AFTERLIVES ABROAD: An evaluation of major afterlife ideas

[The New Wineskin]

AFTERLIVES ABROAD



AN EVALUATION OF MAJOR AFTERLIFE IDEAS

[The New Wineskin]

TERMS (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE)

* Heaven: “(often Heaven) a place regarded in various religions as the abode of God (or the gods) and the angels, and of the good after death, often traditionally depicted as being above the sky.”
* Hell: “(often Hell) a place regarded in various religions as a spiritual realm of evil and suffering, often traditionally depicted as a place of perpetual fire beneath the earth where the wicked are punished after death.”
* Purgatory: “a place or state of suffering inhabited by the souls of sinners who are expiating their sins before going to heaven.”
* Bible: ”the Christian scriptures, consisting of the Old and New Testaments.”
* Qur'an: ”the Islamic sacred book, believed to be the word of God as dictated to Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel and written down in Arabic.”
* Olam Ha-Ba: the World to Come.
* Gan Eden: the Garden of Eden
* Gehinnom: a destination of the wicked.
* Sheol: a place of darkness to which all the dead go, both the righteous and the unrighteous, regardless of the moral choices made in life, a place of stillness and darkness cut off from God.
* Reincarnation: the rebirth of a soul in another body.
* Sri Guru Granth Sahib: the religious text of Sikhism.
* Karma: “the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect . . .”
* Moksha: “the final extrication of the soul or consciousness (purusha) from samsara and the bringing to an end of all the suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and rebirth (reincarnation).”; also known as mukti.
* Anatta: not-self; no-soul.
* Bardos: the segments of the spiritual departure and rebirth lasting roughly 40 days according to Tibetan Buddhism.
* Chikai Bardo: the bardo of dying, according to Tibetan Buddhism.
* Chonyid Bardo: the bardo of Luminous Mind, according to Tibetan Buddhism.
* Sidpa Bardo: the bardo of rebirth, according to Tibetan Buddhism.
* Nirvana: ”the stage of final liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth.”
* Buddha: ”a person who has attained full enlightenment.”
* Samsara: a perpetual chain of karma and rebirth due to kama.
* Kama: desire.
* Asceticism: “describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various worldly pleasures, often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals.”
* The Summerland: “the name given by Theosophists, Wiccans and some earth-based contemporary pagan religions to their conceptualization of an afterlife.”

[The New Wineskin]

CHRISTIANITY

Christianity, being a very diverse religion that has many different interpretations, has a vast variety of different ideas regarding Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. Heaven is generally a constant idea in Christianity: Heaven is the abode of God, in which either pleasure is given or suffering is lifted from the soul. Traditionally, Heaven is a literal place within nature that souls reside in after death; metaphorically, Heaven is the sense of closeness towards God after death.

In regards to Hell, there are four major interpretations accepted by Christians today: traditional (most protestant churches, Catholic, and Greek Orthodox), universal salvation (Unitarian Universalist Christians), annihilationism (Jehovah's Witnesses), and metaphorical (certain protestant churches). Traditional views of Hell are generally described as a “fiery furnace” in which sinners will wail and grind their teeth in unbearable agony for eternity (Matt. 13:41-42). Universal salvation (also known as Christian universalism), is a school of thought stating that, because God is omnibenevolent, all sinners, usually after purification, will be allowed entrance into Heaven. Annihilationism is the idea that the soul is sent into the Lake of Fire to be exterminated; in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses, this idea leads to the idea that Hell is the resting place of the unconscious souls of sinners. Finally, the general idea of a “metaphorical Hell” is complete separation from God on a spiritual level. This is identified by great anguish and suffering; similarly to how, metaphorically, Heaven is closeness to God, metaphorically, Hell is the separation from Him.

Purgatory is a place of purification that a minor sinner must attend in order to go to Heaven; the sinner is purified through a finite amount of suffering and is administered into Heaven. This state is, according to Catholic ideology, only available to those who have died in grace. This idea is accepted by the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Church, and Eastern Orthodox Church.

