--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, bbrigante <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "anonyff" <anonyff@> wrote: > > > > On TTC in Mallorca, Jan-June 1971, Brahmarishi Devarat and his son > > (who looked like Tonto from the Lone Ranger) were often at meetings > > and we would ask Devarat question after question and Maharishi was > our > > interpreter. My appeared to be having great fun in this job, he > often > > found Devarat's answers both funny and illuminating. > > > > Someone asked him this question-if there is anything we can say to > > someone who is dying. As near as I can recall, he told us to say, > in > > the person's ear, *wok, wok, wok* I believe it is actually > spelled > > vak and I also think I remember it is translated as *speech* or > > *sound* I cannot remember the reason for saying this. > > > > I know for me, having been in the presence of several people/pets > at > > the moment they made this transition out of life, I have done > various > > things, depending on what was in my heart/mind to do at this time. > > Sometimes it was whispering the mantras I know (as a TM teacher, > and > > whether or not the person was a TM meditator), sometimes/in > addition > > it was the puja, or om namah shivaya. > > > > I would suggest to do something very personal and very meaningful > to > > you at that time. I mean, who really knows. Does anyone think that > you > > can somehow help a person circumvent their personal karma just by > > saying the right thing at their moment of death? > > > > ***************** > > The karma has a person has coming is ordinarily going to get to > them, all the good and bad things, but funnily enough, it is the > very last thought that a person has that determines his next birth, > as told in many stories in the Vedic literature. So it doesn't make > a great deal of difference if somebody gets eaten by a tiger, and > his last thought is totally focused on that beast, causing one to be > born as a tiger, because this, like any life, is only a temporary > thing. > > > But there is another possibility addressed in the Vedic literature, > namely, that one can gain liberation by means of the last thought > (like a thought of complete identification with Krishna or Vishnu), > but this would likely only happen if a person was dedicated to > seeking enlightenment in his lifetime already, and that last thought > was a natural step
I have heard some teachers emphasize this theme -- that upon facing death it will be hard to hold onto a particular thought if that is not the habit of the mind. And thus the importance of good habits, keeping ones focus on the Divine -- or at least the positive -- and not on sensory and other attractions. Sounds reasonable to me. Though some will see this as mood-making and "inauthentic". But in "life" (aka outside ofmeditaion), at periodic intervals, the intellect has a choice -- put attention on this or that. Ghandi, upon realizing he was being shot, said "Ram Ram" (Or similar). I remember someone commenting, "What presence of mind he must have had to remember God when being shot." Which is the point -- its a "habit" of the mind cultured over a lifetime. Then again, when something drastic happens, many exclaim, "Oh My God!" -- although there are also stories of people who, > facing death, completely abandoned their lifelong ignorance and > gained liberation in a short period before death. > > Our notions of what is fair fall apart when you realize that it's > everybody's birthright to enjoy liberation, regardless of what one > has done or not done, In Vanarasi aka Kashi, Benares -- the City ofShiva -- its strongly held that if you die there, Shiva gives liberation. Many Hindus move there in old age. To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
