Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate;

I am the captain of my soul

....Invictus

Births due to karmic sins

Will not dwell much into Karma , its logic ,its effects , will keep that for another post.
Simple starter for someone who is interested . The soul, when it assumes a human body, experiences life by performing various actions . Some people ask why does the soul have to do it , its because eating a chocolate is more tangible and satisfying than just the thought of it.. hence the soul needs a body to eat it :)

BUT when the soul resides in a human body , it might perform tasks that it was not originally intended to.( Human form is the highest form and the only form that can make irrational choice). For the people who belive in cause and effect theory , Soul cannot simply get away staring a chain .. it has to bear the effects .. this is called the soul cleansing ... NOW come the interesting part , the soul inorder to have a human life again , will have to have a clean slate... the below quotes are from "Manu Smrithi" a fantastic book.

After residing in a human body , the soul will have to pay for its acts by residing in other low life forms and bearing the consequences of its act before it can be reborn as a Human again. Here are some of the life forms that you will be born as based on the sins that you commited

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Act - Life form
=============================================================
One who steals - Ant and other small insects

One who steals water - Aquatic Animal

Land Grabbers - bamboo, Creepers, Bushes

One who sleeps with Women of Same - Bear
Gotra(Basically a close relative)

One who steals food item and eats without - Cat
sharing them

One who roams around with Physical cleanliness - Crane
but is dirty to the core of heart. people who cheat

When a person eats food without being invited - Crow

Drunkard and wayward - Dog

One who equates himself with Lord, insults learned- Pig
person, kills a Brahman

Donation is taken from a sinful person to do Holy - Donkey
work. Illicit relationship

Person who commits crime without any inner - Fish
consciousness

One who promises some donation and forgets it - Jackal

One who cheats whill buying - Owl

One who sleeps with a girl who is not mature yet - Python

One who commits suicide by consuming poison - Snake

One who insults parents and not serve them in - Sparrow
old age

One who steals perfume - Squirrel

Steals meat, begs borrows money and not utilize - Vulture
it for the purpose taken for

Note that the low life forms usually dont commit additional karma , because unlike the human form, they have standard behaviour and they do what they are supposed to do .. no deviations and hence no unwanted effects :)

Please note , the above life form is in addition to 1 year of Hell that the person has to go through.
After a person dies , there is a concept of "Pinda Dana" in Hindu Mythology , This is basically food is provided for the soul of the departed for ten days , so that it can create a virtual Human life form , which is then subjected to one year of hell in order to cleans itself.

If the pinda dana is not provided , the soul cannot complete the creation of virtual human form and hence never cleanse itself.Hence these souls wander and remain as Ghost , Bhoot , preta as they are unable to clean up their act nor proceed further

... interesting :)

One year of Hell is itself another post .. that will be coming soon

Why do we prostrate before parents and elders?

Indians prostrate before their parents, elders, teachers and noble souls by touching their feet. The elder in turn blesses us by placing his or her hand on or over our heads. Prostration is done daily, when we meet elders and particularly on important occasions like the beginning of a new task, birthdays, festivals etc. In certain traditional circles, prostration is accompanied by abhivaadana, which serves to introduce one-self, announce one’s family and social stature.

Man stands on his feet. Touching the feet in prostration is a sign of respect for the age, maturity, nobility and divinity that our elders personify. It symbolizes our recognition of their selfless love for us and the sacrifices they have done for our welfare. It is a way of humbly acknowledging the greatness of another. This tradition reflects the strong family ties, which has been one of India’s enduring strengths.

The good wishes (Sankalpa) and blessings (aashirvaada) of elders are highly valued in India. We prostrate to seek them. Good thoughts create positive vibrations. Good wishes springing from a heart full of love, divinity and nobility have a tremendous strength. When we prostrate with humility and respect, we invoke the good wishes and blessings of elders which flow in the form of positive energy to envelop us. This is why the posture assumed whether it is in the standing or prone position, enables the entire body to receive the energy thus received.
The different forms of showing respect are :

Pratuthana – rising to welcome a person.
Namaskaara – paying homage in the form of namaste (discussed separately in this book).
Upasangrahan – touching the feet of elders or teachers.
Shaashtaanga – prostrating fully with the feet, knees, stomach, chest, forehead and arms touching the ground in front of the elder.
Pratyabivaadana – returning a greeting.

Rules are prescribed in our scriptures as to who should prostrate to whom. Wealth, family name, age, moral strength and spiritual knowledge in ascending order of importance qualified men to receive respect. This is why a king though the ruler of the land, would prostrate before a spiritual master. Epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata have many stories highlighting this aspect.

Why do we light a lamp?

In almost every Indian home a lamp is lit daily before the altar of the Lord. In some houses it is lit at dawn, in some, twice a day – at dawn and dusk – and in a few it is maintained continuously (akhanda deepa). All auspicious functions commence with the lighting of the lamp, which is often maintained right through the occasion.
Light symbolizes knowledge, and darkness, ignorance. The Lord is the "Knowledge Principle" (chaitanya) who is the source, the enlivener and the illuminator of all knowledge. Hence light is worshiped as the Lord himself.

Knowledge removes ignorance just as light removes darkness. Also knowledge is a lasting inner wealth by which all outer achievement can be accomplished. Hence we light the lamp to bow down to knowledge as the greatest of all forms of wealth

Why not light a bulb or tube light? That too would remove darkness. But the traditional oil lamp has a further spiritual significance. The oil or ghee in the lamp symbolizes our vaasanas or negative tendencies and the wick, the ego. When lit by spiritual knowledge, the vaasanas get slowly exhausted and the ego too finally perishes. The flame of a lamp always burns upwards. Similarly we should acquire such knowledge as to take us towards higher ideals.

Ritual To Receive The Protection Of The Moon
Place a jewel, that you regularly carry on you, in a cup of spring water a day beforethe full moon. The following day, on the evening of full moon, stir the water threetimes with your finger in a clockwise motion. Take the cup in your hands and in aclockwise, stirring motion, move the cup in a clockwise, circular, stirring motionthree times. Then, repeat these words aloud:
O LIGHT OF THE MOON, WRAP ME, PROTECT ME, KEEP ME FROM HARM.
Raise the cup towards the sky and drink the water. Remove the jewel from the cup. You must carry it on your person to the next full moon in order to ensure your protection. Repeat this ritual every month to benefit from its influence.
( Reference Tantrik Sex)

Spell Against Night Terrors:
Now and again almost everyone is woken suddenly from nameless, faceless night terrors. For some, the problem can be more frequent and severe and they may need to seek professional help. But for most, the following spell can be of great assistance in alleviating the frequency of occurrence and the severity.
Sit on the edge of your bed with your feet dangling from the side or better yet, firmly planted on the floor. Light a Frankincense incense or warm some Frankincense oil for its claming effects. Relax. Try to breathe regularly and at a normal rate. Before attempting to go back to sleep, visualize the walls acting as a protective barrier and repeat the following incantation softly to yourself:
Haunting terrors of the night, Be gone and let me be, Till the dawning of the light, Bright moon watch over me.
Extinguish the incense or any sources of heat of flame prior to retiring.
(Credits go to my course at :Academy of Sorcery"