The course of the soul after death, and its attaining to God

Citra and Svetaketu concerning the path to God

1.1 Citra Gangyayani, verily, being about to hold an act of worship, chose Aruni to lead it. He then dispatched his son Svetaketu, saying: "You lead the worship." When he had arrived, Citra asked of him: "Son of Gautama, is there a world beyond death in which you will place me? Or is there any road? Will you place me in its world?"

Then he said: "I know not this. However, let me ask the teacher." Then he went to his father and asked: "Thus and so has he asked me. How should I answer?"

Then he said: "I too know not this. Let us pursue study at his residence, and get what our betters give. Come! Let us both go."

Then, fuel in hand, he returned to Citra Gangyayani, and said: "Let me come to you as a pupil."

To him then he said: "Worthy of sacred knowledge are you, O Gautama, who have gone not unto conceit. Come! I will cause you to understand."

The testing at the door of the heavenly world

1.2 Then he said: "Those who, verily, depart from this world, all go to the judgment of their Lord. This, verily, is the door of the heavenly world. Whoever answers rightly, him God lets go further. But whoever answers not, him God judges according to his deeds and according to his knowledge.

When he comes thither he is asked: "Who are you?"

He should reply:

"I am Your servant, O Lord. By Your command the seasons have run their course, and by Your command was I created from a drop of seed. As such You sent me in a man as an agent. In a mother You formed me. So was I brought forth in due time by Your will. For the knowledge of this was I created, and for the knowledge of the opposite of this was I tried. So bring me, in Your mercy, on to immortality. By this truth, by this austerity, I am Your servant. Who am I? I am Your servant."

He lets him go further.

The way to the Garden

1.3 Having entered upon this path leading to the Garden, he comes to the world of those who have gone before him in light, and then onward through the heavens, by the leave of his Lord. This Garden, verily, has the lake of refreshment, the moments of delight, the river of agelessness, the tree of blessing, the city of peace, the unconquered abode, the two gates with angels as door-keepers, the spacious hall, the couches of splendor, and the beloved companions, pure and kind, who weave garlands of flowers, and the rivers. To it comes he who knows this. To him God says: "Receive him! By My mercy he has reached the river of agelessness. He will not grow old."

The knower's welcome in the Garden

1.4 Unto him there go forth five hundred companions, one hundred with fruits in their hands, one hundred with ointments in their hands, one hundred with garlands in their hands, one hundred with vestments in their hands, one hundred with powdered aromatics in their hands. They adorn him with the adornment of the Garden. He, having been adorned with the adornment of the Garden, a knower of his Lord, goes on toward his Lord. He comes to the lake of refreshment. This he crosses with his mind. On coming to it, those who know only the immediate, sink. He comes to the moments of delight. These run away from him. He comes to the river of agelessness. This he crosses with his mind alone. There he is freed from fear and grief. Then, just as one driving a chariot looks down upon the two chariot-wheels, thus he looks down upon day and night, and upon all the pairs of opposites. This one, free from every burden, a knower of his Lord, goes on to his Lord.

Approaching the presence of the Lord

1.5 He comes to the tree of blessing; the fragrance of the Garden enters into him.

He comes to the city of peace; the flavor of the Garden enters into him.

He comes to the unconquered abode; the brilliancy of the Garden enters into him.

He comes to the two gates and the angels who keep them; the angels welcome him with peace.

He comes to the spacious hall; the glory of the Garden enters into him.

He comes to the couches of splendor, resting in the presence of his Lord.

There the angels ask him: "Who are you?" To him he should answer:

Servant of the One True God

1.6 "I am Your servant. By Your command I was brought forth from the womb of space, by Your command the seasons and the year run their course. You are the Lord of every single being. Whatever is, is by Your will."

To him the angels say: "Who is the One whom you worship?"

He should say: "The Real."

"What is that, namely the Real?"

"Whatever is beyond the senses and the vital breaths, that is the Real. But as for the senses and the vital breaths, they are His creation. He is the Real, who encompasses this whole world by His knowledge and power."

Thus the angels speak to him then.

1.7 Then they say to him: "By what do you perceive names?"

"By the breath that God gave me," he should answer.

"By what do you speak?"

"By speech."

"By what do you think?"

"By the mind."

"By what do you perceive odors?"

"By the breath."

"By what do you perceive forms?"

"By the eye."

"By what do you perceive sounds?"

"By the ear."

"By what do you perceive the flavors of food?"

"By the tongue."

"By what do you do actions?"

"By the two hands."

"By what do you know pleasure and pain?"

"By the body."

"By what do you know delight and bring forth children?"

"By the generative organ."

"By what do you go from place to place?"

"By the two feet."

"By what do you think thoughts, understand what is to be understood, and form desires?"

"By the intelligence that God gave me," he should say.

To him God says: "The Garden is yours." Whatever attainment is in the Garden, that attainment he attains who knows this, yea, who knows this!