Afterlife Flip Side

#1

This is something I was thinking about today when I was on the can...

If you knew for certain...Lets say an Angel told you...That when you die, that you will go to an afterlife...It's pretty good to be there in fact...In this afterlife, you are displaced, and have no memory of your life...Meaning, you could join and be with relatives that had gone to the afterlife, but you would not have any knowledge of the living...You couldn't go sit with your grandfather for example, and tell him about your life on earth...

Also in this afterlife, you are as you were when you left the living...If you were 34, you came to the afterlife 34...If you were 78, you came into the afterlife 78...This is how you would remain for a looong ass time...

This angel also told you that you could choose when you were taken, and that the means would be peaceful...But after you chose an age, you would have no recollection of the conversation...It would just happen...Would you choose to die young..?

#2

QUOTE(œbermensch @ Feb 26 2007, 04:52 PM) This is something I was thinking about today when I was on the can...

If you knew for certain...Lets say an Angel told you...

I would rend that lying spirit asunder and run screaming from that impotent sterile place, rip out my own eye and hang on the world tree to claim my destiny as my own and forge from my pain the Runes of my power.

We enter this world screaming, confused, and covered in blood... the fun doesn't have to stop there.

#3

Unfortunately I don't get to deal with an afterlife (Buddhist). We tend to believe once you break the cycle of reincarnation and reach Nirvana we linger around the earth helping others attain the knowledge and such.

But, I did go to Catholic school for all those years so I still think I get a shot at answering the question: If I in fact have no recollection about my time on earth I'd probably choose to go young, since it wouldn't matter how I got there just the fact that I was there. I wouldn't be able to know if I lived a sweet life or not and with that sort of ignorance I wouldn't have to worry about leading a fulfilling life till old age.

#4

What happened to all of our posts here?

#5

QUOTE(œbermensch @ Feb 26 2007, 05:52 PM) This is something I was thinking about today when I was on the can...TMI!

I'm with raum! Beat the demonic imposter down and run like mad. If I had to pick an age to die, 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 or somewhere around there.

#6

QUOTE(wvosis @ Mar 15 2007, 02:29 AM) Unfortunately I don't get to deal with an afterlife (Buddhist). We tend to believe once you break the cycle of reincarnation and reach Nirvana we linger around the earth helping others attain the knowledge and such.

What school of Buddhism do you adhere to? Many have afterlives, or rather between lives. And many of their hells are far worse than the Christian interpretations. I find it odd that the Western ideals of buddhism rarely distinguish denomination.

QUOTEBut, I did go to Catholic school for all those years so I still think I get a shot at answering the question: If I in fact have no recollection about my time on earth I'd probably choose to go young, since it wouldn't matter how I got there just the fact that I was there. I wouldn't be able to know if I lived a sweet life or not and with that sort of ignorance I wouldn't have to worry about leading a fulfilling life till old age.

Now, now,.. that is not very Buddhist of you. What about your Boddhisattva vows? To remain in a state of Dharma until the Karma of the world has run full course and unraveled the illusion of Maya is unraveled and The Three Gunas are open to all, and even the last living being is granted Nirvana...

The "orthodox" buddhist response would be "I recognize my right to be granted entrance to Paradise, but will remain until all beings earn or are granted the right to enter." Basically, it is their obligation to assits all beings to achieve enlightenment. They are tied to the world until all are free.

Most Western buddhists seem to not emphasize that as much as Eastern buddhists.

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Me? I am ultimately a Taoist, and think dualism is absurd,.. so any offer of paradise would be deception. Even heaven has wars...

All is as it ever was, except that which refuses to change. Aum.

#7

Answer in all the following order:

Mahayana Buddhism, so it could be construed as a bit more easygoing.
Rebuttal to your assertion of Buddhist afterlife. I think it's erroneous to consider the "between" lives in the cycle of reincarnation as an afterlife. The "spirit" as it were ("personality" is more correct) is to remain on earth and if it has not attained Nirvana it is to be guided by Buddhas towards either of the two. I would say it's close to a purgatory but I'm not sure if that counts as much of an afterlife.

As for my vows, your right. "I vow to liberate all things" is the first vow, but I was referring to my former beliefs as a Catholic for that part. /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

And you're right; learning in Western Buddhism is a bit self-centered as most of my mediation classes focus on relieving our stress and dealing with "suffering" rather than helping others at this point. Maybe I should go study in Tibet if the Chinese gov lets me. For the record there hasn't been a Buddhist practitioner in our family for over 200 years (My family in China was proselytized by Baptist missionaries back then) so we're alittle rusty :biggrin:

Shouldn't you be out in the wilderness as a Taoist, not studying religion at all??

#8

Well being mainline protestant Christian (or at least that's the church I attend) I can give this one a crack. I want to live to be old, because who I am is defined by what I've done, not by what I remember. So, I would want as much character building and learning to go on as I can get.

Especially if I don't have to remember the lesson - just what was taught! /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

#9

Personally I dont want to live hundreds of years or something. I say as soon as my quality of life starts to diminish i want to die. I dont want to live while I have no ability to walk, or cant remember what the hell I did the same morning.

Nothing to do with any religion.

#10

[quote name='wvosis' date='Mar 15 2007, 02:00 PM' post='172380']
Answer in all the following order:

Mahayana Buddhism, so it could be construed as a bit more easygoing.
Rebuttal to your assertion of Buddhist afterlife. I think it's erroneous to consider the "between" lives in the cycle of reincarnation as an afterlife. The "spirit" as it were ("personality" is more correct) is to remain on earth and if it has not attained Nirvana it is to be guided by Buddhas towards either of the two. I would say it's close to a purgatory but I'm not sure if that counts as much of an afterlife.[quote]

Regarding the "Between" lives in reincarnation. I really think it is closer to the notion of re-emergence, than reincarnation. I think the distinguishing factor in this debate is alot of this is still open for interpretation for Mahayana Buddhists. Suffice it is to say, Nibbana and Patala (Beingness in Heaven and Hell) are transencendental, and non-absolute. So, I'd think a buddhist would be as I, wary of such a promise. To be honest, the "offer" Ayhja suggested is akin to the seduction of most VERY HARD drugs. "Relax, give in, feel good, and forget EVERYTHING." All it costs is your willpower... *shudder*

But you said you answered this question a bit more like the Catholic response, and subjection is the creed (of the laity, that is) in Catholicism.

[quote]Shouldn't you be out in the wilderness as a Taoist, not studying religion at all??
[/quote]

In this world of men, I AM in the wilderness. I study religions as I would study stones in in a stream, and I watch how each affects the flow of the water, and how they glint in the sunlight. To me, religion is a invention of man to lessen the uncertainty of self-determination, and to assist in assigning complex goals necessary for mankind to express itself in diversity. But if ever you truly find yourself in that stream, not a one of those stones will help you swim.