QUALIFICATION FOR PARADISE

To be eligible for Paradise in the Hereafter, one must possess two essential qualifications:acknowledging the truth of the one God and leading a principled life.

The present, temporary world serves as a training ground for realized souls. Every person born into this world inevitably undergoes this training. Those who do not succeed in this training will be rejected in the next eternal phase of life, while those who do succeed will be selected to form the realized community, who will enter and enjoy the perfect Paradise in the life to come after death.

In this world of trials, to be eligible for Paradise, every man or woman must possess two qualifications: the acknowledgement of the truth of the one God and the commitment to leading a principled life. Those who pass this test will be granted a place in Paradise, where all their desires will be fulfilled. Those who fail will endure eternal deprivation.

In this world, man finds himself free. However, this freedom is not his by right; it is a test. Man must acknowledge the truth of the One God and surrender to Him—not by compulsion, but by his own choice. This voluntary surrender to the One God is, without doubt, the greatest sacrifice a person can make. Acknowledging the truth of the One God is an act of humility, not only before God but before others as well. Yet, it is this very virtue that will elevate man to the highest position and lead him to the very gates of Paradise.

The second critical requirement is to lead a principled life. Generally, a person’s character is shaped by emotions such as anger, revenge, jealousy, hatred, and rivalry. These negative feelings often dominate one’s personality. However, a person must become disciplined in these matters. He should not shape his character based on external influences but rather by his own decisions rooted in higher principles. This is what is known as a divine character.