Namaskar Oct 2012

Dristi Death
What to Do at the Time of f Death
ath?
Clayton Horton
Yoga teaches us to be present, non-attached, awake, clear,
conscious, aware of the results of our actions and aware of the
eternal Self within. A lifetime of yoga practice prepares us for the
moment we leave our physical body. Many spiritual traditions and
sacred texts say the content of our consciousness at the time of
death determines our fate in the afterlife.
What happens when we die? Do we have a choice to be born again
or can we be liberated from the cycle of birth and death? We can
look to many Eastern traditions for instructions, teachings and
advice on what to do at this auspicious time.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead encourages a fearless, clear and calm
mind as one travels through the trials and tribulations of the
afterlife. Instruction is given for skillful navigation through
different lokas (celestial landscapes) and encounters with demonic
and divine beings in the afterlife. Positive attributes learned and
gained through spiritual practice could be forgotten in this
transition if one is distracted by earthly attachments, has fear of the
unknown or is numbed by pharmaceutical medication.
The Vipassana meditation tradition of S. N. Goenka teaches the
practitioner to reduce and thin their personal attachments and
aversions (samskaras) by letting go of and not reacting to the
content the mind that arises during the waking state of
consciousness. Goenka explains in his teachings that this reservoir
of samskaras can rise to the surface of the conscious mind, and is
no different than someone’s “life flashing before their eyes” at the
time of death or near death. If one has worked adequately to
reduce their personal collection of attachments and aversions, this
paves the way for a calm, clear, and peaceful mind at the time of
death. An individual with an equanimous and peaceful mind is
capable of focusing their awareness towards the divine, and
consciously directing their soul in the afterlife without distraction
or interruption.
mind completely stilled, free of
selfish passions and concentration
fixed at the third eye, you will
realise the supreme Lord
The Bhagavad Gita’s eighth chapter is perhaps one of the most
popular and well-read instructions on ascension. Here, Lord
Krishna instructs Arjuna on what to do at the time of death,
before he goes to war on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
Krishna tells Arjuna, “Those who remember me at the time of
death will always come to me. Whatever occupies the mind at the
time of death determines the destination of the dying. Therefore,
remember me at all times. When you make the mind one-pointed
through the practice of meditation, you will find the supreme glory
of the Lord. With your mind completely stilled, free of selfish
passions and your concentration fixed at the third eye between your
eyebrows, you will realize the supreme Lord. Close down the doors
of the senses and place your mind in the heart.
“Then, while absorbed in meditation, focus all energy upwards to
the head, repeating the sacred sound of OM, the sound of the
eternal Godhead. You will go forth from the body and attain the
supreme goal, union with me. At the time of death, there are two
paths the soul may follow Arjuna. One, the path of darkness and
rebirth, the other is of light and liberation. Attain this knowledge
through perseverance in Yoga and you will never be deluded
again.”
In a similar tale of divine instruction from the Katha Upanishad, a
young man by the name of Nachiketa asks Yama (the lord of
death) what happens when one leaves the physical body. Yama
explains the mystery of death. He tells Nachiketa, “Eternal peace
and freedom from rebirth is attainable to those who recognize the
Self in their own hearts.
The wise, who still the mind and senses no longer chase after the
objects of the senses and the world of change. Established in the
Self, they enter the unitive state, never to be separate from divine
source again. When all desires of the heart are renounced, mortals
become immortal, free from the wheel of birth and death.”
Yama continues, “the Self abides in the human heart in a form
about the size of a human thumb and from this heart area, there
are 101 energetic pathways (nadis) leading from the heart. One leads
to the crown of the head. This pathway leads to immortality. The
other pathways lead to death and rebirth. At the time of death,
draw the Self up towards the crown of the head and out of the
physical sheath. Know thyself to be pure and immortal!”
The time of death is a great mystery. Spiritual traditions suggest we
stay awake and alert, with our awareness in the unitive state and our
mind focused on the divine. We must be prepared to let go of a
lifetime of attachments and desires as our life could end at any
moment. Such a task is ultimately challenging and could be
considered the spadework of our soul.
The Winter solstice (December 21) is a time for rebirth, a
celebration of the days getting longer, symbolizing coming out of
darkness and moving into light. Looking ahead to this years’
solstice, it is said to be an end or death of a larger time cycle in our
planet’s evolution. We have the opportunity to create a new and
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