Selfishness in Heaven

There are basically two types of heavenly places which may be attained by earth-bound souls after the destruction of their material bodies. These are:

·       heavenly realms for the non-ascetic pious persons

·       heavenly realms for the ascetic pious persons

Most of the non-ascetic pious persons return to take an embryo after the elevation-energy of their socially-constructive activities is exhausted.

The ascetic pious persons may or may not return depending on the force of the attraction to people in lower realms which include this physical existence. If that attraction is absent or if it is weak, they may remain in the heavenly world which they attained and may ascend further if they are inspired to upgrade their subtle bodies further.

In the Vedic literature the name for the heaven which is attained by the non-ascetic persons is called Swargaloka or Indraloka. Compared to the pleasures we experience on earth, that heavenly place is fabulous and beyond compare, except for one feature which is negative if it becomes manifested there in anyone. That is the presence of envy. In that heavenly place it is likely that one may meet someone who is more attractive than oneself. Then what will one do? How will one feel? Or if one finds that a deity or beloved person is present there with someone else besides oneself, how should one feel?

As in this world one person feels that he or she alone should be exclusively loved by some other person, a lover or beloved, so in that heavenly place, one may encounter someone whom one feels exclusively in love with but one may find that this person is with someone else who is more endearing.

In the heavens for the ascetic pious persons this is not likely to happen. Each person there has disciplinary energy which curbs the natural tendency for envy or which has replaced that energy entirely.

Unless selfishness and self-prominence are scrubbed out during the earthly life, it is hardly likely that it will disappear totally in a heaven hereafter. Hence the need to delete it during the time one spends on earth as a physical body.