ISLAM

Islam has major similarities with Christianity in its ideas of the afterlife. However, there are very crucial differences that make it stand out: firstly, the idea of original sin is not accepted. Children naturally are inclined to goodness and towards the theological ideals of Islam, but are led astray through cultural influences. (Qur'an, Ar-Rum, 30) As such, children are sent to Hell, regardless of their parent's religious ideologies.

Heaven is described in the Qur'an with amazing detail; this is a simplified version given: “The example of Paradise, which the righteous have been promised, is [that] beneath it rivers flow. Its fruit is lasting, and its shade. That is the consequence for the righteous, and the consequence for the disbelievers is the Fire.” (Qur'an, Ar-Ra'd, 35)

A very detailed explanation of Heaven is provided in Al-Wāqi`ah: “In the Garden of Pleasure, a [large] company of the former peoples and a few of the later peoples, on thrones woven [with ornament], reclining on them, facing each other. There will circulate among them young boys made eternal with vessels, pitchers and a cup [of wine] from a flowing spring - no headache will they have therefrom, nor will they be intoxicated - and fruit of what they select and the meat of fowl, from whatever they desire. And [from them are] fair women with large, [beautiful] eyes, the likenesses of pearls well-protected, as reward for what they used to do. They will not hear therein ill speech or commission of sin - only a saying: 'Peace, peace.' The companions of the right - what are the companions of the right? [They will be] among lote trees with thorns removed and [banana] trees layered [with fruit] and shade extended and water poured out and fruit, abundant [and varied], neither limited [to season] nor forbidden, and [upon] beds raised high. Indeed, we have produced the women of Paradise in a [new] creation and made them virgins, devoted [to their husbands] and of equal age, for the companions of the right [who are] a company of the former peoples.” (Qur'an, Al-Wāqi`ah, 12-40)

Hell is just as well described in the Qur'an. “And the companions of the left - what are the companions of the left? [They will be] in scorching fire and scalding water and a shade of black smoke, neither cool nor beneficial. Indeed they were, before that, indulging in affluence, and they used to persist in the great violation, and they used to say, 'When we die and become dust and bones, are we indeed to be resurrected? And our forefathers [as well]?' Say, [O Muhammad], 'Indeed, the former and the later peoples are to be gathered together for the appointment of a known Day.' Then indeed you, O those astray [who are] deniers, will be eating from trees of zaqqum and filling with it your bellies and drinking on top of it from scalding water and will drink as the drinking of thirsty camels. That is their accommodation on the Day of Recompense.” (Qur'an, Al-Wāqi`ah, 41-56)

In conclusion, Islam's ideas on Hell and Heaven are similar to the traditional literal interpretation of Heaven held by most Christians.

JUDAISM

Leviticus 26:3-9

“‘If you live by my regulations, observe my mitzvot and obey them; then I will provide the rain you need in its season, the land will yield its produce, and the trees in the field will yield their fruit. Your threshing time will extend until the grape harvest, and your grape harvesting will extend until the time for sowing seed. You will eat as much food as you want and live securely in your land. I will give shalom in the land — you will lie down to sleep unafraid of anyone. I will rid the land of wild animals. The sword will not go through your land. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before your sword. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand — your enemies will fall before your sword. “‘I will turn toward you, make you productive, increase your numbers and uphold my covenant with you. . . .”





Deuteronomy 11:13-15

“So if you listen carefully to my mitzvot which I am giving you today, to love Adonai your God and serve him with all your heart and all your being; then, [says Adonai,] ‘I will give your land its rain at the right seasons, including the early fall rains and the late spring rains; so that you can gather in your wheat, new wine and olive oil; and I will give your fields grass for your livestock; with the result that you will eat and be satisfied.’



Both of these verses show a very important concept in Judaism that separates it from Christianity and Islam: Jews believe in immediate and empirical rewards for good action and for following orders, as opposed to specific afterlife. (Source, Olam Ha-Ba: The World to Come) However, this is not to say that an afterlife is not mentioned. Olam Ha-Ba is a higher spiritual state of existence. It is described as a banquet hall or “home” away from the hotel of the world.

