Editing Afterlife (section)

===Hinduism===
{{main|Hindu eschatology}}
There are two major views of an afterlife in Hinduism: mythical and philosophical. The philosophies of Hinduism consider each individual consists of [[Three bodies doctrine|three bodies]]: physical body compose of water and biomatter (''sthūla śarīra''), an energetic/psychic/mental/subtle body (''sūkṣma-śarīra'') and a causal body (''kāraṇa śarīra'') comprising subliminal stuff i.e. mental impressions etc.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-04-06|title=The Hindu Concept of Three Bodies – Body, Mind and Existence|url=https://www.sanskritimagazine.com/indian-religions/hinduism/hindu-concept-three-bodies-body-mind-existence/|access-date=2021-11-20|website=Sanskriti – Hinduism and Indian Culture Website|language=en-US|archive-date=20 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120220631/https://www.sanskritimagazine.com/indian-religions/hinduism/hindu-concept-three-bodies-body-mind-existence/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The individual is a stream of consciousness ([[Ātman (Hinduism)|''Ātman'']]), which flows through all the physical changes of the body and at the death of the physical body, flows on into another physical body. The two components that transmigrate are the subtle body and the causal body.

The thought that occupies the mind at the time of death determines the quality of our rebirth (antim smaraṇa), hence Hinduism advises to be mindful of one's thoughts and cultivate positive wholesome thoughts – mantra chanting ([[japa]]) is commonly practiced for this.

The mythical includes the philosophical but adds heaven and hell myths.

When one leaves the physical body at death he appears in the court of [[Yama (Hinduism)|Yama]], the God of Death, for an exit interview. The panel consists of Yama and [[Chitragupta]] – the cosmic accountant, he has a book which consists the history of the dead persons according to his/her mistakes the Yama decides the punishment is and [[Varuna]], the cosmic intelligence officer. He is counseled about his life, achievements and failures and is shown a mirror in which his entire life is reflected. Philosophically, these three men are projections of one's mind. Yama sends him to a heavenly realm ([[Svarga]]) if he has been exceptionally benevolent and beneficent for a period of rest and recreation. His period is limited in time by the weight of his [[Punya (Hinduism)|good deeds]]. If he has been exceptionally malevolent and caused immense suffering to other beings, then he is sent to a hell realm ([[Naraka (Hinduism)|Naraka]]) for his sins. After one has exhausted his karma, he takes birth again to continue his [[Saṃsāra|spiritual evolution.]] However, the belief in rebirth was not a part of early Vedic religions and texts. It was later developed by ''[[rishi]]''s (sages) who challenged the idea of one's life as being simplistic.

Rebirth can take place as a god ([[Deva (Hinduism)|deva]]), a human (manuṣya) an animal (tiryak)—but it is generally taught that the spiritual evolution takes place from lower to higher species. In certain cases of traumatic death a person can take the form of a [[preta]] or hungry ghost – and remains in an earth-bound state interminably – until certain ceremonies are done to liberate them. This mythological part is extensively elaborated in the [[Puranas]], especially in the [[Garuda Purana]].

The [[Upanishads]] are the first scriptures in Hinduism which explicitly mention the afterlife.<ref>"When the body becomes weak and goes into oblivion as it were, the Atman departs, and following it, the vital breath departs ... he becomes a pure consciousness, and with this consciousness, he proceeds. His past learning and deeds as well subtle memory accompany him. Just as a worm upon reaching the tip of a blade of grass, reaches out towards another blade of grass by way of support, so also does this Jiva end this body, becomes imperceptible, and then obtains another body by way of support, and pulls itself together."

– Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4</ref> The [[Bhagavad Gita]], a famous Hindu scripture, says that just as a man discards his old clothes and wears new ones; similarly the Atman discards the old body and takes on a new one. In Hinduism, the belief is that the body is nothing but a shell, the consciousness inside is immutable and indestructible and takes on different lives in a cycle of birth and death. The end of this cycle is called ''mukti'' ({{Langx|sa|मुक्ति}}) and staying finally with the [[Brahman|ultimate reality]] forever is ''[[moksha]]'' ({{Langx|sa|मोक्ष|links=no}}) or liberation.

The (diverse) views of modern Hinduism in part differ significantly from the [[Historical Vedic religion]].<ref name="Sayers"/>