Awakening http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=29129418
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/11/story_1102_1.html to the Present
Q. What is the Buddhist perspective on an afterlife? A: Different schools and traditions offer slightly different answers. For example, some Buddhists say that the Buddha himself did not say much about the afterlife, or even about rebirth for that matter, but concentrated on teaching how this life can be lived in virtue and wisdom. A Zen teacher once told me, "The afterlife is just a dream. Be here now." When I said I had heard and read much about it from Tibetan and other sources, he laughed out loud and said, "That is all just a Himalayan nightmare!"
Nonetheless, the Tibetan teachings on dreams, conscious dying, the afterlife or bardo (intermediate stage), and rebirth, are very well developed and subtle. They aim to help us awaken from illusion and realize our true nature. These teachings are found in the renowned "Tibetan Book of the Dead," an ancient scripture of the Nyingmapa tradition, recently outlined and commented upon by Sogyal Rinpoche in his best-selling "Tibetan Book of Living and Dying," which I highly recommend. The concept of an "afterlife" is not generally found in Buddhism. Lamas say that birth is not our beginning nor is death our end, that the bardo is a transitional space between death and rebirth. The afterlife more properly applies to Christian theology and its notion of a heaven and hell-- which people reach after death, depending upon how they live in this world. I used to think that my Jewish ancestors believed in heaven, but when I asked an Orthodox rabbi from Jerusalem who teaches Kabbalah about this, he responded that rather than a permanent heaven or hell, the Kabbalah views all creation as being in constant transition and process until such time when all re-unites in primordial oneness with God. Buddhists are similarly process-oriented, recognizing the nature of all conditioned phenomena as impermanent, everchanging, and interconnected. Therefore, Buddhists do not believe in any eternal state such as heaven or hell. The bardo between one life and another, between one day and the next (through the bardo of sleep and dreaming), or between daily reality and spiritual reality through the bardo of meditation are viewed as equally real and unreal. Each stage is simply part of our spiritual journey and can be utilized--either intelligently or unskillfully--as grist for the mill of awakening and enlightenment. Thus, Buddhism stresses the importance of mindful, ethical, and compassionate living in the Holy Now, each and every moment. Living in this manner helps us awaken from the dream-like nature of everyday existence, come into lucidity while dreaming at night, and awaken through conscious dying and even after death. If in our lives we become awakened, liberated, and free then there is no afterlife to be concerned about.
http://www.victorzammit.com/articles/religions3.html
Buddhism
Buddha accepted the basic Hindu doctrines of reincarnation and karma, as well as the notion that the ultimate goal of the religious life is to escape the cycle of death and rebirth. Buddha asserted that what keeps us bound to the death/rebirth process is desire, desire in the sense of wanting or craving anything in the world. Hence, the goal of getting off the Ferris wheel of reincarnation necessarily involves freeing oneself from desire. Nirvana is the Buddhist term for liberation. Nirvana literally means extinction, and it refers to the extinction of all craving, an extinction that allows one to become liberated. Where Buddha departed most radically from Hinduism was in his doctrine of "anatta", the notion that individuals do not possess eternal souls. Instead of eternal souls, individuals consist of a "bundle" of habits, memories, sensations, desires, and so forth, which together delude one into thinking that he or she consists of a stable, lasting self. Despite its transitory nature, this false self hangs together as a unit, and even reincarnates in body after body. In Buddhism, as well as in Hinduism, life in a corporeal body is viewed negatively, as the source of all suffering. Hence, the goal is to obtain release. In Buddhism, this means abandoning the false sense of self so that the bundle of memories and impulses disintegrates, leaving nothing to reincarnate and hence nothing to experience pain. From the perspective of present-day, world-affirming Western society, the Buddhist vision cannot but appear distinctly unappealing: Not only is this life portrayed as unattractive, the prospect of nirvana, in which one dissolves into nothingness, seems even less desirable. A modern-day Buddha might respond, however, that our reaction to being confronted with the dark side of life merely shows how insulated we are from the pain and suffering that is so fundamental to human existence. Following death, according to Tibetan Buddhism, the spirit of the departed goes through a process lasting forty-nine days that is divided into three stages called "bardos." At the conclusion of the bardo, the person either enters nirvana or returns to earth for