Where are we after Death?

"Mind is in the body, and the body is the mind." This is a saying that people often misunderstand. The mind is wherever the feeling occurs; therefore, the mind is located throughout the body from the fingertips to the crown of our head. As the mind dwells in the body, and every part of the body is where the mind locates, the mind and body are connected and considered one.

The mind has the power to control the physical body to act, speak, or think. Accordingly, the consequences of the actions following the influence of the mind will result in the physical body as well. When the physical body naturally deteriorates until passing away, the mind has to leave the body, and the karmic fruit of past deeds will be the karmic code that determines which realm the mind will go to—heaven, hell, or middle earth.

The common answer to this simple question is: "to be born in heaven or hell depending on the past deeds". In fact, there is a more detailed principle about the place the mind will go to.

First of all, the last state of mind at the moment of death will be the first state of mind determining the next rebirth. Although one may have done so many good deeds, he can still have bad deeds accumulated in the mind and so, he or she may be born directly to a lower realm. At the very last moment, the mind will become weak and weary, like one who does not sleep all night. If the bad karma accumulated from the past that is attached in one's mind has strong power, and that person happens to think and fear its consequences, their mind cannot resist the power of the negative energy current and will go straight to bear the consequences in the hell realm.

Therefore, the way we should set the mind at the last moment of life is to think about good and holy things such as the Buddha, the Arahants (Enlightened beings), or Nirvana, which will increase the chance to firstly be born in the higher realm before it is time to receive the awaiting bad consequences.