Chapter Nine : Sending on Spirits in Transition 18

The Founding Master addressed the congregation at a meditation hall, “Do you know what the kingdom of Yama and its messengers are? The kingdom of Yama is nowhere other than inside the wall of your own house; the messengers of Yama are none other than your family members. This is because ordinary people’s spirits, being entangled in deep affection toward their own family members in this life, do not rise far when the body dies, but instead fall right back toward their own previous home; if they do not meet there with an opportunity to be reborn as a human being, they may be reborn as the family’s domestic animal or as an insect. The buddhas and enlightened masters from ancient times emphasized the importance of departing without attachments and acting without attachments, because only in this way can one avoid falling into unwholesome destinies.”