It is a well-known fact that Hindus cremate the dead. But what is perhaps lesser known, is that in ancient Vedic times, the Hindu people not only cremated the dead but also buried them. The 10th Mandala (Chapter) of the Rig Veda documents both the customs of burial and cremation as practiced by the Vedic people.
Now even though both methods were practiced, the Vedic sages have nevertheless, always regarded cremation as the best method for disposing of the dead body. But why was this so?
In this video we take a look at the extraordinary spiritual reason why the Rishis (sages) with their deep knowledge of the soul’s journey after death, favored cremation. This reason has been detailed for us by Swami Abhedananda, a great yogi and direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna in his book Life Beyond Death.
More Posts in Life After Death Series:
- VIDEO: Part 1: Understanding Death – Death is For the Body, Not the Soul – What happens when we die? Is there life after death? Does memory persist after death? In this video we visit the Vedantic answers to these questions.
- VIDEO: Part 2: Understanding Death – Departed Do Not Vanish, Remain With Us Like the Living – This video answers: What are the subtle causes that bring about death? Where do the departed reside after death? Why is Shradh performed in Hinduism?
- VIDEO: Part 3: Understanding Death – No One Dies, So Do Not Grieve – In this 3rd video we visit the last 2 Vedantic truths which emphasize the importance of maintaining balance & equanimity of mind at someone’s passing.
- VIDEO: Reincarnation | MIND Accompanies the Soul After Death – It is a little known fact that the mind accompanies the soul after death, because of which it is possible for people to remember their past lives.
- VIDEO: 5 Reasons Why Some People Become Ghosts After Death – How do we avoid getting trapped as a ghost after death? Critical life lessons from the sages of Vedanta to smoothen the transition at death.
- VIDEO: Help! I’m Scared of Ghosts | Top 10 Questions About Ghosts Answered – Scared of ghosts? Afraid spirits lurking in the dark will hurt you? Overcome your fear of ghosts through a rational understanding of life after death.
- Part 1: Conversation With Ghosts – Stories from the Life of Swami Vivekananda – An intriguing story from the life of Swami Vivekananda during which he conversed with the souls of people who had committed suicide.
- Part 2: Do Ghosts Exist or is Seeing Ghosts a Sign of Delusion? – Do ghosts really exist or was India’s great guru Swami Vivekananda, hallucinating when speaking to the spirits of those who had committed suicide?
- Part 3: Do Ghosts Exist? Swami Vivekananda Sheds More Light On This Mystery – A fascinating conversation in which India’s great guru Swami Vivekananda answers his disciple’s query: “Do ghosts exist? Have you ever seen spirits?”.
