Reflections on Life and Death

got back safely, she would have encountered a hero’s welcome. But death came as a barrier in between and turned what might have been a joyous occasion into a tragedy. This was a personal experience for Kalpana Chawla, and a lesson for others. Only those who can see their own image in this event can truly understand its significance and learn the lessons that it contains.

How to Understand Paradise O nce, I met a man, who excitedly told me that he had received a promotion. “I’ll get a higher salary now! I’ll be able to live in a bigger house! I’ll be given a bigger car now! Earlier, I was given a rail-pass, to travel by train. Now, I’ll get tickets to travel by air!” he exclaimed. Hearing this man, I thought to myself, “This is just what’s going to happen in the Hereafter. Heaven can be described in the terminology of this world. Entry into Heaven is like receiving a promotion. People whose record in this imperfect world is good will be promoted and admitted into the perfect world of the Hereafter— that is, Heaven.” This situation demands that we live in this world with great caution and alertness. We should gauge everything from the point of view of whether it will help or hinder us in gaining admission into Paradise. If your