Death is Not the End

Time, according to western thought, runs in a straight line.
However, ancient Indian scholars believed that time runs in a circle.

Consequently, western religions believe in one lifetime.
There is no return since the time moves only forward.
So they believe that when life on earth ends, people go to heaven or hell - and remain there for eternity.

The ancient Indian scholars observed nature and noticed that everything works in cycles.
The sun, moon, stars - day and night - the winter, summer, and rainy seasons - all come and go in set patterns - in fixed cycles.

So, they thought that since everything in nature works in cycles, life must also come and go in a circle.

Hence, they established a theory - not of heaven and hell - but reincarnation.

They also noticed that things or objects - (known as matter) - do not vanish or get destroyed entirely.
They only change the form or shape.
Water evaporates - becomes clouds, and comes back in the form of rain.
When plants and animals die, they eventually turn into ashes or dust and become part of the earth - and ultimately, become a part of the living organisms.

Similarly, they thought, the consciousness may never vanish either - it must also come back in a new body - and life continues afresh - in cycles.

Science now believes in the continuity of DNA from generation to generation - which they did not know a couple of centuries ago.
Similarly, as of now - they do not believe in the continuity of consciousness. However, someone might find its proof in the near future - that just like matter, consciousness also never dies - never disappears.

According to Indian ideologies, life expresses itself in cycles - not in a straight line with a complete dead end.
Nature ends all old and weary life forms and starts them afresh - in a new cycle.

And when a new cycle begins, there is a freshness in it.
There is a new sense of hope. 

New fresh energy to continue from where one had left off in the previous life and move forward - towards the new, higher levels of consciousness.

Death - is not the end of life.
It's a process - for a new beginning.
                                    ' Rajan Sachdeva '