7 Deadly sins leading to Hell.
All the religions or cultures that acknowledge the existence of heaven and hell have a common protocol, ie., The Journey of a soul – Life on Earth - Penance in Hell - Reunification with God in heaven. Except Sikhism, all religions acknowledge the existence of heaven and hell as distinctive realms, which are :-
• Ancient Religions of Egypt (Duat), Greece (Realm of Hades demarcated by River Styx), Hinduism; Jainism; Buddhism (नर्क / Nark common for all), Judaism (גֵיהִנוֹם / Sheol in Old Testaments) and Zoroastrian (Duzakh).
• Abrahamic medieval religions like Christianity (Hell ruled by Lucifer in New Testaments) and Islam (جہنم / Jahannam).
The Journey of a Soul is broadly determined by either of these two methods :-
• Collective scaling of all deeds and decision relies on majority. (Zoroastrian)
• Penance for every bad deed. (Hinduism, Jainism, Christianity, etc)
All these religions have a set of common vices that you're aren't morally supposed to commit, these are :-
(Entities associated with the following vices are withdrawn from Christian beliefs. Provision of entities is transient for other religions – No Devil in Hinduism.)
1. PRIDE (अभिमान) :- It is defined as the feeling of pleasure that comes from some act or possession that makes one better than others.
Entity Associated with - Lucifer (The Devil)
It is ruled by none other than the ruler of hell - Lucifer himself, who in his early days in heaven had the pride of being the most beautiful, intellectual, and important angel. He was so filled with pride that he considered himself greater than God, which led to his expulsion from heaven. The Italian Philosopher Thomas Aquinas says, “Pride is the first sin, the source of all other sins, and the worst sin”.
Punishment in Hell - “The Broken Wheel”
In Hell, the punishment for pride is called “The Broken Wheel”, where the proud person is tied to a wheel only to be laughed at by passersby. The trial may not seem a severe punishment, but it serves the proud person the very thing he / she can't bear - shame. Even in the Middle Ages it was extremely embarrassing to be laughed at by a passerby.
How to avoid being prideful ?
To avoid becoming proud in a sinful way, you must be filled with humility and modesty in your life, for success is merely a possible result of process or effort. The people in whose eyes you have become respectable are temporary, and if they can elevate you in their eyes, then they can cast you off as well.
2. ENVY (ईर्ष्या) - Envy is an emotion which occurs when a person lacks another's superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it. Aristotle defined envy as pain at the sight of another's good fortune, stirred by “those who have what we ought to have !”
Entity Associated with - “Beelzebub”
Beelzebub, not to be confused with Satan mentioned on the Internet, is considered the “Prince of Demons”. According to The Lesser Key of Solomon, aka Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis or simply Lemegeton, an anonymous grimoire on demonology, Beelzebub sowed the initial seeds of enmity among the angels of heaven, resulting in his expulsion from heaven.
Punishment in Hell - “Trial by Water”
In this trial in hell, envious souls are tortured in back-breaking cold water to make them understand why one should not burn in envy !
How to avoid being Envious ?
Feeling complacent in what you do, i.e. minimalism, is the key to avoiding envy. You should not cross the fine line between ambition and overambition.
3. GLUTTONY (पेटूपन) - Gluttony means overindulgence and overconsumption of food, drink, or property, especially as a status symbol. In Christianity, it is considered a sin when the excessive desire for food causes it to be withheld from those in need.
Entity Associated with - “Belphegor”
Belphegor is one of the 8 Princes of Hell and is considered responsible for the inventions of humans. The voracious nature of humans makes these inventions infertile for humankind in the long run.
Punishment in Hell - “Overconsumption & Penance”
Gluttonous souls in the third circle of hell are fed incessantly with food and drink, while they bear filthy, thick, and dark rain as a symbol of the precious resources they have squandered in their lives.
How to avoid being Gluttonous ?
Sticking to your limits is the key to not being gluttonous. Resources such as food, wealth, etc. are gifts of nature or God and should be available to all, so those blessed with an abundance of such resources are responsible for their equitable distribution.
4. LUST (वासना) - Lust is considered to be a disordered desire for sexual pleasure, where sexual pleasure is “sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes”. Those seeking sexual pleasures from multiple sources are categorised as sinners because then, the other important works and duties of a man or a woman are sidelined.
