Between heaven and hell!


The idea of a heaven and hell is central to and so ingrained in all major religions of the world that it seems almost instinctive to mankind’s spiritual evolution. Almost all the spiritual gurus, prophets and messiahs preach nobility of thought and action, founded on the premise of a benevolent ‘Heaven’, where one gets rewarded for the good deeds, and a malevolent ‘Hell’ where punishment is meted out as divine retribution for ignoble deeds. Most people who believe in God, also believe in this reward and punishment system of the after-life where one gets entry into one or the other House of Judgement depending on which way the scales of their deeds dip. This belief is as prevalent as it is compelling and most people choose to lead a ‘good’ life through this belief. We uphold good deeds like caring for the old and infirm and decry foul ones primarily because on our moment of final departure, we would be answerable for our actions.

At the heart of the whole heaven and hell belief lies a deep rooted fear – the fear of judgement on our last day on earth and it is instilled in us from early days by well meaning parents or grandparents. Had this fear not existed, there would not have been any need to control our dark impulses. There cannot be any law without the psyche of fear governing our better judgement. However, a more subtle feeling that perpetuates this belief is the insecurity that permeates each moment of our ephemeral lives on earth. That, as mortals, we live in a less-than-perfect world. That despite being filled with all earthly comforts and pleasures, our world is subject to a lot of ugliness and negativity, which is why the ultimate goal of human existence is stated to be a union with the ‘perfect’ Being that is, God. All spiritual texts and religious leaders preach that. That our world is impermanent and imperfect and ultimately, we have to get out of it and continue the journey of our soul towards salvation. That perfection, in any pursuit, is the final destination and so, this world must be given up in the final pursuit of the soul.

The other aspect of this philosophy is the emphasis it places on the value of individual action, as against what is pre-ordained by divinity. Thus all spiritual teachers and prophets, whether it is Jesus or Krishna or Mohammad, exhort their followers to follow a path of good deeds and refrain from foul ones in their pursuit of salvation. However, having obtained enlightenment for themselves, they cannot grant enlightenment to their followers or make the world a better place. They can only direct us, lead us on the path to attain salvation, but cannot actually do it on our behalf. The action has to come from the individual alone and that is where the buck stops. So Krishna exhorted Arjun to pick up the bow and shoot, though he could end the battle right there. And Jesus went through the crucifixion and bled, though he could heal the wounds of others. But they chose to act within the bounds of grand scheme of human existence and to fulfill its divine predicament, Action is indispensable. Because Action is, truly, the only path to salvation. Act one must, good or bad, given the situation and our role in it, and for that we must get evaluated. This is a test of life in which one cannot be marked absent. One has to appear, and one has to go through the assessment. The cumulative effect of our deeds, big and small, that would determine the next course of journey for our souls, whether the road ahead would be strewn with boulders or laid out in red carpet. To act, therefore, is imperative. To act, in accordance with the natural order of justice is our true objective. And to experience the repercussions of our actions, our destiny. Into these basic tenets, all religions finally unfold their substance.

The intention of the originators of the great thoughts and the sages of divine experience were all wonderful. But, time has its own say in every matter and things slowly get diluted as time passes on. The pure gets adulterated until it loses all content, meaning and reality. The worst mistake that we can do in anything is to go to the extreme in it. Even truth can become untruth, when it is taken to the extreme.