Swami B.A.

Paramadvaiti

each second could be the last

Prepare your consciousness for the moment of death

Readers interested in the subject matter are invited to correspond with the author: pswami@vrindavan.org

Copyright is a word in a fools dictionary. Kindly cite the source. 2011

introduction
Every second in life is of equal importance, because it might be the last one. The final moment is precious, carrying a potential for union with the source of our being. Consciousness is a gift that we are meant to develop. When this treasure is preoccupied with the affairs of the material body, its necessarily confused. The fragile body is a constant cause for anxiety, but at the same time the field of our learning experience. Death is a threat to our temporary existence. Being constantly threatened we ought to focus on our consciousness in its liberated state, free of the confinement in the cage of flesh and bones. Its essential to distinguish between the body, the mind, the intellect, the false ego and the real ego.

the birth of a child

A unique being manifesting in a tiny body. This being has a long, long past and is predestined to take birth with a certain character, into a certain situation and family according to her package of desires and impressions from previous deeds. She has new targets to achieve following advancements in previous lifetimes. Its a unique and very startling experience to see a child grow. Unfortunately, children are told to play, learn, work, care, retire, spend a few more years lamenting for the enjoyment they missed out on while being young and then die. In Vedic terms, this shortsighted circuit is not the fulfillment of human potential. The Vedas rather instruct that from childhood we should be taught to love, endeavor for self realization and inquire about the meaning of life. Our life depends on love and our growth of awareness depend on the love we give, the sincere learning were dedicating ourselves to for improving the quality of our service. The path towards the highest goal, dedication to the true beauty of

the self, will inevitably include many trials. As in any school or working place, those who make a sincere effort are most likely going to succeed while those who turn to laziness, trickery and superficiality dont really get anywhere. This applies to all aspects of life, but especially to the fulfillment of its supreme potential. By starting early on you will have an easier job at old age. If you for some reason have been negligent in the initial parts of your life or even spoiled your health by unfavorable activities such as intoxication and meat eating, you need special grace, mercy and prayer. Then you may regardless of those mistakes be given the chance to go through a spiritual evolution at the time of death, either to be born into better circumstances or even go directly to the divine realm, if thats what the lord of love have destined. In school we depend on the teacher, but we have to do the study. To get married you depend on a partner. To be a parent you depend on the children. In eating we depend on the food supplier and the cook, but we have to do the eating and digesting. Not even the digesting, thats taken care of by the system you have been given. You are dependent in all circumstances of life. Why hesitate to accept that for enlightenment you depend on help from the enlightened to get the enlightened vision of the enlightening lord in your heart? The enlightened beings may be closer to you than you imagine. Learn with humility, because arrogance and pride comes before the fall. At the time of death there is just nobody to challenge anymore. Therefore it suits you the best to learn how to cry for mercy. Having a material body is a learning experience. You could call this world a living university where we are supposed to graduate to become masters of our senses and finally doctorates in devotion leaving the lower dimensions behind. Ones innermost essence is a part and parcel of the original dimension of the Lord of love who is the supreme Lord of all souls. Those who have no notion of his existence can at least focus on the mystery behind all transactions, interactions and manifestations of individual cravings present in all of us.

ahamkara
We must be very cautious about the false ego (ahamkara). Its our wrong notion that we can be the enjoyers, the controllers or the proprietors of anything in the gross or subtle worlds. Even though we cannot even control our mind we think that we are the controller. And even though our body is to die at any second we think that we are this body and that this body is our property. The false ego confuses us in thousands of ways. Its very tricky and the greatest trick of the false ego is to try to convince yourself that you are God or some holy being which deserves to be worshipped by others. This mentality is the actual cause of our falldown. And the solution is to develop a spontaneous attraction and enthusiasm to serve in our real identity the cause of love, the cause of our own existence. The false ego gets the mad assumption that it is an independent unit which somehow or other came into existence by itself. God is the only one who exist by himself and for himself. Humans covered by their pride and selfishness do not pay attention to studies of the soul and God but simply try to know more about atoms and molecules instead. The phenomena of reincarnation is the phenomena of responsibility and whoever ignores responsibility has a tendency to be rebellious towards natural laws (karmic rules) and the controller of his future destiny. Apathy towards divine dedication almost automatically brings about a tendency of exploitation which further leads to degradation. Death is the lesson to finish with all our silly plans and confusions. Death purifies us by putting a stop to all of our silly dreams and brings us to realize that we do not know what is happening right now and we do not know what is coming after. Save and except Savitri no one has been able to tackle a deal with death. But even Savitris enormous achievement was only a temporary gain. Because finally both Satyavan and Savitri herself had to meet with death. Meeting death is a form of meeting God. So in that sense we can even be excited about meeting death. But this is not applicable to those who commit suicide, because the destiny (karmic cycle) for their particular body has not ended yet. And by putting an end to their physical body they will have to suffer the reactions for that which includes a ghostly existence for some time and losing the human form of life as well. The human form of life is

