Heaven and Hell

Abha Bhandari and ma at Dalhousie

Ma with Abha at Dalhousie

Heaven is known to be the coveted abode of the Devtas or Gods… a haven of happiness, contentment, and all that is pleasurable, while hell is thought of as the abode of unhappiness, discontentment, pain and despondency. Where is heaven?… where is hell…? Is heaven the penultimate aim of the human soul… or should one strive for what lies beyond?…

While I read the newspaper this morning, I came across an interesting observation by PP Wangchuk, a regular contributor to the Hindustan Times. He wrote, “Stephen Hawking, physicist and cosmologist, recently ridiculed the idea (belief) of the existence of what we call heaven, and wrote it was a figment of imagination. It may or may not shatter the belief of most of us that we can rest in heaven peacefully after our journey on this planet comes to an end. Taking the same yardstick, one can happily claim that there can be no place called ‘hell’ as well. Because heaven and hell are like the two sides of the same coin and that one can’t exist without the other!

True, nobody can prove the existence or non-existence of heaven and hell, just as one cannot prove the existence or non-existence of God. It is just a belief; and beliefs are neither correct nor wrong. It is all a matter of faith and conviction for believers and a matter of ‘reasoning’ for non-believers.”

Param Pujya Ma has often explained that heaven and hell are of this very world that we live in, and not in some different geographical sphere. We are as responsible for creating our heaven, as we are of creating hell here and now. Our actions are the causal root of both heaven and hell. It is the desire that underlies action which creates latencies or seeds, the fructification of which defines our future abidance in a heaven like abode, or in a hellish environment. Man has the propensity to turn even a heavenly situation into hell. It is the response of the mind that creates a hellish atmosphere not only for oneself but also one’s fellow beings…

What upsets a person is not the external circumstance or what has happened. What upsets him is his negative response to what has happened. The biggest problems are often caused by what one chooses to do about the smallest problems. One’s response makes those same problems big and painful. A chain of negative reactions makes life hellish.

Explaining the phenomenon of heaven in her elucidation of Chapter 9, Shlokas 20 and 21 of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Param Pujya Ma explains…

Even the most meritorious action performed with the motive of desire fulfilment can, at the most, lead to the attainment of heaven. Many people in this world, on account of the meritorious deeds performed in their previous births:

perform notable deeds in this life also and attain a great name;
give extensively in charity and are renowned as magnanimous souls;
attain the opportunity to dwell with saintly souls and eulogise them, yet do not want to become like them;
honour spiritual institutions;
possess peace of mind;
achieve fame in the world;
possess all happiness in their homes and are the recipients of great respect;
gain success in their business;
are surrounded by favourable circumstances;
have no dearth of wealth and economic means;
dwell in ‘heavenly bliss’ with its accompanying comforts.

However, even if such people desire establishment in the Supreme Truth, they do not wish to strive for it. They do not wish to humble themselves and have no notion of what it means to ‘give of oneself to another.’ Nor do they know how to give up their ego to elevate the other.

They are attached to their goodness.
They are proud of their ancestry.
They do not wish to humble themselves for the other’s establishment.

Such people are full of pride, which they successfully conceal under an artificial display of humility. They constantly negate the Lord in their daily dealings in life. Even if the Lord Himself appears before them they will not recognize Him… so intoxicated are they with their own superiority. They want to purchase the Self with wealth. They take great pride in their magnanimity.

Those who enjoy such ‘heavenly pleasures’ are unfortunate indeed !

They are wealthy and happy.
Others are dependent on them and they consider themselves to be great since they seemingly provide sanctuary to the distressed.
They could even possess remarkable knowledge.
They worship the Lord in their own manner.
Such wealthy folk, who are renowned in the world and who give great charity, are unfortunate, insofar as their pride grows unhindered and nobody has the audacity to prove them wrong. Even if anybody gathers the courage to tell them where they are wrong, they discard such ‘upstarts’. Who can warn such unfortunate souls that the pleasures they are enjoying will end one day?
Who can show those unfortunate souls their arrogance and make them humble?
Who can ever cast any aspersions on them?
Who can tell them that their pride is sheer foolishness? Even if a Yogi warns those unfortunate souls, who are absorbed in enjoying their ‘heavenly pleasures’, they will not understand because their self-esteem will prevent them from doing so.”

