Metaphysical aspect of Pitra Paksha.

Metaphysical aspect of Pitra Paksha.
Pitra Paksha has more to it than just
paying homage to the dead and departed ancestors of the family.

Every year, around Sept-Oct, India gets ready to observe Pitra Paksah. Pitra means ancestors and Paksha means fortnight. A fortnight to pay reverential homage to the dead and departed ancestors of the family.

The Story

Yamaraja, the god of death, takes control of the soul after death and then decides the onward journey of the departed soul using the karmic principles.
The story says that at this time of the year, Yamaraja is deeply saddened by sheer painful nature of his task. For a change, He takes a fortnight off and goes on a pilgrimage.
During his 'absence' the control on the departed soul is loosened, and it is believed that the departed souls get a chance to communicate with their descendant and accept offerings.

Few Questions
	What is death?
	Who is Yamaraja?
	Departed souls - what world belongs to them? Where do they live?

What is Death?
When a house becomes old and dilapidated and is ready to fall apart or falls apart for some reasons - the dweller of the house leaves the building and moves into another. The building 'dies', the dweller moves to a new location.
This is how death is seen in Indian philosophy. Body is seen as a house, you as a dweller.
When the body falls apart, the dweller (Soul) moves to a new location. This goes on endlessly.
The 'you' never die, body always dies.
Bottom-line of Indian thought : There is just no way 'you' can die; there is just no way body can live on.

Yama
The Sanskrit word Yama means to control, to regulate, discipline ( Niyama)
Take out the phenomenon of death and you would end up with a chaotic world with no regulations and controls. Yama uses death as a tool to regulate and control.
Personified version of Yama is Yamaraja.
Yama is a highly metaphysical concept in Hinduism. It tries to convey that nature is regulated and controlled for greater cause, and that we got to understand and appreciate that in a positive way.

Two examples :
1. Einstein came up with astounding theory of relativity at age 26. Imagine a super matured Einstein brain at the age of 260 or 2600. Perhaps, such a matured brain would have had all the answers about life, universe, matter etc..
But Yama thinks differently. And Yama attaches little significance to science (vigyan), anyway.

Yama is all about a very positive appreciation of why regulation and controls are essential. This is the reason why understanding and appreciation of Yama is the first step required to be initiated into 8-fold path of Yoga.
When we join a Yoga class and start bending our body into yoga postures, most of us have no clue that yoga postures constitute the 3rd stage of 8-fold yoga discipline.
Yama is the first.
If you have not understood the first step of Yoga ie Yama properly - you are not not eligible to go for Yoga postures.

Land of departed souls
Many worlds : Many planes of existence.

Many planes of existence - this is the most appropriate phrase which can be used to explain how Indian philosophy looks at many worlds and many forms of life.
So where are these worlds, these planes of existence?

Those are all here and now.

You are in fact at all times surrounded by an ocean of multiple worlds and various other forms of life.
For example, you are all the time surrounded by an ocean of cell phone signals of various frequencies. You don't see those signals. But they are there all the time.

To visualize this better, Imagine this :
- This is your room as you watch two of your buddies snore away into dream land.

Buddy A is wandering in the dream-land of a city by a lake.
Buddy B (though bachelor) is in a vegetable market with his 'wife'.

Where are those 2 worlds or dream lands existing?	In your room.
Is the dream-worlds A and B visible to you	No
Are the things and objects of dream world A conflicting with dream world B ?	No
Things and objects in your room conflicting or obstructing the dream-worlds of A or B?	No
Is there any way you can communicate with A and B with out waking them and bringing them at par with your own world (C)?	No
Is the respective dream-world real to person A and B?	YES
Is your own world, from where you watch A & B, real to you?	YES

This is how many planes of existence surround you here and now - including the so called world of ghosts and spirits. They exist in a parallel fashion; they cut and float into each other with out disturbing or interfering.

If you carefully reflect and ponder over how dreamer A and B are creating their respective lokas, it would become clear to you that no amount of science, math, physics, chemistry, biology, medical science, astronomy, cosmology etc. would be ever helpful in having dreamer A communicate with dreamer B.

Our own plane of existence is called mrituya loka.
So tomorrow if NASA is able to communicate with an ET, the whole exercise is still in mrituya loka.
Dreamer A , who is confined to his dream about a city by lake has now added some more creatures (ET) to his dream apart from the human beings.
But he is still confined to his A dream-domain.

No amount of advancement in science in coming days or years or ages would be ever helpful in having dreamer A communicate with dreamer B.
More you add to science more it expands the domain of dreamer A or B.

The approach of science is different and for this reason Vigyan ( Science, math, physics, chemistry, biology etc.) is respected in Indian philosophy but is seen as having certain inherent limitations imposed by maya (theory of illusion). Therefore, in Indian philosophy vigyan (science) is not used as a tool to explore the fundamental questions of life, birth, death, matter and universe.

It is in this context science is also seen as incapable of having the right perspective and tools to facilitate communication with other planes of existence.

( We would not go into too much of details here)

Communicating with the other planes of existence.
At this time of the year the process of Yama opens a fortnight of window for inter-plane communication, making the whole communication lot easier.

And for what?

To say a polite but emphatic final goodbye to the pitras (ancestors, deceased parents).
This is what the symbolic Pinda / Tilanjali ritual (offering sesame seeds) is about.
This is what the word Tilanjali means - to repudiate, disown, disconnect, snap relations.
Your bonds were deep; their bereavement aches your heart - and in turn they haven't forgotten you. Their heart aches too!

Pitra Paksha is a time to reflect on the mysteries such as how from nowhere you are born to a certain family in a certain location. How the bonds take shape and how those bonds influence and shape your life. And then, one day, people shaping your life disappear. Where?

Pitra Paksha is also the time to remember that you too are going to be in that role sooner or later.

Now consider this:
You had deeply affectionate bonds with the kith and kin in your previous birth.
Then you died.
Now, you are an ancestor (Pitra) to them.
They fondly remember you.
In your previous birth, you couldn't live without them for a minute. They have been weeping, crying, and their heart aches remembering you every minute since the time you departed them.
Especially, this time of the year, they remember you all the more and they pay reverential homage to you and send their fond memories.

Ever thought of yourself in the role of a Pitra?