
tadvijijnasasva tadbrahmeti)
Taittiriya Upanishad emphatically declares that the enlightened man who
realizes his own nature as Bliss is never afraid of any thing
आनन्दं ब्रह्मणो विद्वान्न बिभेति कुतश्चन
(Anandam brahmano vidvan na bibheti kutaschana) ( Taittiriya -2-9-1).
THREE BODIES AND FIVE SHEATHS
For the realization of one's own nature,
the knowledge of the metaphysical nature of human body is quite essential.
As analyzed in the Upanishads, the human frame consists of three bodies
and five sheaths. The bodies are 1. Gross 2. Subtle 3. Causal and sheaths
are Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vijnanamaya and Anandamaya.
For example the shell of a tamarind corresponds
to the Gross body. The pulp represents the subtle body. The seed corresponds
to causal body. To explain the same in a scientific way, ice represents
the gross body, water represents the subtle body and H 2 O represents
the causal body. (Practice of Vedanta by Sivananda Saraswati- p.47)
GROSS BODY
The gross body, also known as physical
body, is made up of five elements. They are Earth, Water, Fire, Air and
Space. It constitutes the Annamayakosa, the food sheath. It disintegrates
into its component parts only after death. This body is the resultant
product of our karmas. We experience the existence of this body in waking
state. When the karmas are consumed up on the dawn of the knowledge of
the Supreme Self, we no longer take up any new body.
SUBTLE BODY:
This is composed of seventeen elements
and represents three sheaths viz., the sheath of vital force Pranamayakosa,
mind Manomayakosa, and intellect Vijnanamayakosa. The elements constitute
five sensory organs such as skin, eye, ear , tongue and nose and five
motor organs such as mouth, hand, leg, anus and genital organ and five
vital forces viz., Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana and Samana and mind and
intellect. This body is very subtle and more expansive and extensive than
physical body. This subtle body, inside the physical body is compared
to be a bladder in a foot ball. (Practice of Vedanta, by Sivananda saraswati-
p 48.)
It is the seat of desires and emotions. It is this body that goes to the
heaven and hell and comes back after experiencing the fruits of its actions.
Death means the separation of this subtle body from the physical body.
It is the subtle body that operates in dream state. This body has the
capacity to expand and contract. It contracts in small creatures, and
expands in big animals. This subtle body will get dissolved only after
Videhamukthi. Physical body cannot do any thing without the help of this
subtle body.
CAUSAL BODY
The causal body is the cause for the two
other bodies. It is formed of the ultra-fine mental energies of causal
matter and contains the impressions in a seed form. This body accommodates
Anandamayakosa and functions in deep sleep. Atman is distinct from these
three bodies. So It is not physical body not subtle body not even causal
body. It is beyond these three. It is Pure Being, Pure Consciousness and
Pure Bliss. But it is misunderstood as the individual self or false self
due to the identification of the body and senses which have no independent
existence.
Atman, being different from all these and beyond, has nothing to do with
them. It never dies when the body dies.
Since the happiness we get in this world
is inferior to that of eternal happiness, Death is said to be a door way
to eternal happiness (bliss). Aeschylus, a Greek poet and dramatist (
525-456B.C) also expressed the same opinion by saying 'call no man happy
till he is dead'.
When man dies it means that soul leaves the body but not otherwise, because,
it is not soul that needs the body, it is the body that needs soul. Here
Swami Vivekananda distinguishes the Indian view from that of West by saying
that Hindus believe that a man is a soul and has a body, while Western
people believe he is a body and possesses a soul.( the complete works
of swami Vivekananda, Vol:VIII, page236.) So, death is the real state
of our eternal existence.
This identification is really a mistaken
knowledge and this mistaken knowledge is not the outcome of an indescribable
matter. This misidentification of the Atman with the body-mind complex
is in the experience of every one. This false identification has no beginning
or end, but this can be eliminated by the right knowledge of the real
self/Atman. Mistaking one thing for the other is the result of not knowing
the real nature of that particular thing. Knowing the Atman as the body-mind
complex and the body-mind complex as the Atman is a mistaken/false knowledge.
We have conceived difference between ourselves and the Supreme Reality
owing to this mistaken knowledge only. If this mistaken knowledge is subjugated
as such by the right kind of inquiry it is stultified by the true knowledge
which results in self-realization. Then the Atman, which is the core of
one's being reveals Himself as Pure Being, Pure Consciousness and Pure
Bliss. The stultification of the mistaken knowledge and the birth of the
new knowledge of one's True Being, the all-pervading Atman, are two events
that happen simultaneously on approaching and receiving the instructions
from a Guru who is both a Jnani (man of wisdom) and a Tattvadarshi (Seer
of the truth). (B. G. IV. 34)
THE PROCESS OF DEATH:
Even though there is no difference of opinion about the death as disintegration
of body and soul the process differs from individual to individual. Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad explains the process of death in the following way. When the
self becomes weak and senseless, as it were the organs come to it .. it
comes to the heart ( Br.Up- 4/4/1); again the top of the heart brightens.
Through that brightened top the self departs, through the eye or through
the head or through any other part of the body ( Ibid 4-4-2). By this,
it is evident that at the time of departure the soul together with the
organs comes to the heart. At that moment the departing soul, on account
of its past karmas, has a peculiar consciousness picturing to it its next
life, and goes to the body which is revealed by that consciousness. It
further explains the plan of consciousness to its next life, the way of
departure from the body, the nerves which consciousness passes through.
Various conditions of the soul at death, the condition of soul of unreleased
and soul of released after death.
DEATH IS NOT THE END OF EVERY THING:
Then the self is endowed with particular consciousness and afterwards
passes on to the body that brought to light by that consciousness. This
consciousness is determined by one's past karmas. So, every one is expected
to be careful of his actions. One should do good deeds and avoid the bad
ones. It is not a sin, if he cannot do any good to others but doing bad
to others is severely condemned. Gita, the quintessence of all the Upanishads,
assured us that good karma will never go waste and unnoticed. It will
lead for the betterment of the individual in the next birth. The saying
goes like this:
नहि कळ्याणकृत्कश्चिद्दुर्गतिं तात गच्छति (६/४०)
शुचीनां श्रीमतां गेहे योगभ्रष्टो Sभिजायते| (६/४१)
The span in between death and another birth is also discussed in the Brihadaranyaka.
It states that just as a leech dwelling in grass, catches another support
and withdraws itself , so does this Self set aside the present body -make
it sense less, take up a new body and withdraw itself.
तद्यथा तृणजलायुका तृणस्यान्तं गत्वा न्यमाक्रममाक्रम्यात्मानमुपसंहरति,एवमेवायमात्मेदं
शरीरं निहत्य, अविद्यां गमयित्वा, अन्यमाक्रममाक्रम्यात्मानमुपसंहरति| (४/४/३)
BY LOSING BODY ONE LOSES NOTHING:
Man looses nothing in death. As soul passes in this body through childhood,
youth and age, even so is its taking on of another body. The sage is not
perplexed by this.
देहिनोsस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा
तथा देहान्तरप्राप्ति:धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति.१/१३
The statement of Jalaluddin Rumi, a famous Sufi saint is also worth mentioning
here in this context.
I died as mineral and became a plant.
I died as plant and rose to animal
I died as animal and I was man
Why should I fear when I was not less by dying?
Yet once more I shall die as man
To soar with angels blest
But even from angelhood I must pass on - Masnavi .
It is quite evident that the study of the Upanishads dispels the fear
of death. The Schopenhauer's statement that ' the study of the Upanishads
has been the solace of my life, it will be the solace of my death' is
the real truth.
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