Burial of the Dead
Dear seekers of Truth,
One question looms large in my mind and I would like to share it with you all and be discussed elaborately by profusely drawing references from the repository of Vallalar in the Vallalarspace which in my opinion is the electronic Sathya Gnana Sabai. I also consider it necessary that this particular vichara undertaken in the space would go a long way to enrich us and guide us on the path of sanmarkkam.
According to Vallalar as per Jeeva Karunya Ozhukkam, death does not wind up our existence as the soul repeatedly takes birth in various bodies and continues its journey till such time its karmic imprints are erased and the process of cause and effect is exhausted. Vallalar has advised the followers to dispose the dead only by burial and not by any other manner which destroys the physical constitution as the dead are to be raised back to life again. At death according to Vallalar, the soul which leaves the body is to be embodied in another birth depending upon its past merits. If the dead bodies are to be resurrected ie brought back to life, then, at the time of resurrection, admittedly there could be no soul lingering or being alive within the dead body as the soul connected to the buried body is either in the process of being assigned to another body or it has already taken another body. If it is so then without a soul, how the body alone could be resurrected back to life? How such life could be considered as existence in the absence of its soul? Then why burial of the dead has been advised by our Master?
Now we may refer to the answer to the specific question in Jeeva Karunya Ozhukkam which makes it abundantly clear that the dead on resurrection, returns to life only with the same degree of intelligence and there is also no perceptible alteration in the consciousness of the dead returned to life.
It is pertinent to note here that in the Christian theology, there is soul and the soul also winds up its life when the physical death occurs. That means, the soul disintegrates with death of the physical. And the soul therein actually does not take any further birth and is actually awaiting judgment for its past actions on the appointed day. Therefore, the burial of the dead is justified in Christianity. But such judgment is fulfilled as far as Vallalar is concerned the moment the departed soul is assigned to another body or awaits another birth on the same plane or otherwise. Therefore, as there appears to be a contradiction it is necessary to set this discussion in motion for a resolution and re-definition.
Please bear with me if this question is considered irrelevant by the elite.
I would be thankful if there is a discussion on this subject.
With regards
sivajayakumar
வள்ளல் பெருமானின் வாக்கிற்கு ஆயிரக்கணக்கானக் காரணங்கள் உண்டு, இறைவன் அளித்த தேகத்தை சுடுவதற்கு நமக்கென்ன சுதந்திரம் இருக்கிறது. மேலும் இறைவன் அளித்த தேகம் பிற ஜீவராசிகளுக்கு பயன்படும் வகையில் சமாதி செய்வது நல்லதாம். மேலும் மறுபடியும் பிறவி எடுக்கும் பொழுது இந்த உடலுக்கு வர வேண்டும் என்ற அவசியம் கிடையாது. உடல் ஒரு கருவியே.
மரணமில்லாப் பெருவாழ்வு என்று வருகிறப் பொழுது சன்மார்க்கத்தின் அளவுகோலாக இதனைப் பயன்படுத்துகிறார்கள். இதுவும் தவறான ஒன்றாம். இதுப்பற்றியக் கருத்துகள் வேண்டாம் என்று நினைக்கிறேன்.
நிற்க, சமாதி வற்புறுத்தலுக்கானப் பாடல்கள் யாவரும் அறிந்தது தான், இருப்பினும் கீழ்காணும் பாடல்கள் ஏன் சமாதி செய்ய வேண்டும் என்பதைக் கூறுகிறது.
அணங்கெழுபேர் ஓசையொடும் பறையோசை
பொங்கக்கோ ரணிகொண் டந்தோ
பிணங்கழுவி எடுத்துப்போய்ச் சுடுகின்றீர்
இனிச்சாகும் பிணங்க ளேநீர்
கணங்கழுகுண் டாலும்ஒரு பயனுண்டே
என்னபயன் கண்டீர் சுட்டே
பரன்அளிக்கும் தேகம்
இது சுடுவதப
ராதம்எனப் பகர்கின் றேன்நீர்
சிரம்நெளிக்கச் சுடுகின்றீர் செத்தவர்கள்
பற்பலரும் சித்த சாமி
உரனளிக்க எழுகின்ற திருநாள்வந்
தடுத்தனஈ துணர்ந்து நல்லோர்
வரனளிக்கப் புதைத்தநிலை காணீரோ
கண்கெட்ட மாட்டி னீரே.
It is true that Vallalar has preferred burial to other disposals of the dead like burning, proclaims the highest degree of compassion shown by the Saint even to the dead as he has shown to the withering but the living plants. Ooran Adigal has also reflected on the same issue in his much acclaimed book “The History Ramalinga Adigal”. In page 431 therein, he has answered by way of compromise that it may be due to the lingering of the Dhananjayan vayu within the dead body for 3 more days after death for burst opening the decomposing dead. Accordingly, the author has concluded that any immediate disposal by burning may amount to eviction of the vayu prematurely by force which in the opinion of Vallalar may qualify as murder.
Perhaps, the comments recorded by the founder of Vallalarspace also extending the same privilege of the vayu to the soul are also conditioned by the same thoughts.
It is an age of science. Whatever may the method of disposal, ultimately the dead body is to be disintegrated into atomic and subatomic constituents across the space and again to be integrated from the subtler to the grosser in a cyclic existence.
But the article is based on the specific commands given to disciples vide his letters dated 27.4.1870, 30.3.1871 and other references wherein his promise that the dead not only buried but also burnt would be brought back to life by the divine will, is unmistakable. In Jeeva karunya Ozhukkam, Vallalar has formulated as to how the soul after the death, mounts different bodies in its onward journey towards its karmic fulfillment.
There may be a thousand and one reasons for resorting to burial but the one of such reasons was definitely to bring the dead back to life. Therefore, the question was formulated on the ground of paradox between the concept of the immortal soul and the mortality of the body and raised for sat vichara as to how the previous bodies of the soul could be brought back to life after their complete/partial decomposition and with intent to accomplish what purpose.
With regards
sivajayakumar
So I put to understand that is the thoola dhega is getting decomposed into subtler?, secondly is onward journey towards its karmic fulfillment=(subtler to grosser process?)OR(1st sense to 6th sense again/some level of cyclic existence by karma?) OR is this decomposed particles absolutely come back as a body after sometime hence burial is proposed? So the elapsed time between this process can we say the soul is hidden until it is raised back?
Lastly, I heard many times about this dhega concept and have some understanding about it but I would like to know more on your views in line with sanmarga about thoola dega/sukma/kaarana may be in a separate article too.,