The spiritual plane of reward for the righteous is referred to as Gan Eden (the Garden of Eden). It is directly connected to the Genesis creation story. Only the very righteous will reside here: the average person is sent to Gehinnom, a place of punishment, purification, and redemption. (Source,Gan Eden and Gehinnom) Details differ among interpretations, and specifics are unknown. However, it is generally seen as the Jewish equivalent of Hell. Sheol is the land of the dead, of which the inhabitants are both the righteous and unrighteous, regardless of their moral choices. It is “a place of stillness and darkness cut off from God.”

SIKHISM

Sikhs believe in reincarnation. The Sri Guru Granth Sahib makes this quite clear. "Those who meditate on God attain salvation. For them, the cycle of birth and death is eliminated." (Guru Granth Sahib Ji, 11) However, a Heaven and Hell do exist to the Sikh. Sikhs believe that, before rebirth, souls are placed either in Heaven or Hell to be rewarded or punished for a temporary amount of time due to their actions on earth, then they are reborn - this cycle repeats until they break the cycle by obtaining oneness with God (Mukti, or Moksha), a goal similar to that of Hinduism.

You might find this little tidbit of information fascinating. Or not. This is the response realsikhism.com has to the idea of a permanant heaven or hell:



http://realsikhism.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1248308791&ucat=7

How do we know we are reborn? We take birth and we do die. Sikhism does believe in the existence of heaven and hell, however, heaven and hell are created to reward and punish, one will then take birth again until one merges in God. According to some religion, the soul either goes to heaven or hell after death and stays there. So, how are people and other animals being born on this Earth? Is God creating new souls? If He is then no matter how big is heaven or hell it is going to be filled. If you consider a lake as heaven and think of drops of water being added to it as souls, then no matter how big the lake is, if no drops of water is leaving the lake, it is going to be filled some time in future. Our souls just ending in heaven or hell after death and God creating new soul doesn’t make sense. If God creates new souls, then why are children born with disabilities? Souls are born with disabilities because of the bad deeds they committed in their previous life. It is up to God if he sends the soul to hell to make it realize the consequences of its actions or be born and make it realize in its next life.

BUDDHISM

Buddhism teaches the idea of reincarnation, without the transmigration of the soul. (Sources, What Reincarnation is Not) A person is “reborn” in a sense, but their soul has died in their previous body. As such, Buddhists hold to the anatta doctrine; this is their most radical difference with Hindus. Reincarnation is based on the karma of past lives.



http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/reincarnation.htm

Karma is a Sanskrit word from the root "Kri" to do or to make and simply means "action." It operates in the universe as the continuous chain reaction of cause and effect. It is not only confined to causation in the physical sense but also it has moral implications. "A good cause, a good effect; a bad cause a bad effect" is a common saying. In this sense karma is a moral law.



Tibetan Buddhism has a very unique approach to the idea of reincarnation. It describes a 40-day long process that is separated into three bardos (periods of time marked by the actions done in that time). Within the Chikai Bardo, the soul realizes that it is separated from its body and experiences an “ecstatic experience” of the Clear White Light. In Chonyid Bardo, the person will hallucinate due to their past karmas and feel as though they are still in their body. The Sidpa Bardo marks the time in which the person has been reborn.

Nirvana is the ultimate goal in Buddhism: it signifies the end of the cycle of reincarnation and is regarded as salvation. Nirvana is the state of full enlightenment; as such, those who obtain this status are given the title of Buddha. Siddhartha Gautama is commonly considered the first Buddha by all Buddhist sects. One obtains this by following the Four Noble Truths, , and the Four Immeasurables, and the Middle Path. Along with this, Buddhists are expected to follow specific levels of sila: Five, Eight, or Ten Precepts.

HINDUISM

Hinduism teaches the idea of reincarnation, with transmigration of the soul. The teaches the idea that the soul is immortal, and therefore, as it is reborn, the soul transfers into another body. The individual will continually accumulate and generate karma throughout their lives in a cycle known as samsara. This cycle continues due to kama. The only way to remove oneself from this cycle by many Hindu sects is through a process called asceticism. Asceticism is the abstinence from worldly pleasures and desires. The idea is that worldly pleasures increase karma. Karma leads to rebirth. So, logically, one who follows asceticism will be liberated from this cycle.