Entity Associated with - “Asmodeus”
Asmodeus is among one of the 8 Princes of Hell and is ‘The great lord of Lust’ or in Judeo-Islamic lore the ‘King of the Earthly Spirits’.
Punishment in Hell - “Burnt Down”
Lustful souls in the 2nd circle of hell are burnt on fire or brimstone. The tormenting heat of fire and brimstone signifies the energy released when a person is being lustful and literally destroying anything that comes in its path.
How to avoid being Lustful ?
According to law, lust with same person is legitimate but considered as sin if done with multiple partners, therefore, loyalty is one such element that can prevent you from being lustful. We also know that anything practiced or done beyond its limit is unfruitful for us, hence, even with the same partner, we must balance our physical desires with other aspects of human life.
5. WRATH (क्रोध) - Wrath can be defined as uncontrolled feelings of anger, rage, and even hatred, often revealing itself in the wish to seek vengeance. In its purest form, wrath presents with injury, violence, and hate that may provoke feuds that can go on for centuries. In Lesser Key of Solomon, wrath has been described as the biggest enemy of humanity as it causes humans to make wrong decisions. Such wrong decisions cause it's family, peers and colleagues to abandon him / her in solace.
Entity Associated with - “Lucifer / Satan / Devil”
The ruler of hell, when expelled from heaven, woved to turn the very thing which is beloved to God – humans. For this, wrath is his primary tool.
Punishment in Hell - “Dismembering”
Wrathful souls in hell are dismembered into small pieces and the resultant pain symbolises the extent of discomfort their anger has done to others.
How to avoid being Wrathful ?
A culmination of pragmatism, calmness and gratitude allows a being to avoid loose temper in any situation.
6. GREED (लोभ / लालच) - Greed is an emotion of desiring resources more than they're required for oneself. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “Greed is a sin against God, just as all mortal sins, in as much as man condemns things eternal for the sake of temporal things”. Often envious and gluttonous people are also found to be greedy as well.
Entity Associated with - “Mammon”
Mammon is a demon who lures people in lieu of massive amounts of wealth which makes them lose their faith in God. Therefore, it's said, devotees of God shouldn't be greedy, else they'll unknowingly become a disciple of Mammon.
Punishment in Hell - “Deep Fry”
The iconic frying in oil punishment in hell is actually for the greedy souls. What we've seen in TV cartoons, shows etc is incorrect portrayal of the same.
How to avoid being Greedy ?
Self-satisfaction and gratitude are the core ethos that can prevent you becoming greedy. Apart from that, the fine line between ambition and overambition needs to be recognised and you shouldn't get carried away with the same.
7. SLOTH (आलस्य) - Sloth (here) refers to the quality of not being willing to work or use any effort. It is considered to be the worst sin among all. The sloth person has no purpose in life and is unable to achieve anything. He / she blames others for his / her failure rather than owning up to it.
Entity Associated with - “Abaddon”
Abaddon is a demon, described as the ‘Place of Destruction’ or ‘An angel of Abyss’ in the New Testaments (Bible).
Punishment in Hell - “Chilling with snakes”
Sloth souls are punished in hell by throwing them in a pit of snakes, where they have to keep scuffing. This scuffing makes them do the very thing they avoided their whole lives – To work !
How to avoid being a Sloth Person ?
Leading an active lifestyle is the key to avoiding procrastination. Several types of remedies, procedures, etc are available nowadays to keep yourself active.
Honourable Mention - “GUILT”
A guilty soul is ineligible to continue its journey in other realms, therefore, such souls are obligated to penance on Earth itself, seeking forgiveness from the one's they've done wrong.
Allow me to break another common myth about souls that they're entitled to leave this physical world after death. Revengeful souls are an exception to this as they are trapped, seeking revenge from those because of whom they're no more alive. Neither I'll ask you to develop a faith in it, nor I'll stop you from committing these vices, rather, you are responsible for your own actions, not me.
Who knows the passerby you saw today was living or something you don't want to believe because you know they exist…!
Comment down below which sin you don't want to commit. 👇🏻
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