Death: Before, During & After... Death: Before, During & After.. | Page 18

6
Death
Awareness Of Past Lives
Questioner: Why do we not remember anything from our
past lives and what would happen if we did?
Dadashri: Those who have no suffering at all at the time of
their death are the ones who may remember their past lives. Those
with virtuous thoughts and conduct may also remember. There is
tremendous suffering in a mother’s womb and this suffering coupled
with the suffering at the time of death, renders one unconscious so
that they remember nothing.
Take Stock of Baggage of Next Life At The Time Of
Death
An eighty-year-old man was approaching his death in a
hospital. Even though his time was limited, all he could think about
was who had and had not come to visit him at the hospital. The
foolish man! Instead he should be thinking about his body, which
was about to leave him very shortly. He should be thinking about
the ‘baggage’ that he was going to take with him to his next life.
Of what use will it be to him whether this friend or that friend
came to visit him or not?
Keep It Simple
An old man dies after a lot of medical care and attention.
People who come to his wake ask detailed questions about the
events leading to his death. The old man’s nephew tells them that
the doctor thought it was the flu but he died of a fever from malaria.
They ask him who the doctor was and the nephew tells them.
When they hear the doctor’s name, they immediately pounce on
the nephew telling him he was foolish to call that particular doctor.
Others too start to criticize him for making a bad decision. People
are like this; they’ll take advantage of those who are simple.