After Life

8 Pages 2077 Words

ful. They have failed the test and are immediately destroyed by Ammit, a horrid, monstrous creature (Lewis 125). If the heart balances on the scale, the deceased is free to enter “Sekhet Aaru, which translates to a blissful world” (Lewis 125). Once they enter that realm they have yet another choice. They may choose to live the remainder of their afterlife as a bird or live with an abundance of delicious fruit that will never cease. Close friends and family traditionally place models of servants, also known as Shabtis, into the tomb. The deceased are capable of turning the Shabti models into real servants to be the slaves of the deceased. When King Tut died he was known to have 414 Shabtis in his tomb (Lewis 126). The Egyptian process seems like a long, difficult journey for everyone, but not everyone is required to go through these steps. Immediately after death Pharaohs, by right, enter a divine realm. They never have to pass any tests, answer to anyone, or visit Osiris to determine their future.
Within the Hindu culture there are three types of religions, each believing something slightly different about the afterlife. Vedic Hindus believe that a new body is formed for the deceased and that process is called sapindikarana. Pitri-loka, the afterlife realm, is a place where everyone goes after being judged by Yama. Yama was the first man ever to die, he is now their god, king and judge of the deceased (Sharp 87). The next religious group, Upanishadic Hindus, are strong believers in karma and reincarnation. The samsaric process, reincarnation, is dreadful to these people. They believe that “life in this world means suffering” (Lewis 186). Samsara all de...