Listen with reverence, as the subtle journey of the soul unfolds after death, described in the ancient wisdom of the scripture. When the embodied being departs, it perceives itself in various ways: sometimes as a framework of bones filled out with form, sometimes as mere empty space, and sometimes in relation to the earth beneath, the sun above, and the realms where celestial beings dwell. Now, understand the distinctions among the departed—pretas—who are of many kinds. There are those who have committed ordinary sins, those with moderate faults, and those burdened with grave misdeeds. Similarly, among the virtuous, there are those of ordinary virtue, those of middling virtue, and those of excellent merit. For some, these qualities are clearly distinct, while for others, two or even all three may be present together. One who is weighed down by great sins, after death, falls into a stupor like death itself, inwardly confused, with a heart hardened as stone. After a time, the stirrings of past impressions awaken him, and he must endure—sometimes for long periods—the uninterrupted suffering that springs from these latent tendencies. Such a soul wanders through hundreds of wombs, moving from one suffering to another, and may find itself lost in the bewildering dream of worldly existence. At times, when the delusion of death ends, the soul is seized by a dullness rooted deep within, overwhelmed by countless sufferings, and may even take birth as a tree or similar form. Again, such souls experience the torments of hell that correspond to their own ingrained tendencies, and only after a long time are they born again in various wombs upon earth. The one with middling sin, however, after the confusion of death, experiences for a while a dullness like being enclosed in stone. Then, after some time—either through some cause or simply by the nature of things—he awakens, takes on various births among animals and other forms, and eventually enters once more into the world of human existence. For the ordinary wrongdoer, after death, a body appears to him that seems whole and intact, shaped according to his own tendencies. Just as in a dream, he perceives things as he imagines them, and in that very moment, such memories arise for him. But those who possess great merit, immediately after death and the confusion that follows, experience with awareness the realms of heaven or the splendid cities of the vidyādharas. After enjoying the fruits of their other actions in these realms, according to their deeds, they are born again in the human world, in auspicious and virtuous places. Those of middling virtue, after death and confusion, see their own body lying below as if they are rising above it. Those of ordinary virtue, at the same moment, are carried by the wind through the sky and enter into plants and sprouts. There, becoming a beautiful fruit, they enter the hearts of people, and from there, they take up residence in a womb as the process of birth unfolds. According to their own tendencies, these departed ones experience such successions at the end of unconsciousness, either gradually or all at once. At first, there is the realization: "We are dead." Then, in succession, those who know say, "We have arisen again through the offerings of rice balls and other gifts by our relatives." Then, the attendants of Yama, bearing the noose of time, declare, "I am being led away by them, and in a moment, I go to the city of Yama." Again and again, gardens, splendid palaces, and auspicious things are obtained by one’s own actions; thus, the virtuous person thinks, "These are due to my merit." Conversely, thorny pits, forests of sword-leaved trees, and other such places are reached as a result of one’s own evil deeds; the sinful person thinks, "These are due to my sin." For the middling person, there is a gentle expanse of earth, cool with green grass, shaded by pleasant trees and ponds, situated before the city—a place of waiting. This is the arrival at the city of Yama, the lord of beings, where the examination of one’s deeds takes place. Thus, each soul encounters the vast forest of transmigration, shining with the activity of all objects as they are established. In the very sky, in emptiness, one who is awakened realizes the self as void. Though appearing to shine with the forms of space, time, action, and extension, there is truly nothing there. From this state, the soul is directed to experience the fruits of its own actions, moving quickly either to an auspicious heaven or to hell. Having enjoyed heaven or endured hell, the soul leaves these wombs behind and is born again in the cycle of existence. "This rice—here I am born, and gradually the fruit is established here"; thus, by awakening to the consequences, one becomes aware. The dormant impressions within a person become like seeds; when such a seed falls into a womb, it becomes an embryo in the mother. That embryo is born into the world according to previous actions; the child becomes fortunate or unfortunate, with a charming or less charming form. Then, youth is experienced, inclining the soul toward passion; then, like frost falling on a lotus face, old age arrives. After that, disease and death occur, followed again by the swoon of death; once more, as in a dream, a body composed of elements is assumed. The soul goes again to the realm of Yama and follows this wandering process once more, repeatedly experiencing existence in the sky, taking on a form of space. O Devi, just as delusion arises at the beginning of creation, so too, by your grace, may understanding grow. The mountains are of the essence of the highest reality; the trees, the earth, and the sky are all of that same supreme essence. Because Lord-Consciousness is the self of all, whatever arises from Him is pure as the supreme space; thus, that alone is sufficient. At the beginning of creation, the first creator, by the analogy of the dream-person, manifests as a shining appearance; in the same way, that state persists even now. That first reflection is the prototype of all objects; whatever is reflected from that remains established even now. That which is called the hollow space within bodies—into which air enters and which causes the movement of limbs—is therefore called alive. Thus, the cycle continues, guided by the essence of the highest reality, as the soul journeys on through countless forms and experiences, ever under the gaze of Lord-Consciousness.