1. ‘To die is to (be) born; with death comes the freedom.’ (Grand Master Choa Kok Sui, 2004, p. 35)
Death according to the inner teachings is not considered as the end, but a beginning; a way to be born
to eternal life as described by Saint Francis of Assisi.
Basically the ancient cultures believe that human life is more than the physical existence; they portray
human as a soul with various vehicles which enables him to co-exist simultaneously in physical,
emotional and mental levels. Death is this case is basically not more than simply changing the physical
vehicle and the setting of the physical existence, which is believed to cause progress without which
there will be stagnation.
An important issue regarding death is that nothing will change about a person after death, ‘he remains
after death exactly what he was before, except that no longer has a physical body. He has the same
intellect, the same disposition, the same virtues and vices.’(Powell, 2005, p. 112)This also includes the
Karmic factors. The death of the physical body in fact does not remove the causes generated by the
soul;the soul has to face the consequences of his actions, and learn the necessary lessons. That is why
suicide from the viewpoint of the ancient cultures does not serve any purpose since it does remove the
Karmic consequences and by dying the sufferings would not vanish.
Death is furthermore an opportunity to the eyes of the spiritual aspirants as it is an amazing chance to
merge with the Light if the person is prepared. Therefore certain meditations are designed to make this
possible such as the “Meditation on the Soul,” also known as the “Meditation on the Blue Pearl,”
introduced by Grand Master ChoaKok Sui. It is believed that the regular practice of this meditation
cleanses and prepares the person for the Inner World; thus it has to be practiced regularly during the
weeks prior to death. It is also advisable not to disturb the dying person by any means unless the dying
person will miss the Light. Maintaining stillness therefore is highly important.
‘When the body dies, the soul moves into a body of light. By focusing on the Blue Pearl at the moment of
death, a person can merge with the Light when it comes down.’(Grand Master Choa Kok Sui, 2004, p. 37)
References
Grand Master Choa Kok Sui. (2004). Experiencing Being, the Golden Lotus Sutras on Life. Institute for
Inner Studies Publishing Foundation.
Powell, A. E. (2005). The Astral Body. The Theosophical Society.
Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi. (n.d.). Retrieved from Prayer Guide:
http://www.prayerguide.org.uk/stfrancis.htm
http://pranaworld.net/