Letter # 68: "Where's Hell?"

A family is destroyed by anger, lust and greed in Sydney Lumet’s movie: “Before the Devil Knows You're Dead” (2007), a dramatic thriller.
The older of two brothers, Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman), harbours intense anger from childhood. Overextended financially, he suggests a plan to the younger brother to rob their parents’ jewelry store, without the parents' knowledge.
It seems easy enough. The parents would get insurance money, and the brothers would share the loot. The plot thickens when the older finds out that the younger is already “sharing” the older’s girlfriend, in an affair. The “perfect crimes” go awry, and the characters descend into a veritable hell.
Mark 9:47 gives a stern message - one that is often taken literally by some persons suffering from psychosis and religious delusions, with tragic results: “And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell.”
The notion that hell is underground comes from the linguistic roots of the word: Proto-Indo-European *kel- "to cover, conceal, save" (compare with cell); and the later old English hel or helle: "nether world, abode of the dead, infernal regions”; and Goth. halja "hell") "the underworld," lit. "concealed place,"
While cultures and religions offer many ideas about hell, hell is not down under. It’s up here, in our dark thoughts and actions. “Maybe this world is another planet's hell,” wrote Alduous Huxley, novelist and critic (1894-1963).
It’s only those with conscience and humility that fear hell. The prideful don’t. The Holy Koran states: 'When it is said to him, "Fear Allah", He is led by arrogance to (more) crime. Enough for him is Hell; - An evil bed indeed (To lie on)!’ [2:206. Yusufaali: on line rendition].
In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna, the disciple, facing a civil war, fears hell. He laments: “O Krishna, maintainer of the people, I have heard by disciplic succession that those who destroy family traditions dwell always in hell.” BG 1:43.
The “divine and demoniac natures” are discussed in chapter 16 of the Bhagavad Gita. Lord Krishna explains: “There are three gates leading to hell – lust, anger, and greed. Every sane man should give up these, for they lead to degradation of the soul.” 16.21.
Guru Nanak adds two additional gates to hell - worldly attachment and arrogance. He sings the remedy for avoiding the gates to hell: “… narak rog nehee hovath jan sang; Nanak jis larr laavai", 2:14, which verse is rendered into English as: “Hell and disease do not afflict one who joins the company of the Lord's humble servants, O Nanak; the Lord attaches him to the hem of His robe.”
A seeker of enlightenment challenged Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: "The Ramas and Krishnas, the Buddhas and the Christs have come and gone, and we are as we were, wallowing in sweat and tears. What have the great ones done, whose lives we witnessed? What have you done, Sir, to alleviate the world's thrall?"
The Master replied, "You alone can undo the evil you have created. Your own callous selfishness is at the root of it. Put first your own house in order and you will see that your work is done." ["I Am That" P282].

God Bless; Allah Hu Akbar; May The Forces Of The Universe Bring You Harmony; Hare Krishna; Radha-Swami; and Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Dha Bhalla.

I wish to express my gratitude for your comments, which inspire me to carry on writing. Please forgive my fallibilities in presenting this material. Also, feel free to send this message on to someone that you might think would like to receive it. If you do send it on, my only request of you is that you send it as it is, in its entirety, and to not alter or modify any of the text, references or authorship information. Thus you will help to give credit or liability to where they are properly due.
Jas Bhopal
Copyright© 2008
References: "The Holy Bible" Online version; "The Koran" as translated by SV Mir Ahmed Ali 2005 ISBN 0-9761870-0-0); "The Bhagavad Gita As it Is" as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN 0-89213-268-X; The Srimad Bhagavatum as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN0-89213-259-0; "I Am That. Talks With Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj” ISBN 0-89386-022-0; The Dhammapada ISBN-10:1-84483-344-5; The Sacred Sukhmani ISBN 81-7205-098-4; Wikipedia.