Other sects of Hinduism differ on this idea, however. For instance, many Hindu Yogas believe that moksha can be obtained by “love for Ishwar/God . . . , by psycho-physical meditation . . . , by discrimination of what is real and unreal through intense contemplation . . . , and through Karma Yoga, the path of selfless action that subverts the ego and enforces understanding of the unity of all.”

The idea of moksha in Hinduism is the merging of souls with the Great World Soul of Brahman. This is the ultimate goal for Hindus.

WICCA

Wiccans believe in a land known as The Summerland, a place of self-reflection after death to evaluate how the dead lived their lives. This afterlife is not a place of punishment or reward, but simply a place of thought and reflection for the dead souls that reside in it. Within this land, people plan for their next life, and are reborn. Some Wiccans believe that the soul is reborn, and that Summerland is the goal-location, and view it as a heaven-like place of bliss. (Source, After Death) Others view it as was previously described, as a place between lives for self-reflection.

ZOROASTRIANISM

Zoroastrians believe in a heaven and hell based on degrees of wickedness compared to goodness. Heaven awaits those who have done more good than bad; hell awaits those who have done more bad than good. What hell is in Zoroastrianism is fairly inconsistent: “Zoroastrianism has historically suggested several possible fates for the wicked, including annihilation, purgation in molten metal, and eternal punishment, all of which have standing in Zoroaster's writings. Zoroastrian eschatology includes the belief that wicked souls will remain in hell until, following the arrival of three saviors at thousand-year intervals, Ahura Mazda reconciles the world, destroying evil and resurrecting tormented souls to perfection." Hell has multiple layers based on wickedness. Furthermore, not all actions are weighed during their judgement. Confessing one's sins is a viable option, as well as “transfer of supererogatory merits” through prayers and ceremonies for the dead.

[Xiam]

Boy, all kinds of complex. So where should we be chipping in, in regards to discussion? Hm...

That reminds me, I need to finish reading Bardo Thodol.

[Admiral Dardanos]

I vote reincarnation rebirth.

[metamary]

They're all right.

[CuAnnan]

metamary

They're all right.

How is this possible?
Some of them are mutually exclusive?
You cannot have two mutually exclusive truths.

[metamary]

CuAnnan

metamary

They're all right.

How is this possible?
Some of them are mutually exclusive?
You cannot have two mutually exclusive truths.

Why not?

[Lucky~9~Lives]

metamary

CuAnnan

How is this possible?
Some of them are mutually exclusive?
You cannot have two mutually exclusive truths.

Why not?

Because (the existence of) one would exclude the other (from existence).

[metamary]

Lucky~9~Lives

metamary

CuAnnan

How is this possible?
Some of them are mutually exclusive?
You cannot have two mutually exclusive truths.

Why not?

Because (the existence of) one would exclude the other (from existence).

Who says?

[Lucky~9~Lives]

metamary

Lucky~9~Lives

metamary

CuAnnan

How is this possible?
Some of them are mutually exclusive?
You cannot have two mutually exclusive truths.

Why not?

Because (the existence of) one would exclude the other (from existence).

Who says?

Those who understand 'mutually' to mean 'reciprocally', and 'exclusive' to mean 'precluding of inclusion'.

[metamary]

Lucky~9~Lives

metamary

Lucky~9~Lives

metamary

CuAnnan

How is this possible?
Some of them are mutually exclusive?
You cannot have two mutually exclusive truths.

Why not?

Because (the existence of) one would exclude the other (from existence).

Who says?

Those who understand 'mutually' to mean 'reciprocally', and 'exclusive' to mean 'precluding of inclusion'.

Those are nothing but words.

[Lucky~9~Lives]

metamary

Lucky~9~Lives

Those who understand 'mutually' to mean 'reciprocally', and 'exclusive' to mean 'precluding of inclusion'.

Those are nothing but words.

Reciprocally: performed, experienced, or felt by both sides.
- emotion_hug

[metamary]

Lucky~9~Lives

metamary

Lucky~9~Lives

Those who understand 'mutually' to mean 'reciprocally', and 'exclusive' to mean 'precluding of inclusion'.

Those are nothing but words.

Reciprocally: performed, experienced, or felt by both sides.
- emotion_hug

So?

[Fermionic]

Sometimes, I like to pretend that Narnia is my afterlife.