Do Buddhists believe in the afterlife? (paradise, Buddhism, reincarnation, soul)

[Hacker]

Hi, I have two questions.
First off, i was reading on the one website that buddhists belive in the after life then on another site, I read that they consider nirvana to be nothingness. But the one site that talks about the after life denoted "paradise."
Another question, could you be a Christian but believe in the Buddhism principals? I guess you could huh? But is this a common thing or does it exist? Because I believe that meditation is an important tool in attaining self love, and being in the present which is so hard to maintain if one doesn't practice.

[Victor]

I think it depends on which one you ask. Perhaps a fellow Buddhist can help you further if my perception is flawed.

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by tlcmel

Hi, I have two questions.
First off, i was reading on the one website that buddhists belive in the after life then on another site, I read that they consider nirvana to be nothingness. But the one site that talks about the after life denoted "paradise."
Another question, could you be a Christian but believe in the Buddhism principals? I guess you could huh? But is this a common thing or does it exist? Because I believe that meditation is an important tool in attaining self love, and being in the present which is so hard to maintain if one doesn't practice.

Maybe you saw a site on 'Pure Land' Buddhism, where people believe that if they have faith in a certain bodhisattva, they will be reborn in the world he created where everything is attuned perfectly for people to reach enlightenment.

Enlightenment itself is beyond concepts such as life and afterlife, it is a complete release.

[MidnightBlue]

There is a saying attributed to the Buddha that I think is the best answer to the question:

Malunkyaputta, anyone who should say, 'I will not lead the religious life under the Blessed One until the Blessed One shall explain to me either that the world is eternal, or that the world is not eternal, that the world is finite, or that the world is infinite, that the soul and the body are identical, or that the soul is one thing and the body another, that the saint exists after death, or that the saint does not exist after death, that the saint both exists and does not exist after death, or that the saint neither exists nor does not exist after death'; -- that person would die, Malunkyaputta, before the Tathagata had ever explained this to him. ... And why, Malunkyaputta, have I not explained this? Because, Malunkyaputta, this profits not, nor has to do with the fundamentals of religion, nor tends to aversion, absence of passion, cessation, quiescence, the supernatural faculties, supreme wisdom, and Nirvana; therefore have I not explained it.

[Engyo]

Halcyon and MidnightBlue have already covered the answer; but I will try to phrase it a different way.

Buddhism teaches rebirth (NOT reincarnation). Rebirth signifies that we are reborn, but "we" are not reborn. Rebirth happens into this world, and others very much like it, rather than into some eternal heaven or paradise realm or other.

The Buddha explained rebirth using candles. Think of five candles, signifying five different bodies, or lives. Light the first one. Say the flame is "you" (your ego/identity/"life"). Now light the second candle from the first, then extinguish the first one. Light the third from the second, then extinguish the second, and so on. When the fifth candle is lit and the fourth extinguished, then the Buddha asks "Is this the same flame as the one on the first candle?"

If one is using the term afterlife in the Christian sense, then no, Buddhists don't believe in that as such. There is no eternal soul in Buddhism. Everything has a beginning and an ending, but the process is what is eternal.

As to your second question, some Buddhist teachings directly contradict Christian ones. That said, there are many Christians who meditate, and who utilize many of the concepts and truths of Buddhism. No problem with that.

[Hacker]

Originally Posted by Engyo

Halcyon and MidnightBlue have already covered the answer; but I will try to phrase it a different way.

Buddhism teaches rebirth (NOT reincarnation). Rebirth signifies that we are reborn, but "we" are not reborn. Rebirth happens into this world, and others very much like it, rather than into some eternal heaven or paradise realm or other.

The Buddha explained rebirth using candles. Think of five candles, signifying five different bodies, or lives. Light the first one. Say the flame is "you" (your ego/identity/"life"). Now light the second candle from the first, then extinguish the first one. Light the third from the second, then extinguish the second, and so on. When the fifth candle is lit and the fourth extinguished, then the Buddha asks "Is this the same flame as the one on the first candle?"

If one is using the term afterlife in the Christian sense, then no, Buddhists don't believe in that as such. There is no eternal soul in Buddhism. Everything has a beginning and an ending, but the process is what is eternal.

As to your second question, some Buddhist teachings directly contradict Christian ones. That said, there are many Christians who meditate, and who utilize many of the concepts and truths of Buddhism. No problem with that.

Thank you!

[ladylazarus]

Throughout your life you carry out actions, I'm sure no one will contest that point. With the exception of dumb westerners who don't understand Buddhism, Buddhist don't acknowledge the existence of a soul. Because of that, death is death. Your memories, other than those you've shared, your individual consciousness ceases to exist. But, your actions to affect the universe infinitely. In this way, we continue to live after death. We live in the minds of others.

I very much recommed studying Buddhism more deeply. It's a rewarding philosophical system, as long as you bear in mind that it's more a philosophy than a religion -- that distinction is not nearly so clear in the Eastern world as the in the Western world, so it gets muddled, but Buddhism was never really intended to be a religion in the western sense.

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by ladylazarus

Throughout your life you carry out actions, I'm sure no one will contest that point. With the exception of dumb westerners who don't understand Buddhism, Buddhist don't acknowledge the existence of a soul. Because of that, death is death. Your memories, other than those you've shared, your individual consciousness ceases to exist. But, your actions to affect the universe infinitely. In this way, we continue to live after death. We live in the minds of others.

I very much recommed studying Buddhism more deeply. It's a rewarding philosophical system, as long as you bear in mind that it's more a philosophy than a religion -- that distinction is not nearly so clear in the Eastern world as the in the Western world, so it gets muddled, but Buddhism was never really intended to be a religion in the western sense.

I don't know about that. Go research the Pure Land Schools of Buddhism - they have some characteristics very much like middle eastern religions.

[St0ne]

Originally Posted by ladylazarus

Throughout your life you carry out actions, I'm sure no one will contest that point. With the exception of dumb westerners who don't understand Buddhism, Buddhist don't acknowledge the existence of a soul. Because of that, death is death. Your memories, other than those you've shared, your individual consciousness ceases to exist. But, your actions to affect the universe infinitely. In this way, we continue to live after death. We live in the minds of others.

I very much recommed studying Buddhism more deeply. It's a rewarding philosophical system, as long as you bear in mind that it's more a philosophy than a religion -- that distinction is not nearly so clear in the Eastern world as the in the Western world, so it gets muddled, but Buddhism was never really intended to be a religion in the western sense.

I agree with you and Engyo, In asia Buddhism is very much a religion with the beliefs in gods they have and praying to them. We all know Buddha tought not just to believe in something, to test it first and if it is true then believe. The way I see it is there are two parts to buddhism, the philosiphy and the supernatural. I can test the philosiphy and so far I have found it to be true so I believe it. I can't test the supernatural mabye it can be tested but I currently don't have that ability so until that time comes I have no reason to believe in the gods, etc, it really doesn't matter anyway because from what I have gathered they would be of little or no service to me anyway.

The only things I believe in in Buddhism that might make what I believe cross the line from philosiphy to religion is Enlightenment, Rebirth and the Univerasal law of Karma.

[ladylazarus]

No, there is no worship of supernatural entities in the classical schools of buddhism.

Enlightenment, Rebirth and the Univerasal law of Karma.

I think all of those are symbolic representations of ideas that can be explained in logical, scientific terms, and the understanding that these are inadequate representations is an integral part of Buddhist philosophy -- "truth cannot be spoken."