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While living, a Jivatma through a body can think, walk, talk etc...but can it do such things after death? For 10 days, Jivatma remains at familiar places and afterwards is carried away to the abode of Yama as mentioned in this answer but what does the Jivatma do in those 10 days?
What are the limitations faced by it?
The basis of the view is that a human being is multidimensional. Simplified, the dimensions can for the sake of comfort also to be called “bodies”.
1. physical body;
2. vital body (chakra system generating energies - emotions);
3. mental body - “the mind” (incl. remembering, thinking, imagination);
4. intellect - silence, the level beyond thoughts (incl. insight, intuition, inspiration and awareness, ability of discrimination);
5. True Self (spiritual body).
1 to 4 are material, from gross to subtle. 5 is only non-material.
1 to 3, it is dualism. No stability, +/-, everything is changing.
4 and 5, this is where you can find stability.
The whole system is vertical hierarchy, what works only from from 5 to 1. Except only in the case of subconscious complexes what can entwine 1 to 4.
Those five bodies never mix with each other, just simultaneous processes.
This knowledge is important and practical. It is rather easy to find and discriminate between 5 above mentioned dimensions. Everybody can do that.
After death of physical body the vital body dissolves partially. What was necessary for physical body („to keep it going“) is dissolved. All the rest wil remain.
Imagine the situation now. You died, to be precise, your physical body died. Now, You (you can call it "just a soul", what is not quite correct) have no physical body, but you have all your sadness, emotions, painful thoughts, memory, desires, dead kittens attachments, etc. Your subconscious mind (ego) works in full power producing more and more pain. And you cannot do anything about it. Because the only tool has been lost. Your physical body.
Isn't it perfect hell. Nobody is needed to torture you, your ego does it.
Imagine, you committed a suicide in hope to finish this suffering forever. Now, it appears that the real suffering only starts, and it can last thousands of years.
Everything is for the reason.
Ancient sages found out how the system work. That is why all the -isms, like buddha, zen, hindu talking about acceptance, non-attachment, kleshas, whatever not easy to understand concepts they are - because, if you do not get rid of those things, unpleasant or pleasant , you will turn as a squirrel in your dharma wheel. Yoga is the best sample. It is not a religion and is a science of awareness how to offload the crap, clean, purify, be totally free from ego, in order to unite with Supreme, what is called liberation. Be free of everything.
