In the Republic, Book X, it detailed the account of a soldier Er who returned to the earthly realm 10 days after his death. He was told in the other realm that he would be a messenger and that he must witness what he saw in the other realm and share when he returns. Some extracts from The Republic, Book X For impiety toward gods and parents, and personal homicide, he described still heavier retribution.
"The souls which arrived from time to time appeared to have arrive from a long journey, and were glad to come out into the meadow. The souls that came out of the earth asked the others news of their part, and the souls from heaven asked those what befell in their place. They recounted their histories to each other;-those weeping and lamenting when they recalled what they had suffered and seen in their sojourn underground-the sojourn, they said lasted a thousand years; on the other hand, the souls out of heaven told of bliss and sights incredibly beautiful." Christianity talked about 7th heaven (maybe the lower heaven level were sent down). Buddhism also mentioned about many different heavenly realms. Each had paid satisfaction to all persons that he had wronged, and for each offence in turn ten times. To make the payment for each wrong tenfold.
On reincarnation. After the lots were drawn, the souls will choose which form they are going to reincarnate. The drawer of the first soul (from heaven) chose the greatest tyranny, in his folly and greed he did not in choosing examine all the details. The soul which had been Orpheus chose a swan’s life, through hatred of womankind, because women killed him, and therefore he would not be conceived and born of a woman. Now I understand why Buddha said forgive and do not let hatred dominate you and Jesus said forgive and love your enemy. When all the souls had chosen their lives in the order of their lots, they travelled to the plain of Oblivion. Every soul had to drink the River of Neglectfulness, to forget everything. (This is similar to the Chinese version of drinking Mengpo soup.)
It is amazing this account is similar to the Chinese’s version of reincarnation, judgement and drinking of mengpo. This is similar to many accounts by those near-death experience (nde) survivor of seeing beautiful heavenly realm. Why do I believe in nde’s accounts? Because the website owner will ask for medical record to check and through his discretion publish it.
In one of the accounts from near-death experience, Duane share, "
"My death was not just falling asleep into a state of nothingness forever. Rather it was an awakening to a reality I couldn’t imagine. As I was greeted by those I loved, I felt as if I were dissolving into the most intense love I had ever known. The love rolled over me like the waves of a great tsunami; a happy, joyous love full of anticipation, promise, and closure. No words were exchanged. Thoughts moved instantaneously, with perfect clarity, from one part of the eternal mind to another; without the ability to withhold or judge anything. It was all an expression and celebration of love. On earth, this reunion would have been unfathomable, between members of an ancient soul group who were celebrating the return home of one of their own. Slowly, as I looked at those gathered to greet me, I realized they were all there. Surprisingly they were not only from this life, but also from a prior life in Germany. I realized that the same souls have possibly played different parts in my multiple lives.
My joy deepened as I realized that I had only left behind an earthly vestige of those I love. The essence of each of those souls, was also here with me now. Besides my friends and family, there were the friendly Germans who had been hauntingly familiar while I was a young soldier in Germany. Now I knew why they seemed so familiar at the time, they had been friends and family from a prior lifetime there. I now understood that I had left nothing behind on earth. The eternal essences of all my loved ones from that life, as well as all other incarnations, were all here to greet me. All I had left behind was a character, playing a role in a drama that we had chosen to experience. In the meantime, our real eternal essence remained in God’s realm. Suddenly, it was all so simple. "
I think it is a blessing that we are born with human forms as we have the opportunity for spiritual cultivation. Just look at this earthly realm which we share with billions of other beings in the animal realm be it from sky, earth and water.(ocean, sea, river, lake).
The most important thing is to love, live with awareness, help others and give our all in this life so that we do not waste this precious gift of life. That's why there is a saying, If you want to know your past life, look at your present life. If you want to know your future, look at what you are doing now.
Human realm. Image from google.com
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