The Importance of Dying Moments in Hindu Theology
The moments before death hold a lot of spiritual significance in the beliefs of Hinduism. Unlike some other religions, the profession of faith in the divinity of any particular religious figure is not sufficient for salvation in Hinduism. Rather, it is one's own actions, done throughout one's lifetime, which decide upon the destiny of the soul, once it departs from the physical body.
Since Hindus firmly believe in reincarnation, it is a question of whether the departed soul, after death, is fit for salvation; or whether the soul needs to reincarnate again.
And, if the soul needs to reincarnate, what would be the characteristics of the next life? Will the person be reborn rich or poor? Will the person be reborn as an animal - or will the person be reborn as a human?
Hindu theology answers some of these questions, based on the actions that one does at the time of death.
If we are told that some tsunami is about to wash away our house and our belongings, we tend to immediately think about things that are valuable to us. We would take hold of all those things that are dear to us and then run away to some safer place.
Something similar takes place at the time of death. As soon as a person understands that he or she is about to die, her thoughts tend to switch on to things that she has held valuable throughout her lifetime. If the person A has become possessively attached to another loved and dear relative of his by name B, chances are that A would think of that loved and dear person B at the time of death.
And, as per this theology, A would most likely be reborn under circumstances that would reunite her with the loved person B in the next life. However, if the person A has been obsessed with hatred and ill will toward person B, chances are that A would remember B with feelings of hatred and ill will at the time of A's death. This would unfortunately affect the circumstances under which A would be reborn. A may be reborn under circumstances that could lead him to be the murderer of B in the next life. This would set a wheel of karma into action, where A and B would become bitter antagonists of each other for several lives, continuously.
In order to avoid such unfortunate circumstances, one is always advised to remain tranquil without holding any excessive animosity against any one. The best course of action would be to concentrate on the divine and be all the time immersed in devotional service to God.
Once a person does this through her lifetime, she is likely to remember God at the time of death. As per Hindu theology, such a person who remembers God at the time of death will have no rebirth, but will attain the permanent abode of God.
Prithviraj is a researcher into the origins of and comparative studies of Hinduism and other Religions and cultures. Visit his site to know more about Founder of Hinduism: http://19000years.blogspot.com/2011/01/hinduism-was-founded-by-seven-sages.html and Timeline for Hinduism: http://19000years.blogspot.com/2011/02/hinduism-timeline-for-16000-years.html
Additional Hindu Theology Books...
Divine Mother, Blessed Mother: Hindu Goddesses and the Virgin Mary
by: Francis X. Clooney
publisher: Oxford University Press, USA, published: 2004-11-05
ASIN: B000SB8YRC
Hindu Gods and Goddesses
by: W. J. Wilkins
publisher: Dover Publications, published: 2003-11-21
ASIN: 0486431568
EAN: 9780486431567
sales rank: 304852
price: $10.98 (new), $9.45 (used)
Selected accounts from India's sacred literature form a complete and systematic overview of the many Hindu deities. These explorations cover gods from the Vedic and Puranic literature as well as lesser figures such as demons, sacred birds, and other lore. Includes 85 beautiful black-and-white illustrations culled from traditional sources.
sales rank: 248589
The Virgin Mary has long been the object of both devotional and scholarly interest, and recent years have seen a proliferation of studies on Hindu goddess-worship traditions. Despite the parallels between the two, however, no one has yet undertaken a book-length comparison of these traditions. In Divine Mother, Blessed Mother, Francis Clooney offers the first extended comparative study of Hindu goddesses and the Virgin Mary. Clooney is almost unique in the field of Hindu studies as a Christian theologian with the linguistic and philosophical expertise necessary to produce sophisticated comparative analyses. Building on his previous work in comparative theology, he sheds new light not only on these individual traditions but also on the nature of gender and the divine.
The
Importance of Dying Moments in
Hindu Theology related articles from the blogosphere...
Hindu mythology | ashukripa.com
Hindu theology defines fourteen worlds (not to be confused with planets) – seven higher worlds (heavens) and seven lower ones (underworlds). (The earth is considered the lowest of the seven higher worlds.) The higher worlds are the ...
Publish Date: 04/15/2011 1:54
http://ashukripa.com/?p=237
Hindu Mythology-Brahma-The Creator
Brahman is the “Supreme Cosmic Spirit” of the universe in Hindu theology though it would be wrong to depict it as a spirit because, in absolute essence, it is without any attributes. In the native languages, there is a slight intonation ...
Publish Date: 04/04/2011 7:48
http://terrellmims.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/hindu-mythology-brahma-the-creator/
Anju Bhargava: The Importance of Seva and Social Justice for Inner ...
His words further delineate a Hindu theology that, for me, provides a powerful source for a united front in this struggle for social justice. In this theology, our duty, our dharma, is to do what is right for all, which, ...
Publish Date: 02/19/2011 19:42
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anju-bhargava/hindu-aeva-and-social-jus_b_824360.html
Testimony by Sadhu Chellappa (Hinduism / Bible)ENG-01
Related Articles
- [WATCH]: Cooking Games Doras Cooking in La Cucina …
- Hard Drive Disk Enclosures …
Trackbacks
- The importance of high quality dog food …
- [WATCH]: Video Production Lighting : The Importance of Lighting in Video Production …
- [WATCH]: Suzuki Ltr 450 best moments …
- [WATCH]: MAGE …
