How Do We Assist the Journey of a Departed Soul?

When the flash floods hit the Nepal-Tibet border, among those on that route were pilgrims, people going to Kailash, going to Shiva.

So what happens to the soul of people who died like this? Once the death has happened, in an accident, how do we assist them?

Let us first be clear about one thing. The cause of this calamity is not a mystery, and we are not going to mix spirituality into it.

It looks like it is because of global warming and the resulting ice melting. The glaciers gave way.

But whichever way it happened, the reality of the person who lost his or her life is the same: the journey is not complete.

There are unfinished plans, unfinished dreams, desires, angers, confusion about various aspects of life - all of it cut short in an instant.

These people were going to Kailash, to Shiva. And this entire journey of seeking Shiva is about seeking the truth of your own self. Shiva gave 112 methods to realize your own self.

Because in this land, we are not believers, we are a land of seekers, who want to seek the truth of life for ourselves. We bow down to Shiva not because he is a god sitting up there in the mountain, but because he is the one who taught us the ways, the methods, to find the truth ourselves.

So the question becomes: for those whose search was cut short, is there anything that can help them?

Role of Death Rituals

On the 3rd of September 2026, Sadhguru performed the Kala Bhairava Karma at the Isha Yoga Center - a death ritual meant to assist the smooth transition of those who lost their lives in the floods.

It is part of this culture going back thousands of years. It is another matter that over a period of time, this got commercialized and distorted, and maybe the true essence of it was lost. But now Sadhguru is bringing back the real science of it.

Now, this is my observation as a seeker.

One thing is for sure. As seekers, we have no way to know what happens after death.

Whether there is anything that survives the death.

Yes, the scriptures, they talk about it, but for a seeker, unless it is true in your own experience, it is just hearsay.

So the question is not what survives.

Because we do not even know, while alive right now, what is the nature of our own existence.

So what is important is that while we are here, alive, when we still have time, we dig deeper into the truth of our own life, our own self.

And death waits for no one. It does not say, "oh, you are a spiritual seeker, so you should not die in floods." It can happen to anyone.

Most people have not even started this journey of finding themselves. And even the ones who are sincere and serious, they might not complete it, because the body can drop at any moment.

So in that situation, how do we assist the ones who have died?

We do not know if there is such a thing as reincarnation, or a next life, or if something survives the death.

But one thing is for sure: we are not the first human beings on this planet. Billions of us have walked on this land before. Out of those billions, millions have started the inner journey. And out of those millions, thousands have found the truth of this life and this death.

So it is only wise to listen to their testimony, and to do what they recommend for the ones who are departed.

And it makes one thing even more important, that you find this truth for yourself, while you are alive. Then you do not have to lean on anybody's testimony, no matter how lofty or sacred.

The Kala Bhairava Karma took place on the 3rd of September, which is also Sadhguru's birthday. On his birthday, he is helping those who could not see their next one.

Sadhguru says:

"Whether it is my birthday or your birthday or anyone's birthday - every day it is someone's birthday - let's use it to count that the sack is leaking. One day it may be empty of life. Before that, something must happen."

Pranam,
Yash from Yog Prachar

~ A Buffalo Yogi