~CHAPTER NINE

Destination After Death

sarva-dvarani samyamya
mano hrdi nirudhya ca
murdhny adhayatmanah pranam
asthito yoga-dharanam

‘The yogic situation is that of detachment from all sensual
engagements. Closing all the doors of the senses and fixing the
mind on the heart and the life air at the top of the head, one
establishes himself in yoga.’’ (Bg. 8.12)

One translation of the word yoga is ‘“‘plus’’—that is, just the op-
posite of minus. At the present moment, due to our materially
contaminated consciousness, we are minus God. When we add
God to our lives, when we connect with Him, life is perfected.
This process has to be finished at the time of death; therefore as
long as we are alive, we have to practice approaching that point of
perfection so that at the time of death, when we give up this ma-
terial body, we can realize the Supreme.

prayana-kale manasacalena
bhaktya yukto yoga-balena caiva
bhruvor madhye pranam avesya samyak
sa tam param purusam upaiti divyam

‘‘One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the
eyebrows and in full devotion engages himself in remembering

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