1914-2012

I have spent a huge chunk of my time the past few days folding paper gold ingots for my beloved grandmother who has just passed away on Tuesday.  As I fold, I could not help but think that a lot of the rituals are more for the living than the deceased.  As our family got together to recite prayers and fold paper gold ingots in the days leading up to the funeral, there was a great sense of support and togetherness that I was truly grateful for.

I believe that after we die, all that is left is our consciousness and that realm is nothing like the material world.  We no longer have a body- we do not need clothes, there is also no need for food and water to sustain life and certainly do not need cars to get around.  We are no longer limited by our body and there is no sense of division.  We are one with the Consciousness.  I believe this universal Consciousness is normally being referred to as God.  I have trouble believing that Heaven is literally made up of mountains and rivers, birds and flowers, jewels and treasures, etc.  I believe that it is only being described this way to translate 'Heaven' into the human language, i.e. to instill feelings of peace, calm, unity and fulfillment. Heaven, I believe, is a state of mind rather than a place.

Similarly, perhaps the great Sages came up with all these rituals to evoke a certain atmosphere.  I do not believe the paper gold ingot we burn would turn into spending money in the spiritual realm, but I believe that by working and being together, we found solace in each other's company and that the motivation behind our actions- our shared love for my grandmother could be felt by her, even though she is no longer with us physically.