薄伽梵歌 8.6

临终时的念头决定了下一世的诞生。一个人一生中最主要的思想会在临终时占据其心智。临终时的主导思想，正是他在正常生活中最常关注的。最后的念头决定了下一世所获得身体的性质或特征，正如人所思，人便所是。一个人通过先前的实践所创造的习气（Samskaras）的力量，是其在死亡时能够忆起这些习气的原因。那些一生中实践敬拜神的人，在临终时能够忆起他们的守护神。这里可以应用黄蜂和毛虫的比喻（Bhramara-Kita-Nyaya）。毛虫不断地忆念黄蜂，最终转化成黄蜂。同样，不断忆念其守护神的人，也会与该神灵变得同一。南迪克什瓦拉（Nandikesvara）就是一个例子，他不断地思念他的主，并获得了与主相似的形体。如果你一生中不断地思念不朽的自我，那么即使在临终时，你也会思念自我，并获得不朽。如果你总是思念你的身体，并将自己等同于可朽的身体，你将一次又一次地投生。如果你在临终时思念你的宠物狗，你将投生为一只狗。贾达巴拉塔王（Raja Jadabharata）在临终时思念他的宠物鹿，因此他投生为一只鹿。每个人都有明确的人生观、思维模式、渴望、欲望和希望，以及明确的性格、气质、品味、秉性和态度。这一切都源于已成为其潜意识一部分的印象。这一切都源于在其心智上留下不可磨灭印记的经历。他总是思念自己的身体和物质需求。他在外在、可朽的客体中寻求幸福。他将自己等同于可朽的身体。他忽视了自己最内在、充满喜悦、不朽的自我，即万物的源泉。他训练自己的身体、感官、心智和智性去追求世俗目标。他忽视了对心智和感官的瑜伽训练。因此，他总是思念自己的身体、面包、饮水和衣物。他忘记了关于神和自我的一切，那个内在的居住者，喜悦和知识的化身，快乐和幸福的源泉。欲望是无止境的。因此，人无法在一生中满足它们。在临终之时，所有印象和欲望的储藏库被搅动，最突出、最强烈和最珍视的欲望浮现到心智或精神意识的表面。这种被搅动出来的“黄油”或“奶油”（珍视的欲望）吸引了他的注意力，以求立即满足。他在临终时只思念那个。正如最旺盛的芒果幼苗在苗圃中突出地生长一样，最强烈的欲望也浮现在心智的表面。如果欲望没有得到满足，他的心智就会被它浸透，并在下一世得到满足。这个欲望将在他的下一世变得非常突出。你自己是你命运的作者。你自己对你的思想、性格、感受、行为和经历负责。你在潜意识中种植了某些世俗欲望和习气，并让它们发芽生长。如果你种植了灵性抱负、解脱的愿望和灵性习气，你将收获不朽和永恒喜悦的果实。你播种什么，就收获什么。那些一生中对自我或其守护神进行持续而深刻冥想的人，将能够以平静的心面对死亡。只有他才能在离世时思念至尊者，并达到至尊者。你应该对神有专属的虔诚。你的整个心智必须完全沉浸在他之中。你不应该让任何外在的世俗印象，其中哪怕有一丝自私的欲望，沉入你的潜意识。这样，你才能在临终时完全思念主，并进入他的本体。

The last thoughts determine the next birth. The most prominent thought of ones life occupies the mind at the time of death. The predominant idea at the time of death is what in normal life has occupied his attention most. The last thought determines the nature or character of the body to be attained next. As a man thinketh? so shall he becometh.The force of Samskaras which one has created by his previous practice is the cause of their remembrance at death. Those who have practised worship of God throughout their life can have remembrance of their tutelary deity at the time of death.The analogy of the wasp and the caterpillar (BhramaraKitaNyaya) can be applied here. The caterpillar constantly remembers the wasp and becomes eventually transformed into a wasp. Even so he who constantly remembers his tutelary deity becomes identical with that deity. Nandikesvara is an example. He constantly thought of his Lord and assumed a form eal to that of the Lord.If you constantly think of the immortal Self during your lifetime? you will entertain the thought of the Self only even at the time of death and will attain immortality. If you always think of your body and identify yourself with the perishable body you will be born again and again. If you think of you pet dog at the time of death you will be born as a dog. Raja Jadabharata thought of his pet deer at the time of his death and so he took the birth of a deer.Every man has a definite outlook on life? definite mode of thinking? definite cravings? desires and hopes? definite character? temperament? taste? disposition and attitude.This is all due to the impressions which have become part and parcel of his subconsciousness. This is all due to experiences which have left their indelible impressions on his mind.He always thinks of his body and physical needs. He searches for his happiness in the external? perishable objects. He identifies himself with the perishable body. He ignores his innermost? allblissful? immortal Self? the source of everything. He trains his body? senses? mind and intellect in worldly pursuits. He ignores the Yogic discipline of the mind and the senses. Therefore he always thinks of his body? bread? drink and clothing. He forgets all about God and the Self? the indweller? an embodiment of bliss and knowledge? fountain of joy and happiness.Desires are endless. Therefore man cannot gratify them in one birth. At the time of death the whole storehouse of impressions and desires is churned out and the most prominent? the strongest and cherished desire comes to the surface of the mind or the field of mental consciousness. This churned up butter or cream (cherished desire) arrests his attention for immediate gratification. He thinks of only that at the time of death. Just as the most vital mango plant shoots up prominently in the nursery? so also the strongest desire shoots up on the surface of the mind. If the desire is not gratified his mind gets saturated with it and it is gratified in his nextbirth. This desire will become very promenent in his next birth.You yourself are the author of your own destiny. You yourself are responsible for your thoughts? character? feelings? actions and experiences. You planted certain worldly desires and Samskaras in your subconscious mind? and allowed them to germinate and grow. If you had planted spiritual aspiration? the desire for liberation and spiritual Samskaras? you would reap the fruit of immortality and eternal bliss. As you sow so shall you reap.He who practises constant and profound meditation on the Self of his own tutelary deity throughout his life will be able to meet death with an unruffled mind. He alone would go to the Supreme? thinking of It at the time of his departure from this world? too. You should have exclusive devotion to God. Your whole mind must be absorbed in Him. You should not allow any outside worldly impressions? wherein there is an iota of selfish desire? to sink into your subconscious mind. Then you can think of the Lord exclusively at the time of death and enter His very Being.