Reincarnation or De-incarnation?

What happens when we die?

The concept of an afterlife of some kind is so widespread in the world that it is taken for granted by most, except a few percent of the world population. Those Godless Unbelivers, the atheists.

A quick Google search brought me to this website, and the following excellent overview:

What happens after we die? This is one of the questions found so often in the field of religion in which different faiths teach a variety of incompatible, mutually exclusive beliefs. Meanwhile, most people are totally onvinced that they know the answer precisely.

Many mental health professionals and religious historians believe that  religion was created millennia ago as an attempt to explain how the universe works and what happens to people after death. Religions were originally developed so that people could have a sense of power over their life and environment. Knowing that they may be wiped out at any time by starvation, animal attacks, drought, floods, foreign army attack, illnesses, accidents, etc., ancient people sought security in an insecure world. Religion filled that need.

There are few if any fears more serious than the fear of death. Religions answered these fears with a belief that somehow a person’s personality, memories, talents, and consciousness survived death in a new form.

There is general agreement among persons of all religions that a person’s eventual destiny after death will be one of the following:

	Heaven: Eternity is spent in Heaven or Paradise with God, in a state that is beautiful beyond our ability to conceive.
	Hell: Eternity is spent in Hell with Satan and his demons. All are tormented and tortured, in isolation from God, without any hope of mercy or relief.
	Annihilation: The body rots. One’s, spirit, memory, personality, awareness, body, and mind disappear and are no more.
	Transmigration of the soul: Our soul and spirit are reborn into a human fetus or newborn child.
	Reincarnation: Our soul and spirit are reborn into another living entity – not necessarily human.

Most people believe that up to three of the above destinations and states exist. For example, some faith groups teach that people who are saved go to Heaven; those who are unsaved go to Hell and are eventually annihilated. They regard the other options as religious fantasy which do not exist in reality. But, of course, there is no general agreement about which are the true states and which are the fantasies.

There is close agreement within most faith groups, but little agreement between religions, about what criteria is used to determine whether, for example, a person has been saved and will eventually reside in Heaven or is unsaved and will spend eternity in Hell.

There is also little agreement about the processes, locations, and states that a person will go through between death and their final destiny.

Interesting analysis of religion. I have yet to come across a religion that believes in annihilation after death. But maybe they are out there.

As the Art of Living makes a great show out of welcoming all religious denominations and individual beliefs (except atheists, apparently, whom Ravi openly calls “stupid”),  it becomes increasingly clear as you advance in the organization that a central part of the aol religious belief system is – reincarnation. The guru himself has stated: “I don’t BELIEVE in reincarnation -I know for a fact that it exists.” You would expect that, of course, from a Hindu priest.

That is a pretty powerful statement from a person who claims Divine Insight and possession of Ultimate Truth. No wonder people in AOL go a little crazy. I have personally met Radha, the Virgin Mary, and one of Jesus’ apostles in the flock of people close to Ravi. And of course it is a widespread belief (and never negated by Ravi) that the guru himself is both Krishna and Jesus reincarnated. If Jesus hadn’t been single, his girlfriend would probably be there also, in the flock of lunatics surrounding his current incarnation.

Eternity Processes have revealed countless Sadhus, princes, princesses, witches persecuted and burned on the stake, proud warriors and ancient followers of the guru in one of his countless incarnations.

In TTC, we were told that “all of us have been with Guruji before” (in a past life). One lifetime is not enough, apparently, to recognize the guru’s true divine nature.

Of course, no evidence exists that supports the concept of reincarnation. I will not go into that here. Rather, I wish to analyze how the concept of reincarnation and the closely associated belief in “karma” is used to manipulate people in aol.

In another post, coming soon. So stay tuned!