materialization, they multiply the causes for misery, causes
that will make the unfortunate Ego fail in his spiritual
birth, or be reborn into a far worse existence than
ever--they would, perhaps, be less lavish in their
hospitality._

Premature death brought on by vicious courses, by over-study, or by
voluntary sacrifice for some great cause, will bring about delay in
Kâmaloka, but the state of the disembodied entity will depend on the
motive that cut short the life.

_There are very few, if any, of the men who indulge in these
vices, who feel perfectly sure that such a course of action
will lead them eventually to premature death. Such is the
penalty of Mâyâ. The "vices" will not escape their
punishment; but it is the_ cause, _not the effect, that will
be punished, especially an unforeseen, though probable
effect. As well call a man a "suicide" who meets his death in
a storm at sea, as one who kills himself with "over-study".
Water is liable to drown a man, and too much brain work to
produce a softening of the brain matter which may carry him
away. In such a case no one ought to cross the_ Kâlapâni,
_nor even to take a bath for fear of getting faint in it and
drowned (for we all know of such cases), nor should a man do
his duty, least of all sacrifice himself for even a laudable
and highly beneficial cause as many of us do. Motive is
everything, and man is punished in a case of direct
responsibility, never otherwise. In the victim's case the
natural hour of death was anticipated_ accidentally, _while
in that of the suicide death is brought on voluntarily and