Mind after death

[Dennis Hill]

>Om Dennis,
>
>Thank you for your beautiful answer. What you say about your near-death
>experience is very, very interesting and so beautiful, it makes one wish
>to drop the prison of the body here and now.
>What you say would mean, that even mind falls off with death. On the other
>hand there are many accounts that tell about astral worlds and a lot of
>mental activity. Do you think what you experienced may have been a special
>divine grace, that lifted you temporarily not only out of the physical
>body, but also out of mind and ego?
>Usually it is assumed that not the memories of the brain, and may be not
>the gross way of thinking, but mind as such goes on after death, which is
>why we take our tendencies with us, and some people even take memories
>with them. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on this.
>It is wonderful having people like you on this group!
>
>Greetings and Om,
>Vishvarupananda
>
>
Hello Swamiji,

> there are many accounts that tell about astral worlds and a lot of mental
activity.

Yes, this is true. My guru tells of visits to many lokas with all his
faculties, and I've heard stories about this from ordinary people also. I
cannot explain the difference in experiences.

> Usually it is assumed that mind as such goes on after death

I have heard this, but it was not my experience. If I were to try to
explain my case I would say that the antah-karana of buddhi, manas and
ahamkara (all tattvas below prakriti), generally relate to the senses and
the illusory ego (e.g. the physical and subtle bodies). Senses and ego
are related to the form, and the form has fallen away; therefore the
antah-karana no longer has a function. This leaves the problem of karmas
and samskaras. It may be that karmas and samskaras are recorded in the
causal body and are preserved at death (unless they are purified while
Atman still enlivens the body) thereby attracting another incarnation. In
the case of the jeeva who attain purity, then the causal body is empty at
death, the physical and subtle bodies have fallen away, leaving only pure
conscious to merge blissfully and irrevocably into the source of the
imagined separation, Nirguna Brahman.

>   Do you think what you experienced may have been a special divine
>  grace, that lifted you temporarily not only out of the physical body,
>  but also out of mind and ego?

Oh, absolutely. I was raised and educated an agnostic scientist, so I had
to be shown my true inner Self through this experience to know the truth
of the spiritual reality. Now my guru has also shown me this truth
through the practices I have been given to reawaken the presence of
Atman. Yes, this was indeed divine grace as you say.

Shanti Om,

-Dennis

PS: I received the MIME file attachments but was unable to translate
them. Would it be possible to send them text binhex?
-dh