On The Celestial Railroad

When we die, something happens. Something happens, and depending on who you ask, that something is very different.

Some people believe that when we die, that’s it. Our heart shuts down, our brain follows suit, and we are no more.

Some people believe that when we die, we go to Heaven, or we go to Hell. We go to Heaven if we’ve been virtuous, and we go to Hell if we’ve hurt others and committed immoral acts.

Some people believe that when we die, we pass on to another life, and another body. Perhaps, this next life is that of a cat who sleeps all day, and hunts for mice at night. Perhaps, this next life is that of a bird, soaring across the sky. Or, perhaps, this next life is as a human.

When we die, something happens. I don’t know what that is. And, I don’t think that there are many other people who know what that is, either. But, everyone has a little story that they think is what happens when we die. Maybe there story is true, or maybe it’s not. We won’t find out until later

In this essay, I would like to share a story with you. This story is about something known as the “Celestial Railroad”. It’s a train that people ride when they pass on from this world to the next one, and this train is in the world between worlds.

While I can’t say with any certainty that you and I will ride this Celestial Railroad, I can say with certainty that this could, potentially, be what happens when we die.

On The Celestial Railroad:

When we take those last breaths and feel the weight of that last heartbeat, we see and feel the substance of our life. It takes only seconds for this, and yet, it feels as if you’re right there, in those moments, experiencing your life and the meanings and rhythms that it consists of.

Enjoy this. It’s a beautiful moment that allows you to experience the beauty and bliss of your time in this world, while also allowing you to experience that which you gave to this world.

In this life, we are all givers. Each one of us gives so much to this world. Some of what we give is good, and some of what we give is bad. Perhaps, some of us give more good to this world than bad. Perhaps, some of us give more bad to this world than good.

We see that, and we feel it. We see what it is that we have given to the world in this life, and we see how it made others feel. Just as this is a time to experience the joy and beauty of your life, it is also a time for reflection.

For some, this entire moment feels like months. For others, it feels as if minutes have passed. When the moment passes, and when you have come to terms with your life and what you gave to this world, then it is done.

Open your eyes. Wherever you were, you are no longer there. You are somewhere else, in a world between worlds.

Saying “Goodbye” is never easy. Those that you loved, you will miss dearly, and you will continue to miss them, even in this world between worlds. Just as you will miss those that you loved, those that loved you will miss you too, so very much.

Wherever you are in this world between worlds, it’s okay to cry. It’s okay to be sad, to be upset, and to be angry. It’s okay, and you’re okay. There’s no need to hold it all in, there’s no need to pretend that everything’s fine. It’s okay to feel what you’re feeling.

As those feelings ebb and flow, you will begin to see where it is that you are. For many, they find themselves in a big, grassy field. For others, they are on a beach where the ocean shifts back and forth. And for others, they are somewhere entirely different, in a place where they feel comfortable and welcomed.

This is the world between worlds, a place where you are free to feel, reflect, and experience. You are free to spend as much time as you’d like, exploring and enjoying the delights of this world between worlds. But, in the end, you will always find yourself at a train station.

Within the world between worlds, there are many train stations, and each train station is a part of the vast Celestial Railroad. To describe each and every one of these train stations would be a task of immense difficulty, so I am going to describe a single train station, the train station that is housed across the edge of the jungle, overlooking a sea known as the “Asima Samudra Kalpana”.

On the edge of this jungle, overlooking the Asima Samudra Kalpana, there is the train station. Every other train station in the world between worlds has a name, except this one. Why that is, I cannot say, for the world between worlds is a land where history is often invisible.

While you wait for your train, time will pass. As time passes, you will see several trains pass. Sometimes, one of these trains will stop, and a passenger will get off. Most of the time, though, the trains don’t stop, they just keep going and going, until they reach their destination.

The Asima Samudra Kalpana is a beacon for the fauna of the world between worlds. You will see the train come and go, but you will also see tigers playing with one another, panthers chasing the tigers, monkeys running across tree branches, and cats and dogs coming to greet you. There are many cats and dogs that live around the Asima Samudra Kalpana, and they are all very friendly. If you need to pet a cat or a dog, then make a little “tsk tsk” sound, and you will be surrounded by some of the friendliest cats and dogs you’ve ever met.

When your train finally arrives, you will know. It begins as a feeling, a sensation that you belong on the train that is right in front of you, and then that sensation becomes a voice, as a woman says your name and welcomes you onto the Celestial Railroad.

This woman, you will learn, is the train’s conductor. She has been the conductor for many years, and will continue to be the train’s conductor for a very long time. It is a choice that she has committed herself to.

The conductor will give you a slip of paper. On this slip of paper, there are a series of symbols and markings. These symbols and markings correspond to the name and essence of your destination. But, you will be unable to read these symbols and markings, until you have reached your destination.

Your destination is another world, and another story. It is a world and story that is chosen by you, yet chosen for you. You are a being of incredible power, yet you are also in alignment with forces beyond your immediate understanding.

While riding across the Celestial Railroad, you will witness the wonders of the world between worlds, while also moving through, and between, various other worlds.

As the train starts to move, you will observe the jungle that overlooks the Asima Samudra Kalpana. You will see monkeys, as they cross from tree to tree. You will observe the panthers and tigers, as they move stealthily through bushes, stalking their prey. You will notice the multitude of colors that submerge the entirety of this jungle, and you will understand that there is a creative principle that serves as the root of the world between worlds, and, perhaps, all other worlds.

In time, the train reaches the precipice of the jungle, but it does not stop. It continues to move unabiding the rules we have all grown to internalize. As it moves across the Asima Samudra Kalpana, you will, once again, sense the creative principles that direct and guide the world between worlds. But, take a moment to cease reflecting, and simply look at the Asima Samudra Kalpana. It’s a beautiful sea, and it’s a sea that you should remember, for this won’t be the last time you’ll see her.

Eventually, the train will reach the entrance to a cave of incredible size. When the train enters this cave, you’ll see darkness, and then you’ll feel movement. The train is moving and turning across a complex network of caverns. For brief moments, you’ll be able to see what these caverns look like, due to the light emanating from the crystal stalagmites that grow across the surface.

If you are tired, take the time to rest. You will spend a few hours wandering this network of caverns, and while each cavern certainly has its own charm, there’s no need to stay awake for the experience.

Time will pass, and eventually, the train will move out of the cave, and into an ocean that can only be described as “aetheric”. This is an ocean of stars, planets, moons, suns, and light.

It is an ocean where light is given form and essence. Perhaps, it is the ocean where all light comes from, and where all light eventually returns.

Take the time to observe this ocean, to experience the place that you — the you that you are right now — were born.

Your train will reach its final destination, and you will see a doorway. It is a doorway surrounded by the primordial energies of the aether that directs and guides the ocean, and the Celestial Railroad.

When you reach this doorway, you must enter it. It’s your destination, and when you enter this doorway, you will begin a life of love, beauty, adventure, excitement, and something beyond what words can convey. And yet, as with all lives, you will experience sadness, anger, fear, loneliness, and shame.

It’s your life, and it is your journey. It’s yours, and it’s time for you to go forth and to experience what is meant for you.