An example of this has been extensively described in the Ken Upanishad. The story of the Devtas, revelling in their ‘godly’ status and their ‘heavenly abode’ swargloka, were so utterly engrossed in the pride of their victory over the Asuras or demonic beings, that they failed to recognise the Supreme compassionate Godhead Itself when It manifested Itself before them! Their pride proved to be their greatest hindrance. The Lord therefore says, that such ‘meritorious souls’, having partaken of the pleasures of heaven, and having exhausted the merits of previous births, fall back into the cycle of birth and death.

They who enjoy those heavenly pleasures often perform many deeds of great merit; however:

They do not perform such deeds with a selfless attitude.
They perform such actions, steeped in the pride of doership.
Knowing themselves to be superior and knowing the other to be needy and disabled, they perform noble deeds to alleviate their need.

Param Pujya Ma clarifies further,

If they perform those same acts of nobility in the Lord’s name, they could attain the Supreme Goal.
If they perform those same selfless deeds without motive, their deeds would contain the purity of a yagya karma.
If they offer up those same actions to ‘Narayan’ or the Supreme Lord, regarding themselves as the needy ones, those very deeds would constitute worship of the Lord.
If they perform those same actions, having relinquished the thought of doership, they would steadily transcend the body idea.
If they perform those same deeds of merit, knowing that the Lord Himself is the Doer, they would surely attain the state of an Atmavaan one day.

What a simple method the Lord has shown!

The Bhagavad Gita mentions two paths which a soul may follow after leaving the body, depending upon the status of the soul upon the time of death and the nature of deeds performed. They are the path of Light, ‘Shreya path’ and the path of night, or the ‘Preya path’. The Shreya path is thronged by devas, or northward bound souls who seek union with the Truth, and the Preya path is dominated by those who go ‘southward’ oblivious to the reality of life and its purpose.. The Gita also mentions that those who indulge in heinous deeds and accumulate negative karma, do not qualify to follow either of these two paths, but descend into fiendish hells where they suffer for a long time till they are cleansed and purified.

It is said that beings who go to these debased realms, return once again to the ‘earthly’ planes only when the demerits of their previous karma are exhausted.”

The Gita therefore suggests that human beings should look for a permanent solution by aiming for union with the Divine. This can be done through control of the senses, devotion to the Godhead and by performing deeds as an offering to God. Complete liberation is possible only when one transcends desire and attachment, and attains union with the Self … one’s essential and eternal Reality.

In Shloka 65 of the 18th Chapter of the Srimadbhagavadgita, the Lord invites us… “Repose your mind in Me and be My devotee; offer your yagya unto Me and bow to Me alone; thus shall you attain Me, this I promise you, for you are dear to Me.”

This shloka contains the Lord’s assurance to man “Indeed, you can attain Me!”

You can become the divine and pure Atma Itself.
You can become the Eternal Embodiment of Truth, Consciousness and Bliss.
You can become the divine manifestation of the essence of That Brahm.
You can become the living proof of That Eternal Truth – your life will be its manifestation in practice.
You can indeed become the Supreme Purusha – the noblest of all men.

Then, you will be:

… ever detached;

… ever devoid of aberrations;

… liberated from duality;

… devoid of meum;

… indifferent to self and satiated;

… pure and without blemish;

… devoid of egoity;

… one of unsoiled and untouched purity, because you will no longer be attached to your own body-self.

Such a one is untouched by all that happens thereafter.

He is indifferent to the attributes.
He is indifferent towards participation in action and towards inaction.
He is silent towards acclaim and abuse.
He is ever tranquil.

Such a one becomes a veritable sthit pragya or one whose intellect is steadfast in equanimity.

What will be the life of such a one? He will verily be an image of the Lord Himself.

He will be beneficial for all.
He will do whatever is in the interest of whosoever comes to him.
Whosoever seeks his company, will gain a benefactor.
He will no longer be identified with himself but with the work of the other.
His life will be an epitome of selfless deeds.
He will be Love embodied.
He will be an embodiment of selfless worship.
His life will be the quintessence of selfless knowledge.
His life will be a garland of dutiful deeds.

Thus the Lord says, “Affix your mind in Me.” Then one’s spiritual practice or sadhana will become simple indeed.

Then the Lord will be the master of this body. When the mind abides in the Lord, the flow of one’s spiritual practice will become spontaneous.

Knowledge of Truth – the offspring of devotion

When attachment to the gross is vanquished, faith in the Supreme rises spontaneously. Devotion is born as a consequence of a strong attachment to the Supreme. The knowledge that emerges thereafter becomes a pristine flow like that of the Ganga which renders even the ego unsullied and pure. That is, it eradicates the ‘I’ thought from the ego.

The Lord now enjoins “Offer your yagya unto Me alone.”

If one does, then:

Each act will be performed for the Lord.
One’s every deed will be like the Lord’s own deed.
One’s every deed will be subservient to the Lord.
One’s every deed will be performed with the Lord as a witness.
One’s every deed will be surrendered to the Lord. The individual then engages only in those deeds which the Lord would have performed, had He been in the same situation.
One’s entire life will be a supreme yagya – a sacrificial offering to the Lord.
Each act will be an oblation in the fire of that yagya.
One’s every glance will be full of love – as though that love, too, was an offering in the sacrificial flame of yagya.
Each word that leaves one’s lips will be a flow of knowledge in the yagya of life.

Selfless deeds constitute the fragrant oblations offered into that yagya. Love, mercy, compassion and other divine attributes comprise the clarified butter that serves as the catalyst in the flame of yagya. The egoless body-self which belongs to the Supreme is the one that performs the yagya. Detachment constitutes the flame of this yagya which is ignited in the cauldron of the world, and the supreme oblation offered therein is one’s all. Only then does devotion reach its culmination. And only then can one proceed to follow the Lord’s next injunction ‘Maam Namaskuru’

What is naman or obeisance?

In true naman, the ego is subjugated.
Then one’s head is perpetually bowed before the Supreme Essence.
Then one is never deterred from the acquisition of the attributes of the Supreme.
Then one is not afraid of whatever consequences such attributes may bring in their wake – one remains unaffected.

The relationship of such a one with the body-self is totally severed.

‘To bow one’s head’ means:

a) From this moment onwards, this body belongs completely to the Lord.
b) From this moment onwards, this head belongs completely to my Lord.
c) From this moment onwards, this mind is my Lord’s mind.

When every limb belongs to That Divine Lord, one’s obeisance is truly complete.

Then one is rid of the body idea.
Then one is devoid of the intellect which is subjugated to the body-self.
Then one is immersed in the Supreme.
Then one is identified with all.
Then such a one is everything, yet, nothing at all.

– Such a one has, so to say, offered his very life breath – his praanas to the Lord.

– He has established the Lord in the place of the ‘I’.

– Each bodily limb, which previously belonged to the ‘I’, now belongs to the Lord.

– Every action of the sense faculties, which was previously owned by the ‘I’, is now offered to the Supreme.

– Every thought of the mind that was first ascribed to the ‘I’ is now the Lord’s.

– All thought processes now belong to Him.

– No longer is one restricted by the narrow confines of the ‘I’ when the Lord’s perspective rules such a one.

– Individuality ceases and universality reigns supreme.

Without even uttering the Name of the Lord,

This body is given unto Him;

Nothing remains which the ‘I’ can claim,

’Tis Ram’s – all belongs to Him.

This is the manifestation of ‘namah’, this is the form of ‘namah’.

What a beautiful and simple method the Lord has demonstrated! Then no matter where this body roams, no matter what it does, it will belong to the Lord. No matter what one’s situation is, the body will belong to the Lord…and transcending all aberrations of hell and all the ‘so called’ attractions of heaven, the practicant will be immersed in the Supreme, intransient, and everlasting state of Truth, Consciousness and Bliss.

Heaven and Hell

MEDIA

Products

Activities

Contact