Sailing the Sea of Life
A Man Gets a Glimpse of the Transition Between Life and Death
By N-JY
When I was a child, I often wondered about what happened when someone died. I was told that Soul left the body behind at death and then entered heaven. But I didn't understand how this actually happened. It wasn't until years later that the Mahanta gave me a sneak peek into the mystery of death.
One day, my neighbor died. He was a wonderful man. But because he had a problem with alcohol, many of the people in our village didn't want to be around him. They couldn't see he actually had a great love for life.
Yet, in some way, he and I were connected. Sometimes when I saw him late at night, he would put his arm around me like an old friend, and I would walk him home. We had a close bond.
So when he passed over, I decided to go to his funeral service at the local church to pay my respects.
When I arrived at the church, I was surprised to see it was almost full. Apparently, this Soul had secretly touched the lives of many people. Now they had come to say good-bye.
Entering the church, I immediately felt the strong presence of the Mahanta, the Inner Master. Divine love flowed through me, opening my heart. As I looked around, I noticed a model of a sailing vessel hung from the ceiling. All of a sudden, my inner eye opened.
I saw my neighbor as Soul standing in a similar ship, the Mahanta by his side. The man's body was made of Light, and in his hands he held a golden anchor. Together, my neighbor and the Mahanta were sailing toward a golden stairway that led back home to heaven.
When the ship reached the stairway, my neighbor cast off the anchor and ascended the stairs toward an archway at the top. He was so happy as he stepped through that archway into the next world to begin his new life.
This experience showed me that life continues beyond death.
Although we will miss our loved ones, the transition is really a cause for celebration. Soul has reached an important goal and is now ready for another adventure sailing the sea of life.
Excerpted from the 2010 Eckankar Journal, copyright © 2009 ECKANKAR. All rights reserved.
