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COSMOS
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causes them to take form in a hell, but of a relatively high type.
The lower worlds are not only inhabited by beings which have to go through hellish experiences - mainly exhumans. The highest region of hell is also inhabited by celestials belonging to classes which can also be active on earth. These have been divided into two types: those living in fixed locations and those who transmigrate. Some belonging to this group are extremely unjust and cruel and use all their ingenuity to enjoy themselves routing hellish beings, which already undergo so much suffering. Apparently they hate those who were “bad” people on earth and they take sadistic pleasure in tormenting them even more. Do we not also recognize this character among earthly humans? Despite their in a sense spiritual development they have trained their character in hatred. But most of the astral beings of this class are involved in meteorological and geological phenomena, and, where possible, protection of man against these.
The second group includes those who live on earth or on the other dvīpas of the Middle World as well as in the lower celestial and highest hellish worlds. They live in forests and caves, and can, if they want, come to help individual human beings. Some may give warnings when danger threatens, because their senses stretch out further in space and time than ours. Often they live in wealth and happiness, and enjoy sexual pleasures also – something which of course no longer occurs among the higher gods or those who successfully practiced asceticism. Some of them, particularly some of the yakshas (vyantaras), prefer to abide near ascetics or enlightened men, because they feel that much good radiates from them. But others are only the “shadows" of humans who passed away (from their physical body) and which spook around for good or evil, possess people or can even vampirize them. There are many people in India who can relate personal
* Courtesy of Ms. S.R. Jain
Jain Education International
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