rebirth. It is imperative that the dying individual remain fully aware for as long as possible because the thoughts one has while passing over into death heavily influence the nature of both the afterdeath experience and, if one fails to achieve nirvana, the state of one's next incarnation. Stage one of the Bardo (called the "Chikai" Bardo), the bardo of dying, begins at death and extends from half a day to four days. This is the period of time necessary for the departed to realize that they have dropped the body. The consciousness of the departed has an ecstatic experience of the primary "Clear White Light" at the death moment. Everyone gets at least a fleeting glimpse of the light. The more spiritually developed see it longer, and are able to go beyond it to a higher level of reality. The average person, however, drops into the lesser state of the secondary "clear light." In stage two (called the "Chonyid" Bardo), the bardo of Luminous Mind, the departed encounters the hallucinations resulting from the karma created during life. Unless highly developed, the
individual will feel that they are still in the body. The departed then encounters various apparitions, the "peaceful" and "wrathful" deities, that are actually personifications of human feelings and that, to successfully achieve nirvana, the deceased must encounter unflinchingly. Only the most evolved individuals can skip the bardo experience altogether and transit directly into a paradise realm. Stage three (called the "Sidpa" Bardo), the bardo of rebirth, is the process of reincarnation. Read more...Kevin Williams Buddhist Afterlife Beliefs Awareness is Everything: Buddhist Views on Death Laura Strong's Mythic Arts offers this article on Buddhist views of an afterlife and death. Buddhism Today - Rebirth Learn about the cycle of death and rebirth in Buddhist tradition in this article from Buddhism Today. Buddhism Today - Buddhist Afterlife Another great article from Buddhism Today teaches about the afterlife in Buddhism. The afterlife usually pertains to the intermediate phase between rebirths.
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All About Buddhism: Life After Death
We buddhists believe a living being ( layman ) is connected to a chain of lives. When we pass away from one life, we just stick to another life. There may or may not be a transition period which is bit controversial, but for a person who hasn't attain nirvana ( "Nibbana" -The ultimate goal in buddhism ) will have new life after the current one. In the new life , we can be a human, an animal or maybe a single celled being like amiba. The activities we perform in our current life and in past lives plays the major role in success of the new life after death. According to buddhism, it is not god's wish to make someone poor and some other person wish, it is our past life actions which determine the future life. Therefore Buddhists are not dependent upon a "highly powered, uncontrollable source". Are we going our journey with a single "atman" like in Hindu? Of course not. The next life is like a mirror image of yours. If the mirror image is you , then there should be a duplicate of you in the world which is not true, but you can't argue that the mirror image doesn't represent you. Think about it. In the next life, you are not the same person as you are now, again you are not a different person into some extent. Simply, if we do good things, we gather good karma and you have the highest possibility to have a better life after death. So, why should we think of breaking the chain?. Lets take an example. Suppose you are the richest person in the world. Do you think that you would be free from all the problems in the world. No. You might have the risk of loosing your property. You maybe afraid that someone would break your record. That is life, we don't satisfy ourselves. We make our own goals and try to achieve and suffer. We need to get rid of continuous suffering.
This is just an overview of the life after death. There are many aspects in detail, which I would like to publish. Just let me know your thoughts
http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/beliefs/afterlife.htm Buddhist Beliefs about the Afterlife
The Buddha said of death: Life is a journey. Death is a return to earth. The universe is like an inn. The passing years are like dust. Regard this phantom world As a star at dawn, a bubble in a stream, A flash of lightning in a summer cloud, A flickering lamp - a phantom - and a dream. {1} According to Buddhism, after death one is either reborn into another body (reincarnated) or enters nirvana. Only Buddhas - those who have attained enlightenment - will achieve the latter destination.
Reincarnation (Transmigration) Based on his no-soul (anatta) doctrine, the Buddha described reincarnation, or the taking on of a new body in the next life, in a different way than the traditional Indian understanding. He compared it to lighting successive candles using the flame of the preceding candle. Although each flame is causally connected to the one that came before it, is it not the same flame. Thus, in Buddhism, reincarnation is usually referred to as "transmigration."
