After a loved one dies, many people are unsure what they should do with their belongings. The purpose of this article is to provide a guide to the surviving relatives.
At a principle level, we can keep a few things in mind. The actions we take with regard to belongings of the deceased need to help them reduce their attachments and help them move on in their afterlife.
The vibrations of the deceased person remain in their belongings that they leave behind. Death of a person means an increase in subtle basic Tama component in the environment. If there was an associated illness leading to death, the subtle basic Tama component is further accentuated. In addition to this, if the deceased was suffering distress by ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) before, at the time of death or after, the person using the dead person’s belongings is likely to suffer a corresponding amount of distress.
The following are some of the things one can do after a relative has died to help the deceased break his attachment to his belongings and to protect oneself from the distressing effect of the subtle basic Tama frequencies emanating from the belongings.
- It is best to burn the clothes worn by the deceased at the time of his death and at the time of his cremation/burial as they are affected the most by the distressing subtle basic Tama frequencies. The ashes can be immersed in the sea.
- Sprinkle holy water (i.e. water plus holy ash) all over the dead person’s room. This will help to reduce the Tama component that is generated in the atmosphere at the time of death.
- The whole family can chant the spiritual chant of ‘Shrī Gurudev Datta’. The chant can also be played continuously at a low volume in the dead person’s room. By continuously playing the chant of ‘Shri Gurudev Datta’ for about a year, the premises is purified and the subtle body of the deceased also gains momentum in its onward journey in the afterlife.
- For items the deceased was very attached to, it is best to give them to a deserving spiritual organisation. As it is given to deserving spiritual organisations, the resolve of God becomes functional. The vibrations of the deceased in his belongings are destroyed and the subtle body gains momentum in its journey after death. This is because merits are accrued due to this donation to the deserving. By ‘deserving’, we mean those organisations that help people realise their true spiritual purpose in life.
- For items that the deceased was not much attached to, family members may use them after a period of six months by which time the vibrations of the dead person would have been removed due to the purification by the spiritual chant.
- Pictures of the deceased should be taken down in the house.
Having the pictures of dead relatives in the house fuels their attachment for their previous Earthly life and their previous family. This in turn impedes their progress in their onward spiritual journey. In some cases it makes the departed ancestor Earthbound in their home.
- If a will has been drawn out by the deceased it should be honoured so that his wishes do not remain unfulfilled.
The importance of putting the above steps into practice is that this is one of the deciding factors in the deceased moving on or getting stuck in the Earth region. For our own complete protection, regular spiritual practice that pertains to the six basic principles in spiritual practice is suggested.
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