390 Sr7 Caitanya-caritamrta

At the critical time of death, one can place the vital force between the two
eyebrows and decide where he wants to go. If he is reluctant to maintain any
connection with the material world, he can, in less than a second, reach the
transcendental Vaikuntha and appear there completely in his spiritual body, which
will be suitable for him in the spiritual atmosphere. He has simply to desire to leave
the material world both in finer and in grosser forms and then move the vital force
to the topmost part of the skull and leave the body from the hole in the skull
called the brahma-randhra. This is easy for one perfect in the practice of yoga.

Of course man is endowed with free will, and as such if he does not want to free
himself of the material world he may enjoy the life of brahma-pada (occupation of
the post of Brahma) and visit Siddhaloka, the planets of materially perfect beings
who have full capacities to control gravity, space and time. To visit these higher
planets in the material universe, one need not give up his mind and intelligence
(finer matter), but need only give up grosser matter (the material body).

Each and every planet has its particular atmosphere, and if one wants to travel
to any particular planet within the material universe, one has to adapt his material
body to the climatic condition of that planet. For instance, if one wants to go from
India to Europe, where the climatic condition is different, one has to change his
dress accordingly. Similarly, a complete change of body is necessary if one wants to
go to the transcendental planets of Vaikuntha. However, if one wants to go to the
higher material planets, he can keep his finer dress of mind, intelligence and ego,
but has to leave his gross dress (body) made of earth, water, fire, etc.

When one goes to a transcendental planet, it is necessary to change both the finer
and gross bodies, for one has to reach the spiritual sky completely in a spiritual
form. This change of dress will take place automatically at the time of death if one
so desires.

Bhagavad-gita confirms that one can attain his next material body according to
his desires at the time he leaves his body. The desire of the mind carries the soul
in a suitable atmosphere as the wind carries aromas from one place to another.
Unfortunately those who are not yogis but gross materialists, who throughout their
lives indulge in sense gratification, are puzzled by the disarrangement of the bodily
and mental condition at the time of death. Such gross sensualists, encumbered by
the main ideas, desires and associations of the lives they have led, desire something
against their interest and thus foolishly take on new bodies that perpetuate their
material miseries.

Systematic training of the mind and intelligence is therefore needed so that at the
time of death one may consciously desire a suitable body, either on this planet or
another material planet or even a transcendental planet. A civilization that does not
consider the progressive advancement of the immortal soul merely fosters a bestial
life of ignorance.

It is foolish to think that every soul that passes away goes to the same place.
Either the soul goes to a place he desires at the time of death, or upon leaving his
body he is forced to accept a position according to his acts in his previous life. The
difference between the materialist and the yog/is that a materialist cannot determine
his next body, whereas a yogi can consciously attain a suitable body for enjoyment
