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The Awakening Death

By Staff

Short Story, After Death
A disciple who was following Hatha Yoga, told his Master that he was unable to renounce his home due to the undying love of his wife. To show forth the shallowness in attachment, his Master taught him certain secrets in Hatha Yoga.

Once there was a great stir in the house of the Hatha Yogi. On hearing the outburst of sudden wails, the neighbours rushed to his house. They found the Hatha Yogi in a peculiar contorted position amidst his weeping household. His wife was the worst hit and wailed aloud on his sudden demise.

The time for the cremation approached and the neighbours brought in a cot to carry out the corpse. However they were unable to move out the body due to its convoluted position. On seeing the difficulty, the neighbours brought an axe and started to chop the wooden frame of the door to move the body out. The wife who was all the while crying, enquired the neighbours the cause for chopping the door, amidst intermittent sobs.

The neigbours then told their intention. The wife hurriedly objected to the chopping of the door saying that since she is a widow now and the mother of fatherless children she would not be able to fix the frame of the door again. Since the calamity had anyway befallen, she instead insisted to chop her husband's legs and hands to move the body out. On hearing the wife's words, the husband stood up relaxing his limbs from the contorted posture. He bawled at his wife for deciding to cut off his limbs and left his home and joined his Master, never to return.

None follows one after death.

Story first published: Friday, August 7, 2009, 14:24 [IST]