Death is an undeniable certainty, yet many choose to avoid confronting it. Given our numerous past lives, fearing death is illogical—it’s something we've faced before and will face again. Death isn’t an end but rather a new beginning for the spirit. When a spirit reaches the moment of death, it encounters three possible paths: (1) being elevated to an enlightened state, (2) returning to its spiritual source, or (3) reincarnating for another life.
The length of our spiritual journey in this world is determined by the Divine and is known as "spiritual longevity." This period begins at conception and ends at death, dictating how long a spirit remains in the mortal world. Spiritual longevity varies among individuals, some living to 30 years old and others to 90. The Divine can adjust this lifespan by up to five years, based on a person’s spiritual growth and contributions in their lifetime.
Here are some examples to explain:
(1) A male patient, no more than 55 years old, was admitted to the hospital urgently. At that point, the doctor was still trying to save him, and his family members were very concerned and requested some insights into his condition. Nalakuvara explained that the patient’s spiritual longevity was not due yet, but most of his body organs were already failing, and some had stopped functioning! Upon hearing this, the family revealed that the hospital had put the patient on kidney dialysis since admission hoping to cleanse his blood. Although Nalakuvara was not optimistic about the patient's condition, he conveyed some words of encouragement to his family. About a week later, the family called and said that the doctor had stopped all treatments as the patient’s condition had worsened and that there was nothing else they could do! In such cases, even though spiritual longevity is not exhausted, the spirit will still be forced to leave the body if it cannot sustain life anymore. This reminds us that we should always take good care of our health. We should always avoid addictive habits such as smoking and drinking, keeping late nights, and having too much of a sedentary lifestyle. It’s wise that we cherish our spiritual longevity (however long or short) by not indulging in behaviours that would otherwise jeopardise it.
(2) A male patient from India. He celebrated his 70th birthday last October but was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in February the same year. Because the illness was diagnosed unexpectedly, the family did not know how to deal with this reality, so all they could muster up was to encourage their father to brave the treatments recommended by his doctor. Their love and concern for their father convinced him that he could get better with the treatments and hence, he relented and agreed with their pleas! The entire course of treatment required 11 sessions of chemotherapy which were completed in August. But after so many chemotherapy treatments, the body organs were failing and the father suffered severe side effects. There was water retention in his stomach and lungs. The water accumulated in his lungs caused his heart to be forced slightly to the right of his chest. As a result, he suffered severe pains and had serious difficulty breathing. The distressed daughter was concerned about her father’s suffering and sought divine insights through a close friend. Nalakuvara explained: "His spiritual longevity is almost due and he will leave any time. If he delays his departure, he will suffer even more. The family should accept this Truth and not worry too much. The Divine will take good care of her father!" The friend hurriedly asked: "How much time does he have? What can he do now?" Nalakuvara replied: "No more than 3 months or even less. If he has faith, the family can persuade him to speak the name of the deity he trusts so that he finds peace in his last days."
About 3 weeks later, the friend forwarded a message from the daughter: “I’m grateful for letting us know that it’s time to let my father go. The message gave us much power in those few days and we could support our father on his new journey. All the family (his brothers’ and sister’s families) could be with him in his last days. We could bless him and free him. I can never thank you enough for making his last days so peaceful. We can’t express how that message helped but whenever we think of him, I think of how directionless we would be without the message and wouldn’t understand what’s happening. I thank you from my heart each time I think of the last days of my father.”
To learn the truth about living and dying is part of our spiritual journey. Every life is an opportunity to rekindle relationships and to practise the noble act of letting go when it’s time. It’s never an easy feat but being able to do so with neutralised emotions is, without a doubt, very liberating to the Spirit, both for the giver and receiver.
Understandably, a spirit may be reluctant to leave this mortal world when the time comes for it to go due to mortal attachments. But the rules of reincarnation are impartial and applied fairly to all. Hence, divinity has no other choice but to devise some incurable diseases to end life, so that the spirit will be forced to return to the cycles of birth and rebirth. There are, of course, cases of seemingly healthy people who pass away peacefully in their sleep because their spiritual longevity is due! If more spirits are happy to leave willingly, many may leave this mortal world without pain and suffering!
(3) After suffering a stroke a few years ago, the family of the 74-year-old female patient was forced to admit the mother into a nursing home so that she could be cared for. In the last two years, however, her condition deteriorated and she stopped responding to people, including members of her family. Her body became paralyzed and was unable to self-feed. The doctor had to insert a cannula to transport milk through her nasal cavity to the stomach. The daughter felt sorry for her mother's suffering and sought divine insights. Nalakuvara said: "The spiritual longevity of the patient was supposedly due. But because some family members had sought Divine intervention, her spiritual longevity was prolonged as a result of the family’s piety towards the mother. But although her spiritual longevity was prolonged, her body has aged considerably and organs are failing, so she is unlikely to get better." Nalakuvara also revealed that the patient has another 3 years of spiritual longevity (i.e., 5 years added and 2 years had passed) and will be in this vegetative state for as many years! This is why we do not recommend anyone to seek longevity for any member of their family who is unwell, especially the old and aged. Divinity will accept prayers to prolong spiritual longevity but does not guarantee that the family member will fully recover and lead a normal life. If the body has aged and organs are failing, the body won’t heal or recover! The condition could only remain the status quo or deteriorate to become worse.
(4) A male patient in his 70s was diagnosed with lung cancer a few years ago. According to Nalakuvara, his spiritual longevity was supposed to be exhausted but the Divine has prolonged it because he is pious and is actively serving divinity. The Divine is moved by his conviction and character - he’s uncalculating, doesn’t indulge in mindless chatters, and has wholeheartedly been carrying out his spiritual mission. He is reunited with his Spiritual Angel, never hesitates about what he needs to do to fulfil his spiritual tasks, and has lived his life as a role model. After being diagnosed with lung cancer, he discussed it with his family and decided against any major medical treatments. A few years have passed and he is still healthy much to the doctor’s surprise. Nalakuvara said: "The Divine wants him to continue his mission of guiding people on the path and hence, his spiritual longevity is prolonged for more than 5 years. As long as his body is still functional and he is willing to do so, the Divine will continue to make arrangements for him!" We met the patient at a banquet last year. The wife said he was normal except for some minor chest discomforts. I smiled at her and said: "This is already very impressive!" My statement brought a huge smile to her face and we both laughed. In times like this, only laughter is the best option when living an auspice such as our spiritual longevity. We can only cherish the time we have!
These stories emphasise the importance of taking responsibility for our mortality. Discussing death should not be taboo; it’s an event that will inevitably occur. Preparing for it ensures that when the time comes, death is met with acceptance, not fear. Just as we celebrate the birth of new life, we should also celebrate death, recognising it as a new beginning and an opportunity for spiritual growth and enlightenment. Death is not the end but the start of an infinite journey.