My brother-in-law suffered from a very deep trauma almost 20 years back, when his younger sister (with whom he was very close, and who was just 16 at that time) committed suicide by hanging herself.
The wound is still fresh and he at times wakes up in his sleep and starts crying.He currently lives in Ann Arbor in Michigan. Is there any way in which Ananda can help him to heal the wound or deal with the pain. I can advise him to spend some time in the Ashram as well.
—Sangita, India
My heart goes out the to the whole family in the face of this lingering pain. Suicides, and some accidental deaths, can leave family members with a strong sense of remorse that they did not somehow prevent the tragedy. Our Healing Prayer Ministry can pray for your brother-in-law to help him resolve this deep loss and anguish. And if he is open to this spiritual path he may find comfort by going to Ananda in Michigan.
What is done, is done — we cannot change it. Of course, we will always wish things had played out differently, but they did not. So we have to do our best with the way things stand right now. Your brother needs to shift his focus away from regret and grief, to sending love and light to her soul now in the astral world. This will be spiritually helpful to both her and himself.
Paramahansa Yogananda says that love lives on after death. (You can learn more about that in the book, Karma and Reincarnation: The Wisdom of Paramhansa Yogananda.)
Your brother’s grief and remorse are an expression of his continued love, in a sense, but it is time for a higher form of love. He will see his sister’s soul again in the astral world, whether after this life or some other. His heart will be soothed, and her soul will be uplifted, if he sends her loving thoughts and prayers now. I give many suggestions on that in this article from 2009: The Saddest Prayers (for Suicide Victims).
We will pray for him once you submit a prayer request. May your hearts be comforted and blessed.
