The End of the Body

1. "The one who is Knowledgeable (the Jnani) has been liberated due to Knowledge (Jnana), but how is there rebirth for the one in bondage, and what is it that is born after the end of the body?
2. When the person in bondage dies, nothing remains there. There is even a loss of awareness (janiva) at the time of death."
3. This is the doubt that was raised by the listeners. Listen to its answer. The speaker says, "Please do not become restless and inattentive at this time."
4. The five vital energies (pranas) leave their places in the body. The pranas and lingering desires intermingle together as they leave the body.
5. The latent desires (vasanas) leave the body like the wind. Remaining for some time in a form like that of wind, the desire takes a birth according to the intention.
6. Many beings die, and because of their desires those beings come back again. If their death was caused by some damage to the body, they may be born with some injury to their hands and legs.
7. For example, when someone gets snakebite and goes into some unconscious state he is desireless for some time, and then when the effects of the bite disappear after a few days and he becomes conscious again, the desires also come back again.
8. Many fall down as dead bodies and by some means or another are made alive again and brought back from the house of the God of Death.
9. There are tales of many who in the past have been cursed and were turned into some other form of body, and then when the curse was lifted, they reverted back to their original body.
10. Many have taken numerous births, and many are known to have even entered in the body of another. There are countless cases like this.
11. The prana leaves the body like wind being exhaled, and this form of wind mixed together with the momentum of desires is what takes a birth.
12. There are many various attitudes of the mind, and in these attitudes is where desire is born. When looking, this is not seen, but still it is there.
13. Understand that desire is tied to the sense of being conscious, or aware. This consciousness is tied like a fiber to the Primal Illusion, and is intermixed in it in the form of a cause or motive.
14. The cause is present in the universe, and it functions in the body in the form of actions. This is not possible to understand through guesswork.
15. But it is there in very subtle form, like as is the case with the true nature of wind. All of the gods as well as all beings in creation are only in the form of wind.
16. The wind undergoes many modifications. Even when looking for it, the wind cannot be seen. Similarly, the desires of the conscious state are present at a subtle level.
17. The three gunas and five elements are intermixed in the wind. This should not be considered false because one cannot see them.
18. Wind moves about spontaneously, but still we can come to know pleasant aromas and offensive smells it carries, and it can be seen that hot things gets cooled, and that hot living beings are pacified by the wind.
19. Because of the wind, the clouds and even the stars in the heavens move. All of the functions of creation happen because of wind.
20. It is only because of some form of wind that some deities or spirits can enter the body, and only by the power of wind that dead bodies can become alive again.
21. It is only because of the power of wind that a spirit possessing someone will be dispelled, or that some hidden treasure might be found, or that someone caught up in difficulties is relieved.
22. The force of the wind cannot speak independently. Only when it fills a body does a person move and bend. Many beings have taken birth because desire in the wind.
23. Like this, are the modifications of wind. Its expanse cannot be understood. Everything animate and inanimate in the entire universe exists because of wind.
24. Wind in its static form supports the creation. Wind in its restless form creates the motion of the universe. If you do not understand, inquire into this and think about it deeply. Then you will understand.
25. From the beginning until the end, it is wind alone that does everything. If there is anything other than wind that has such capacity, I ask a clever person to explain it to me.
26. The Primal Illusion is in the form of consciousness, or awareness. This consciousness is in many beings in the universe in its manifest state. It functions in the universe when it is revealed as well as when it is concealed and unmanifest.
27. It conceals itself somewhere, and then reveals itself somewhere else, much like water that springs up and then vanishes and then comes flowing back again from the earth.
28. Similarly, the wind is like this consciousness. It arises and vanishes continuously. Some times it is moving and sometimes it is still, and sometimes it unnecessarily makes noise.
29. When the wind goes away from the body, the hands and feet shrivel up, and when the wind moves fire it burns up the crops ready to be harvested.
30. Many diseases are caused by different types of wind causing pain and misery on the earth. Even the lightning crashes loudly in the sky because of the wind.
31. The various musical moods are played because of the wind. One can definitely recognize and identify them. It can also be recognized that certain lamps get lit, and even the clouds give rain because of these musical moods caused by the wind.
32. Because of the power of the moving wind, people get hypnotized by the spoken word. Because of wind wounds get dried up, and it is only because of the wind that mantras are effective.
33. With the power of wind in mantras, gods can be called to manifest, spirits can be dispelled, and magic tricks and spells can be performed.
34. Because of the power of the wind, the hypnotic tricks of demons cannot be understood, even by the gods. Many strange things occur, such as a person becoming paralyzed or hypnotized, all by the power of the wind.
35. Because of the wind, a person in good condition can be made to go mad, and a mad person can be brought back to normal. There are so many modifications of the wind, how many can be told?
36. By the power of the wind in mantras wars can be conducted by the gods, and even sages become proud. Who knows all of the greatness of the power of mantras?
37. By the power of the wind in mantras birds can be made to fall dead, rats and wild animals can be bound, great snakes can be made to remain still, and one may gain great sums of money.
38. Now, let this be enough of this discussion. The listener's question about how the birth of an ignorant person comes to be experienced has been answered.