an extremely wonderful gift which was achieved after countless births. There are 8 400 000 species which one may be requested to experience and there may be repetitive births in the same species as well. To actually reach the human form of life you had to undergo a race where approximately 8 billion sperm cells each ran at the top of their lung to make the race of reaching first towards the ovule and secure a human birth. So youre a hero if you have a human body because you won that race. The other 8 billion participants had to die and wait for their next chance to participate in such a race. You better be cautious with the human form of life. Dont joke unnecessarily and play with this body as if it was nothing but a useful tool for entertainment. Be serious about all the things that you have to do and all of the things you are thinking and speaking, because your development will be judged according to it. Tell me with whom you associate and I will tell you who you are, or who you will be. Therefore when associating with spiritual people, choose those who are thoroughly honest and dedicated to the highest ideal. Only they can really help you and give you the example you need for your own path.

reincarnation
Reincarnation means that at the moment of death so many desires are stored up within our sub-consciousness that we will thrive for obtaining another body to satisfy them. Once the physical body dies, the subtle body envelops the eternal soul which maintains the subtle body and according to our karma we are directed towards different destinations. If our karma of the previous body is not finished yet we are obliged to linger about in the subtle body and receive the denomination ghost. The ghost still has physical desires, but it has no physical body to satisfy those cravings. Thus the ghost tries to contact those in physical bodies to try to enjoy through their senses, if they are willing to act as mediums, or by forcefully invading them when they are in some mental

weakness. Such ghostly existence is miserable, even though they have certain powers and due to their ability to read others peoples mind can make a show of great wisdom. Sometimes ghosts accomplish to be worshipped as great spiritual beings by humans. But those humans who pay attention to the ghosts are prone to become ghosts themselves at any given instance*. The karma of the ghost is temporary like anything in this world. Eventually by the grace of the lord the soul will be liberated from the ghostly existence and allowed to return into physical bodies which may be worms, plants or whatever the Lord decides.

in the end
According to Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic scriptures there is a destiny for the soul in the dominion of divine love personified, also called Goloka or Vaikuntha. That realm of the soul is naturally beautiful, truthful and powerful. When a particle of that power incarnates in the material world it can manifest as anything, from a mosquito to a whale body. It can produce a genius intellectual; it can produce a gifted musician. It can also produce a love hungry soul in a pretty loveless world. This intrinsic nature of love hunger is obviously a part of the soul whether in its shackled or liberated state. The transition of death is another door to pass through. When you pass the door to go out from a house the air outside is completely different and then you enter another house. In this way we are going into different environments. We should not be too concerned about the doors. We should be concerned with the cause for our movement. If your plan is to serve God, all doors to come are very good. If your purpose is to serve your own egotistic whims, all doors to come are pretty bad. Therefore the door of death is the gateway towards anything you can imagine, but it depends on your consciousness and your action to where this door will lead you. Its not an independent force that will lead you to something undeserved or undesired. But if you pray enough from the depth of your heart it may be the doorway towards causeless grace.

Whether skeptics, believers, christians or muslims we will all have to die and focus on the real meaning of our lives when it comes to an end. What was it all about? We can submissively conclude that the next destination will depend on powers beyond us. The next destination will be in your favor if you took the right approach and it will be negative if you simply wasted all the opportunities to develop spiritually and simply cared for the mundane shell consisting of your flesh, bones and senses. When the soul achieves the dimension of its true pure existence, the subtle body transforms into a spiritual body, spiritual mind, spiritual intelligence and the false ego dissolves into the real ego. So there are no traumatic experiences. Its a transformation that may take place as soon as you engage mind, intelligence and body in the purpose of the human form of life, in the purpose of having received a material body. When the soul is liberated from the material conditioning an incredible loving craving will go directly towards God and towards all. This swelling loving potential in the heart will further increase to the only possible satisfaction which is the meeting of the loving fulfillment which can only be supplied by the divine blessings that brought this whole situation into existence to begin with. If someone is unable to focus at the moment of death, for having fallen into coma or likewise, you can help that person to get a safe passage towards divine life by praying into the ear for the soul to hear: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Oh my Lord, please let me be an instrument of your love. In such a way we surely fulfill the highest duty towards any parting soul. There are a few other recommendations, like offering a leaf from the sacred Tulasi plant to Krishnas lotus feet and then place it in the mouth of the parting person. Some drops of Ganges water also do wonders here. The narrations of Lord Krishnas childhood pastimes in Goloka Vrindavan is certainly the greatest of all fortunate katha for the ear to hear, either when entering or leaving this world.

reflection
Whoever is born is meant to die, and whoever dies is meant to be born again*. Thus Im on a journey which will only end when the Lord of love, the Lord of death, Lord of all will help me to repent and to deliver myself wholeheartedly to his divine plan without any vanity. He can then use me for his satisfaction to bless anybody hell put into my connection. My sub-consciousness is the sub-product of all deeds and thoughts Ive done and thought in this life or in previous ones. (oida veda, prarabda karma, aprarabda karma) The same goes for reactions to previous deeds. They all gave me so many pains and pleasures. I came here repeatedly because I did not want to accept that there is a Lord of mine in eternity. The concept Lord and his eternality can only be focused upon in devotion. Any process of rational or suspicious thinking disqualifies us at once to focus upon him in an attractive way. Death is my chance to become more serious, to agree to accept my karmic destiny while simultaneously presenting a claim for divine amnesty.

prayer
Death personified, I revere you. You put us into place. You show that we depend upon grace. You remind us of our weakness and invite us to the unlimited dimensions of our loving souls home. Death personified, I worship thee. You represent the supreme authority. Standing in front of you with folded hands I recognize that you can only be my friend in the land of eternity. This material body which is soon to rot or be burned to ashes was provided to me for the sake of learning about love and divine service. Now as it is being withdrawn from me let me depart from it in its maximum utility of its intrinsic purpose. For that I simply pray, Oh Lord, show me the way. Inspire the attitude within me that will cast away the shadows of darkness which my false ego worshipped

all the way. I am helpless but still I recognize that you gave me that consciousness to awaken within me that love which you are so anxious to give me. Im a foolish rebel and sense gratifier. But Ive been burnt by the selfish fire. Whatever time is left to stay within this frame soon to decay shall be yours my Lord, and your divine play. Make me an instrument of your love, is all I can say. This body is a treasure. But I have misused it simply for mundane pleasure. Instead of serving the purpose of life and praying and studying I considered myself arrogantly to be the master of others. Quite naturally Ill have to pay for all the mistakes Ive committed. Unless you want to forgive me and make me useful for your plan somewhere sometime, any time. Im ready for that, its all I wish. Other desires are simply challenging me to move away from the real position in which I wish to stay. Oh my Lord, whatever is your wish for this fallen soul I will accept, but if you make me a servant of your servant and allow me to be born again in the house of such a lover of the truth, I will feel the most fortunate.

conclusion
Since all of us are going to die at any given moment I simply, humbly request you, friends of my soul, to learn the art of dying. Leave this worldly existence gloriously, focused on the sweet destination of divine love where we all may meet again, never to part. Isnt that a sweet idea? The graciousness of the Lord of love is such that he will not forsake the sweet desires of those who love him. May you all be blessed by divine love, divine strength and divine knowledge, so that nothing can drag you away from the path. The safest measure for spiritual upliftment at the moment of death is the chanting of the divine names of God*. With the appropriate attitude of wanting to serve eternally it will be further enhanced to guarantee your spiritual perfection. Whoever is approaching death may contemplate these recommendations seriously. Thanks for reading. Get your show together. Be attached to the truth and become detached from worldly achievements, hopefully

before the world renounces you. For that purpose the association with people who are detached is very essential. (Especially those who have made it their goal of life to benefit others by hearing the recitations of the divine messages delivered to the world by Srila Vyasadeva and his representatives.) Go all the way back to your spiritual home(, back to Godhead). If we do not make it in this lifetime then by prayer and service we may become candidates very soon in one of our next lifetimes. Because whoever is approaching the divine shelter even in a faulty manner will surely be rewarded with as many chances as he needs to surrender to the sweet will of the infinite lord of love.

about the author

Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj is an intitiated disciple of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977), belonging to the Gaudiya Vaishnava school established by Srila Rupa Goswami (14891564), connected to the ancient Brahma Madhva tradition. Exhibiting the up-to-date relevance of the wisdom he imbibed from his master, he engages himself and his disciples in welfare projects for vegetarianism, environmental awareness and spiritual development.

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Every second in life is of equal importance, because it might be the last one. The final moment is precious, carrying a potential for union with the source of our being. Consciousness is a gift that we are meant to develop. -Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti