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Life Beyond Death
Unlike many books on Spiritualism,the present work does not narrate the legends and tales of ghosts and other supernatural beings.methods and systems of presentation of the subject. The author offers dispassionate view on spiritualism with it's bright and dark sides. He warns those who would dabble in the spirit world that they are asking for trouble.
- GenresSpirituality
280 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1944
43 people are currently reading
723 people want to read
About the author
Abhedananda
192 books41 followersSwāmi Abhedānanda (Bengali: স্বামী অভেদানন্দ), born Kaliprasad Chandra (Bengali: কালীপ্রসাদ চন্দ্র) was a sanyasin associated with the Bengali Rennaisance of Vaisnavite Vedanta. Swami Vivekananda encouraged him to head the Vedanta Society, New York in 1897, and spread the message of Vedanta, a theme on which he authored several books. In 1921 he returned to India, and the next year he traveled to Tibet to study with the lamas there. He later founded the Ramakrishna Vedanta Math in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and Darjeeling, India. At the time of his death, he was last surviving direct disciple of the 19th century mystic Sri Ramakrishna.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 21, 2013
sometimes i used to wonder,"are ghosts for real?" i mean, we always see these movies or t.v. series and read them in books. in fact some of my family members have even claimed to have seen them. and what about all the questions about afterlife. is there any separate existence of soul and body or is it the same entity?
these questions are somewhat successfully answered by this book. emphasis on the word "somewhat". because according to the author, humans or supernatural beings are incapable of answering these queries with clarity. so reading this book i thought that i will find something miraculous but even when the curtains came down there were so much more to discover. however the author is a spiritually learned scholar so this book will interest you. moreover there is so much more in this book than just ghosts.
these questions are somewhat successfully answered by this book. emphasis on the word "somewhat". because according to the author, humans or supernatural beings are incapable of answering these queries with clarity. so reading this book i thought that i will find something miraculous but even when the curtains came down there were so much more to discover. however the author is a spiritually learned scholar so this book will interest you. moreover there is so much more in this book than just ghosts.
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April 7, 2014I read this book before..now want to read again..
May 4, 2020
“Life beyond Death” is a collection of lectures delivered by Swami Abhedananda in the United States. Unlike most books on the subject which mainly record encounters with ghosts and other kinds of paranormal activities, this book looks at the mystery from a soundly rational and scientific perspective.
Initially in the 1st half of the book it imparts various knowledge regarding soul, death and rebirth, also does a comparative study among the religions of the world and parallely discusses the hindu/vedantic view on the same matters.
Then in the 2nd half of the book, it delves into the realms of dead or what is beyond this physical. With astonishing detail it describes various intricacies with which the law of Karma works, it also
describes author's first hand experience with spirits.
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The lectures initially focus on providing rational arguments against the material theory of consciousness, which states that consciousness originates as a result of brain activity and therefore once death happens, consciousness also ends and so there is no such thing as a life beyond death. Later in the book, Swami Abhedananda also rallies against many dogmatic ideas present in Christian theology regarding the fate of the soul after death: such as the philosophies of eternal damnation to hell, resurrection of the physical body after death and the belief that the soul has a birth, but no death.
Initially in the 1st half of the book it imparts various knowledge regarding soul, death and rebirth, also does a comparative study among the religions of the world and parallely discusses the hindu/vedantic view on the same matters.
Then in the 2nd half of the book, it delves into the realms of dead or what is beyond this physical. With astonishing detail it describes various intricacies with which the law of Karma works, it also
describes author's first hand experience with spirits.
-------------
The lectures initially focus on providing rational arguments against the material theory of consciousness, which states that consciousness originates as a result of brain activity and therefore once death happens, consciousness also ends and so there is no such thing as a life beyond death. Later in the book, Swami Abhedananda also rallies against many dogmatic ideas present in Christian theology regarding the fate of the soul after death: such as the philosophies of eternal damnation to hell, resurrection of the physical body after death and the belief that the soul has a birth, but no death.
June 16, 2024
"মরণের পারে" - স্বামী অভেদানন্দ
মৃত্যুর পর কি হয়? আত্মার ও কি মৃত্যু হয় না পুনর্জন্ম হয়? অমরতা, পরলোকতত্ত্ব, প্রেততত্ত্ব কি? মৃত্যুর পর দেহ ও মনের কি হয়? এই সব নানান জটিল প্রশ্নের বৈজ্ঞানিক ও আধ্যাতিক ব্যাখ্যা আছে এই বইটিতে।
মৃত্যুকে আমাদের ভয় করার কিছু নেই। মৃত্যু পরিবর্তন বা অবস্থার বিবর্তন ছাড়া অন্য কিছু নয়। আসলে মৃত্যুর সময় জড়দেহটাকেই আমরা পুরাতন ব'লে ত্যাগ করি। প্রত্যেকের জন্যই একটা অনন্ত জীবন আছে, কোন জীবনই বিফলে যায় না।
মৃত্যুর পর কি হয়? আত্মার ও কি মৃত্যু হয় না পুনর্জন্ম হয়? অমরতা, পরলোকতত্ত্ব, প্রেততত্ত্ব কি? মৃত্যুর পর দেহ ও মনের কি হয়? এই সব নানান জটিল প্রশ্নের বৈজ্ঞানিক ও আধ্যাতিক ব্যাখ্যা আছে এই বইটিতে।
মৃত্যুকে আমাদের ভয় করার কিছু নেই। মৃত্যু পরিবর্তন বা অবস্থার বিবর্তন ছাড়া অন্য কিছু নয়। আসলে মৃত্যুর সময় জড়দেহটাকেই আমরা পুরাতন ব'লে ত্যাগ করি। প্রত্যেকের জন্যই একটা অনন্ত জীবন আছে, কোন জীবনই বিফলে যায় না।
July 9, 2019
Had first read it in my school days, then as an adult but now after losing my mother suddenly it has served as a pacifier and embalmed the unhealing wound. It helps in paving the quest for meeting the departed soul.
August 29, 2017
Epic book to relax your nerves and think in a more positive light about life and the after life.
August 15, 2018
Excellent
July 30, 2019
Nothing
June 21, 2021
Re-read some portions of the Book today while trying to write an article on time.
A question and answer portion from appendix C re-attracted me.
Page 249 of the Book.
Do souls not enter then into a lonely and foreign realm after death? Is it the same condition with all the spirits?
The answer: Yes. Just to make it clear, let us take an example. Suppose you are an inhabitant of a large and thickly populated city like Calcutta. There happens a terrible earthquake in a dead dark night resulting a total devastation of the whole city. The houses fall to pieces and the whole city appears like a vast desert enveloped with deep darkness. Then if you are allowed to move and walk freely with your eyes blind-fold, what will be your condition? Just imagine. Such is the wretched condition of the earthbound spirits after death. Ordinary earthbound souls only suffer from it. The case of the virtuous souls is entirely different. They move easily and freely, and can see their ways with the light of their own knowledge and purity.
So with knowledge and purity we acquire light of our own. If that is so, then to reach the world of light, we must acquire knowledge and be pure. When one realizes the self, there is no more darkness. All light. Time exists in darkness. I wonder whether my conclusions are correct or not
A question and answer portion from appendix C re-attracted me.
Page 249 of the Book.
Do souls not enter then into a lonely and foreign realm after death? Is it the same condition with all the spirits?
The answer: Yes. Just to make it clear, let us take an example. Suppose you are an inhabitant of a large and thickly populated city like Calcutta. There happens a terrible earthquake in a dead dark night resulting a total devastation of the whole city. The houses fall to pieces and the whole city appears like a vast desert enveloped with deep darkness. Then if you are allowed to move and walk freely with your eyes blind-fold, what will be your condition? Just imagine. Such is the wretched condition of the earthbound spirits after death. Ordinary earthbound souls only suffer from it. The case of the virtuous souls is entirely different. They move easily and freely, and can see their ways with the light of their own knowledge and purity.
So with knowledge and purity we acquire light of our own. If that is so, then to reach the world of light, we must acquire knowledge and be pure. When one realizes the self, there is no more darkness. All light. Time exists in darkness. I wonder whether my conclusions are correct or not
December 23, 2015
Discusses the eternal dilemma that runs in the human mind - Is a human being being annihilated at the point of death or is there life after death? People and arguments exist in support of both. Which then is true?
A systematic, structured and logical enquiry into the question. Lucid. A very good read.
A systematic, structured and logical enquiry into the question. Lucid. A very good read.
December 19, 2016
This is best book to read anyone to understand the life cycle. Not necessary to be religion person to read this book. This book gives with scientific and practical example like big tree resides in small seeds, worm inside mango.. same way the soul presence in everything.. blissful reading.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews