Which is the Most Life Changing Book You Have Ever Read?
I have read the whole range of books on Upanishads, Bible, and other books on spiritual topics. I found Bhagavad Gita to be the most profound book which contains the essence of all the Vedas and Upanishads in compact 700 Gita verses.
I found other books very complicated and thereafter, I myself wrote a very simplified and easily understandable book on this subject myself.
The last thoughts of a dying person, is given the utmost importance in all religions of the world. In Hindu religion, Christianity or any other religion, a priest is called to perform the last prayers and guide the soul to the higher regions by remembrance of God, if it gets known that a person is going to breathe one’s last breath.
Even for a criminal who is going to be hanged till death, the last wish of that person is asked to be fulfilled before death.
There have been cases of Indian Yogis in the past who knew that their time of death was near, and they made prior preparations of their departure from the earth.
They chose to die consciously remembering the name of the Lord or their chosen deity, so that it will be the last thought in which their mind will remain absorbed after death.
Lord Sri Krishna says to Arjuna in Chapter 8 Verse 6: O son of Kunti Arjuna! Whatever last thoughts occupy the mind of a dying person while leaving the physical body just before death, to that alone he or she attains, being ever absorbed in the last thoughts thereof. (Book: Word of God Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8 verse 6)
The above verse of Bhagavad Gita says that whatever last thoughts occupy the mind of a dying person, to that alone he or she attains.
It is like a person who is just drifting off to sleep at night with some thoughts in his mind, and he wakes up in the morning with the same last thoughts.
If a man has to catch a flight early in the early morning and he sleeps with that thought in his mind, then he automatically wakes up in the morning with the same thought that he has to catch a flight in the morning.
Read this story to understand the meaning of the above verse.
A religious man lived near a temple. In the opposite house lived a prostitute. Noticing that a large number of men were visiting her house daily for sex and bodily pleasures; the monk summoned the prostitute, and warned her of the bad consequences of her actions.
She lamented over her lot in life, as she could not find another job for survival. Each time she gave her body to a man; she would pray to God for forgiveness and to put an end to her base profession.
The religious man used to brood inwardly in his mind over the sensual enjoyments which he was missing, but outwardly he used to pretend that he is a very pious man. He was practicing hypocrisy and double standards.
The religious man then started recording her sins by putting a stone pebble, each time a man went to her house for bodily pleasures.
The heap of stones grew large in front of his main door, and the religious man again summoned the prostitute and showed her the pyramid of stones, as the proof of her sins and sexual enjoyment with so many different men. He told her that she will have to pay for her sins by dwelling in the hell for an indefinite period of time.
The heart-broken prostitute wept and prayed to God fervently to forgive her sins and end her life. With these last thoughts of forgiveness and deliverance from her sins, it so happened that she died.
By a strange hand of destiny and as a coincidence, the religious man also died the same very night with the last thoughts of how the neighborly prostitute was enjoying different men, and doing sin with her body.
The dead body of the religious man was carried in a huge procession, and the crowd paid their last marks of respect to the departed soul with lavish praises that he had led a very pious life.
On the other hand, there was no one to even lift the dead body of the prostitute, and her body was given over to the vultures to eat.
In the Yama loka of the dead, the soul of the prostitute was escorted to heaven, while the soul of the religious man was consigned to hell.
The religious man sought an audience with God to know the cause for this injustice. He bitterly cried out, “Is this Your justice, O Lord? I spent my whole life in devotion to God and prayers, and now I am being carried off to hell, and the soul of the prostitute, who lived all her life in sin, has been taken to heaven! What kind of justice is this?”
The spirit of God replied, “Inviolable justice alone prevails with God as per the karma of an individual, and there is no question of any favoritism for anyone.
Although living in a polluted body, the prostitute’s mind was always fixed on the divine thoughts of God to deliver her from all the sins, she had committed.
Whereas your mind as a religious man was always wandering on the unholy concerns of others, due to the deep rooted craving of unfulfilled sexual desires in your perverted mind.”
The Spirit of God further added, “Unholy concerns of others ought to have been none of your business. Your dead body was fittingly cremated with all religious ceremonies as per your hypocrisy and show as a religious man; and the dead body of the prostitute was treated like a rotten flesh.
The laws of the earth are different from the laws of heaven. Here, there is no favoritism with God, and the laws are just and fair for all, irrespective of their status on the earth. Your soul and the soul of the prostitute have thus been accordingly assigned to their befitting regions.”
The moral of the story is to be aware of your thoughts at all times and constantly remember God.
The teaching of Bhagavad Gita says in verse 9:29 that I am the same to all beings and there is none hateful nor dear to Me, but those who worship Me, I am in them and they are in Me.
Verse 16:21 says, “Lust, anger and greed are the three gates to hell, which ruin and destroy the Self-soul. Therefore, one ought to give up these three vices.”
A similar story is narrated in Bible as follows, “The poor man Lazarus, died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’
But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime, you received your good things, and Lazarus in a like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that no one can go from here to you, and none may cross from there to us.”
Bhagavad Gita verse 7 Chapter 8 — Lord Sri Krishna says to Arjuna:
Therefore, constantly remembering My God-Consciousness at all times engage in the war, (as your duty). With your mind and intellect dedicated to My Spirit, you will surely come to My Being only — without any doubt. (Book: Word Of God Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8 verse 7): Amazon: Ajay Gupta: Amazon.in: Kindle Store : Word of God Bhagavad Gita by Ajay Gupta
Sri Krishna tells Arjuna that you engage in the battle, while constantly remembering God-consciousness. Who knows when the messenger of death will arrive to claim the soul?
The above story with a moral, best explains the importance of the last thoughts just before death.
Life is short and uncertain. One has to be constantly aware that this life is a bridge to cross over to the next world.
A person should keep constant remembrance of God-consciousness, and perform the assigned worldly tasks at the same time.
Bhaja Govindam text by Adi Shankaracharya says, “The existence of water drops moving on a lotus leaf is very uncertain and fleeting. Similarly human life is also very uncertain and fleeting. Understand that the whole world is consumed by disease and conceit and enveloped by sorrow.”
As long as there dwells breath in your body, till then your family members will inquire of your welfare. Once the life breath departs at death and the body decays, even your own loving wife will fear the putrefied body.
Ajay Gupta is a former Naval officer who served onboard Indian Naval Warships and aircraft. He is the author of two books ‘Word of God Bhagavad Gita’ — and ‘Want to Know God: For Young and Old.’
Copyright © Ajay Gupta — Reference books: Amazon: Ajay Gupta: Amazon.in: Kindle Store : Word of God Bhagavad Gita by Ajay Gupta:
