An experience…….
Before I explain how a common man dies, let me tell you a story from my own experience. I started my priestly career in Bangalore in 1999. At that time one of my grandfather (father’s elder brother) was living here with me. As the cold and other illnesses made him more uncomfortable, he reluctantly returned home. Some family problems also bothered him.
One day, exactly at 4:15 AM I had a dream. In the dream, I saw that the grandfather had died, and his aatma was telling me to “hurry back home to perform my last rites”. Even though I woke up from the dream, I couldn’t see it as just a dream. I was sure that he would be dead. In those days, very few people had mobile phones. Although the company I worked for had a landline but the office would be open only after 10 am. This land phone or the office secretary’s land phone was used to communicate emergency matters only. Although I tried to contact through the STD booth to confirm the information, it was also unsuccessful.
Anyways, I decided to go home as soon as possible. At that time, my elder brother and mother were living in Ambikara, Bangalore. After telling them all this over the phone, they reached out to me at 8 a.m. They didn’t believe in my dream. As he had previously informed me that he wanted me to do all the posthumous deeds myself, I had collected the money for that within this time. As we were about to leave for my village, the office secretary told us that he had received a phone call from my village informing him that my grandfather had passed away. Although my mother and brother were very surprised, I felt somewhat indifferent. Because I exactly felt the presence of the aatma. I felt the presence of the it on many occasions after the funeral rites until the completion of the 11-day ritual.
I have heard of many people having similar experiences. The experience has, however, prompted me to research what happens after death further.
Poojari Manoj K Viswanathan.