Chapter 7: hinduism and death

Historical beginnings

The difficulty of establishing the origins of religions without a founder.

Vedas

The sacred scriptures of the Indo-Aryan-speaking tribes, consisting of hymns, rituals, and philosophical writings.

Vedic fire sacrifice

The central religious ritual in the Vedic age, symbolizing the interconnections between gods, humans, and the cosmos.

Cosmic Man (Purusha)

The primordial sacrifice from which the universe and all beings are born.

Continuity of Vedic thought

The shift in emphasis rather than a radical break in religious beliefs and concerns in classical Hindu thought.

Ancestors

The dwelling place of the ancestors in the Vedic universe and the importance of offerings and sacrifices for their nourishment.

Caste system

The social organization of Aryan tribes into hereditary classes based on occupation.

Purusha Sukta

The Vedic hymn that describes the sacrificial offering of the Cosmic Man and the creation of the universe.

Last sacrifice (antyeshti)

Cremation as the final ritual of sacrifice for the deceased.

Paths after death

The two paths available to the deceased - the world of the fathers (reincarnation) and the world of the gods (attainment of immortality).

Sacrificial fire

The fire that is equated with the rain cloud, this world, man, and woman in the Vedic text. Gods offer faith as sacrifice into the fire, and from that sacrifice, King Soma is born.

Immortality

In Vedic thought, immortality is not a matter of escaping death, but rather, it is achieved through death, which serves as the gateway to immortality. Immortality is gained through knowledge and understanding of the interconnections between all things.

Yama

In Vedic mythology, Yama is the Lord of Death. He is portrayed as the progenitor of the human race and the link between this world and the other world. Yama shows the path beyond death and is associated with both creation and destruction.

Moon

In Vedic literature, the moon is seen as the gateway to the path of the gods. When the dead arrive, the moon god asks them, "Who are you?" If the dead one has the knowledge to answer correctly, they are allowed to pass onto the path of the gods.

Karma

Karma refers to intentional action and its consequences. In the Vedic period, it was associated with ritual action, but in the Upanishads, it becomes associated with moral action. Positive or negative karma determines one's state after death.

Samsara

Samsara is the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. It is fueled by karma and is the arena for the working out of the consequences of action. Liberation from samsara is sought through moksha.

Atman

Atman refers to the innermost essence of a human being. It can also refer to the person holistically as a living entity. In the Upanishads, it takes on a more spiritual connotation, representing the individual soul.

Brahman

Brahman is the universal ground of existence. It can refer to the Supreme Being or an impersonal absolute. It is the ultimate essence of the universe and is closely related to the concept of atman.

Moksha

Moksha is liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. It is the ultimate goal in Hinduism and is achieved through knowledge and understanding of the true nature of self and the universe.

Imperishable

The ultimate foundation of all existence that is described as neither coarse nor fine, without blood or fat, without shadow or darkness, without air or space, without taste or smell, without sight or hearing, without speech or mind, without energy, breath, or mouth, beyond measure, and without anything within it or outside of it.

Atman

The inner self that is present within but different from the earth, water, fire, air, wind, sky, sun, moon, stars, space, darkness, and light. It is the inner controller and immortal.

Brahman

The imperishable foundation of existence that pervades all and transcends all phenomena. It cannot be defined or described by language and is either seen as an impersonal indescribable absolute or a personal God that enters into all things.

Karma

The concept that the unchanging atman becomes associated with a new body in each birth due to past actions. It is the ego-oriented intentional action that individuals carry out and reap the results of in samsara.

Rebirth

The cycle of birth and death that individuals go through until they realize that the innermost essence of the individual (atman) is identical with the foundation and essence of the universe (brahman).

Naciketas

The Brahmin boy who questions the Lord of Death and learns the truth of what happens after death. He is offered three favors by Yama and chooses to be taught the truth about the existence of a person after death.

Liberation

The state of being liberated from the cycle of rebirth and redeath. It is the realization that the innermost essence of the individual (atman) is identical with the foundation and essence of the universe (brahman).

Bhagavad Gita

A Hindu text composed as part of the Mahabharata that portrays a conversation between Arjuna and Krishna. It discusses the three paths to liberation and the nature of God as the ultimate source, sustainer, and destroyer of the universe.

Dharma

The concept of truth and righteousness that Arjuna represents in the battle against evil. It is the duty that individuals must uphold in their actions.

Vishnu/Krishna

The divine lord of all who reveals himself to Arjuna as the essence of all things, the ultimate source, sustainer, and destroyer of the universe. He incarnates on earth in the form of Krishna to protect and guide his devotees.

Indestructible

The unchanging reality that pervades all existence and cannot be destroyed.

Samsara

The constant cycle of birth and death in which all individual lives are subject to suffering and destruction.

Karma yoga

The path of action, where one acts according to Dharma without attachment to the results of their efforts.

Jnana yoga

The path of knowledge, where one gains understanding of the nature of ignorance and the ways in which human beings are bound or released.

Bhakti yoga

The path of devotion, where one turns to God with true loving devotion and dedicates all actions to Him.

Cremation

The most common form of disposal of the deceased in Hinduism, regarded as an offering to the fire god.

Shraddha

The rituals performed by the eldest son and relatives of the deceased to establish a new body for the deceased in the world of the fathers and sustain the deceased and past ancestors.

Liminal state

The state of impurity and transition that the family enters into after the death of a loved one.

Sapindikarana

The ritual on the twelfth day after death that marks the final transformation of the deceased from a potentially wandering and dangerous spirit to a divine and benevolent ancestor spirit.

Pinda

A ball of rice about the size of a tennis ball that represents the deceased's spirit.

Preta

The disembodied spirit of the deceased.

Sapindikarana

The ritual on the twelfth day in which the soul is transformed into an ancestor and united with past generations of ancestors.

Shraddha

A ritual performed annually on the death anniversary to ensure the well-being of the parents, whether as ancestors or in their next incarnation.

Karma

The belief that the final destination of the deceased soul is related to their spiritual practice in life.

Reincarnation

The belief that after death, the soul is reborn according to its past karma to continue the cycle of birth and death.

Liberation

The ultimate goal of attaining freedom from the cycle of rebirth.

Cosmology

The ancient Vedic worldview that encompasses beliefs about the welfare of ancestors, karma, transmigration, and liberation.

Dehant

The end of the body, referring to death in Hindu teachings.

Atman

The enduring, indestructible, and immeasurable essence of a person's being.