Nirvana Nirvana is the state of final liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. It is also therefore the end of suffering. The literal meaning of the word is "to extinguish," in the way that a fire goes out when it runs out of fuel. In the Surangama, the Buddha describes Nirvana as the place in which it is recognized that there is nothing but what is seen of the mind itself; where, recognizing the nature of the self-mind, one no longer cherishes the dualisms of discrimination; where there is no more thirst nor grasping; where there is no more attachment to external things.
But all these descriptions only tell us what is not Nirvana. What is it like? Is it like heaven, or is it nonexistence? The answer is not clear, due in large part to the Buddha's aversion to metaphysics and speculation. When he was asked such questions, he merely replied that it was "incomprehensible, indescribable, inconceivable, unutterable." http://www.mythicarts.com/writing/Buddhist_Awareness.htm Awareness is Everything: Buddhist Views on Death and the Afterlife To most people in the Western world, death is merely the demarcation between the material world of the living and the mysterious world of the dead. Once they have crossed over, there is no return to the realm of the living. Few people have a clear picture of the other side and there are many conflicting ideas about what goes on there. The lack of understanding about what occurs before, during, and after death has lead to a great deal of denial, avoidance, and unnecessary fear. In opposition to this, there are some who even glorify death, and many individuals find themselves somewhere in the middle believing it is just a natural process that does not require any preparation. According to one Buddhist master: "People often make the mistake of being frivolous about death and think, 'Oh well, death happens to everybody. It's not a big deal, it's natural. It'll be fine. 'That's a nice theory until one is dying" (Rinpoche 8). The importance of developing a true awareness of death is one of the fundamental concepts behind Buddhism. Buddhists also believe that this awareness offers benefits to the living. It can help release us from unnecessary attachments that cause suffering, create compassion for other beings, put us in touch with important unseen energies, and force us to be more responsible for our actions on this planet. In actuality, an awareness of death can bring about a much greater appreciation for life. While Buddhism is open to teaching this "awareness" to others, it is not the right religion for everyone. In fact, the Dalai Lama suggests that people should thoroughly explore the religions of their own culture before abandoning them for Buddhist beliefs. This is partly due to the fact that most Buddhists realize that a person's choice of religion is not as important as the strength of their faith. Another core concept of Buddhism is that anyone can find happiness by following the teachings of the Four Noble Truths, since they "can be practiced by every understanding person, irrespective of his or her religious beliefs" (Parry and Ryan 76). However, the ever-growing hunger in Western society for Eastern spiritual experiences may point to the fact that there is still something missing from many modern Western traditions. I believe that "something" may be a more fulfilling answer to the question of what really happens to us when we die. Buddhism is based on the teachings and personal experiences of Siddhartha Gautama, who lived in India around twenty-five hundred years ago. The son of a wealthy king, he left his wife and family to became a wandering monk in search of enlightenment. After pursuing various Hindu spiritual practices, Siddhartha finally found his own path to enlightenment, which has come to be known as "the Middle Way" between "a life of unbridled sensuous enjoyment (hedonism) and a life of extreme self-denial (asceticism)" (Lester 855). By practicing moderation, morality, and meditation, he finally "achieved an insight by which he became know as the Buddha or 'the Awakened One.' After this awakening, he continued to wander as a monk-teacher, encouraging others to follow the path he discovered to nirvana, the cessation of suffering" (860). Since the time of Siddhartha, Buddhism has grown into a variety of different traditions that are unified by such principles as the Four Noble Truths. The Buddha taught that the failure to understand this basic teaching is what keeps people tied to the continuous cycle of
