Millions of Christians, Muslims and Jews believe that when they die they will be living in heaven if they led a good and pious life following the teachings of their religion. In the east, Buddhists and Hindus believe in another physical plane human life on earth after death. All the religions believe in a hell if you did not live a pious religious life.

As a Christian if you accept Jesus as your saviour, according to current Christian teachings, after death you will be living in heaven with Jesus surrounded by angels. According to Roman Catholic teachings also this is true. But if you did not lead a good life it is likely that you will end up in hell or purgatory. Purgatory is a place of temporary suffering or hell where you will be purged of your sins and purified and may be allowed to enter heaven. Hell is a place of eternal damnation where you will be condemned to suffer for eternity.

According to Buddhist or Hindu teachings if you lead a good pious life you will have a comfortable physical life as a human being again on earth. If you did not lead a good life you will go to hell and suffer and pay your sins and may be reincarnated back on earth as a man or you could be reincarnated as an animal such as a cow.

There is no evidence currently to support some of these views. According to esoteric tradition or Ageless Wisdom everyone after death enters another plane or state of consciousness known as the astral plane or the astral world. It is known as the spirit world to the mediums and psychics and to the general public. After the death of the physical body, our astral-emotional body or the vehicle for our emotional feeling nature and the mind still remains. This allows us to function on the astral plane. Astral plane is an illusion created by the human mind and is very much like living in a dream and you create your own hell or heaven just like in a dream. It is the same plane of consciousness associated with our dreams during sleep. If you did not believe in a hell or heaven you may live a material life similar to living on earth but on the astral plane.

Some Christians after death may live with an illusion of Jesus surrounded by illusions of angels who will be giving them various beautiful teachings. They can live stuck in this illusion on the fifth astral plane for hundreds of years until they realise it is an illusion like many of the beliefs we have while living on the physical plane on earth. People make little or no spiritual progress in the spirit world while their counterparts living on earth are making tremendous spiritual progress. There are people like this living in the spirit world or astral plane imprisoned by the illusions based on their various beliefs.

The new age of Aquarius will bring light to the astral plane and release these prisoners living in their self created illusions of heaven and hell. According to esoteric teachings the real Jesus who had incarnated many times on earth since his birth in Palestine 2000 years ago currently lives in a physical body made of flesh and blood in the outskirts of Rome.

According to esoteric tradition for people below the third initiation there is no spiritual growth happening outside the physical plane and a person has to reincarnate again on earth to continue with the spiritual journey. One life is equivalent to a single step of the soul in its long journey towards divinity or perfection. From the soul's point of view it is a fleeting experience with a residue of learning. At present out of the 6.5 billion people living on earth there are only about 3000 people who have taken the third initiation. Majority of the third initiates are not working in the religious field and may be working on political, economic, scientific, or artistic endeavours. All human beings reincarnate as humans and it is not possible for a human being to reincarnate as an animal.

Education is the biggest spiritual force, which give people ability to think for themselves, without relying on religious dogma. Alleviation of poverty is also very important, as it will release people from working from morning to night simply to survive and release them from constant worry as to where the next meal is coming from. People can make a valuable contribution by supporting the ‘make poverty history’ campaign.

Reasonable standards of living will give people the time to explore their inner nature through thinking, reflecting, or meditation or to engage in a hobby or sport which may be more spiritually uplifting than the study of religious dogmas, which may create guilt and unnecessary suffering to people. This may make life a joy to majority of people than a daily chore and combined with the various scientific discoveries will lead to the creation of kingdom of heaven on earth instead of the present hell existing in some parts of the world. Both hell and heaven are existing right here on earth.

While some religious people are living in the spirit world in their self-made illusion of heaven and making no spiritual progress the rest of humanity living on earth is walking with Christ and his disciples and also with Jesus and his disciples and making vast spiritual progress. The humanity is creating the Kingdom of heaven right here on earth. Hopefully this will bring release to the prisoners of the astral plane.

For further info:

Recommended reading

Maitreya’s Teachings, The Laws of Life,Edited and introduced by Benjamin Crème, Share International Foundation, ISBN 90-71484-31-9

The Great Approach, Benjamin Creme (Share International Foundation, Amsterdam, London, Los Angeles)

The Art of Co-operation, Benjamin Creme (Share International Foundation, Amsterdam, London, Los Angeles)

The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom, Benjamin Creme (The Tara Press)

Maitreya Mission Volume One, Benjamin Creme (Share International Foundation, Amsterdam, London, Los Angeles)

Maitreya Mission Volume Two, Benjamin Creme (Share International Foundation, Amsterdam, London, Los Angeles)

Maitreya Mission Volume Three, Benjamin Creme (Share International Foundation, Amsterdam, London, Los Angeles)

Alice A Bailey, The Reappearance of Christ (London: Lucis Press, 1948)

Alice A Bailey, The Externalisation of the Hierarchy (London: Lucis Press, 1955)