death and rebirth. The Four Noble Truths are: 1) there is suffering, 2) suffering is caused by desire, 3) the cessation of desire leads to the cessation of suffering, and 4) there is a path that can lead to the cessation of all desire. This path is known as the Noble Eight-Fold Path, which encourages wisdom (right views and right intents), morality (right speech, conduct, and livelihood), and mental discipline (right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration). If the practitioner follows this path, they can eventually achieve nirvana. "Nirvana is the freedom from future rebirth, old age, and death. It is said to be blissful, but not in any sense of worldly pleasure or, for that matter, any pleasure defined by other than the absence of suffering" (Lester 908). This "suffering," or dukha, that can be overcome by following the Eight-Fold Path is directly linked to our deep desire for permanence. Until we can detach ourselves from this desire, we will continue to experience many of the different types of suffering in this world. From the Buddhist viewpoint: Being born is suffering; growth is suffering, experiencing disease is suffering; growing old is suffering and dying is suffering. Subtler than physical pain is the suffering of dissatisfaction, the unhappiness occasioned by not having what we want and having what we do not want. There is anxiety (mental suffering) even in the experience of pleasure and satisfactionthe knowing or at least apprehension that it will not last. There is fear of failure, loss of status, loss of self-worth, loss of loved ones, loss of property. Deep down, there is a vague and gnawing anxiety about deathnot only the prospect of life ending but of ultimate meaninglessness. (Lester 904) The world we live in is in constant flux, everything is impermanent, and at each moment were are moving closer to our own death. Since Buddhists see everything as being impermanent, they do not believe in the existence of what others might call a "soul." Instead they refer to this aspect of human beings as the "no-self." "Ultimately, there exists only an ever-changing combination of five aggregatesmatter, sensations, perceptions, mental formations, consciousnessrhythmically forming a psychophysical configuration" (Kramer 51-52). The union of these five aggregates, elements, or categories is what makes up the personality, the "I" that many people think actually exists, but is in fact just a projection of the mind. At the time of death there is a "dissolution," the bonds are broken, yet the life stream continues. According to professor of Buddhist Religion Eva K. Neumaier-Dargyay, "One has to think of these five categories as being like streams whose composition is constantly changing. The momentum in each stream drives the process forward and guarantees its continuation beyond the individual's death" (90). The direction of this momentum is directly driven by the individual's karma and their level of "awareness" at the time of their death. Karma, or action, is the energy that is generated by human thoughts, word and deeds. It can be positive, negative or meditative, and can have a profound affect on the next incarnation of any sentient being. "Negative karma results in rebirth in one of the three lower realms (the hells, the ghost realms, or the animal world); positive karma produces rebirth in the human, demigod or sensual god worlds; and meditative karma brings rebirth in the higher heavens of form and formlessness" (Mullin 17). While the concept of rebirth is common among all Buddhist traditions, there is some discrepancy as to the actual route that is taken to the next life. In early Buddhism, "the Pali tradition denies that any time elapses between the moment of death and the new embodiment. Death and rebirth, in the form of conception, follow each other without
interruption." There is no intermediate stage between the separation of the five aggregates, and their reformation in the next existence. "It is like the flame of a candle igniting another candle. In both cases the earlier process comes to an end, yet provokes another process that has structural similarity to the first one" (Neumaier-Dargyay 90). The Hinayana or Theraveda tradition expands on this theory with the addition of an intermediate state between death and rebirth called antarabhava (Sanskrit), bardo (Tibetan) or the gap. According to the Adhidharmakosha, a fifth century C.E. Theraveda encyclopedia of Buddhist knowledge and practice, the intermediary being that exists between destinations is said to possess the following characteristics: it is visible only to creatures of similar spiritual accomplishment; it has complete sensory faculties (whereby the tactile bodily feelings are of an illusionary nature); it is unencumbered by material obstacles and distances. However, unlike The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which assumes that the intermediary being has the ability to affect rebirth or avoid it all together, the Adhidharmakosha >views the path of the intermediary being as being predestined by its karma. (Neumaier-Dargyay 92) Therefore, the Theraveda tradition believes that once an individual has entered the intermediate state of the bardo, the outcome of their next incarnation has already been determined. The Mahayana school of Buddhism holds a similar view. It also confirms the concept of an intermediary state where the five aggregates are transformed into an intermediary being that "is like a clone of the deceased one, so that it can relive some of the experiences of the former." These experiences have even been documented by advanced disciples of Mahayana Buddhism "who actualized nirvana after death while dwelling in a state that resembled the intermediary state" (Neumaier-Dargyay 93). The Buddhist tradition that has received the most attention in the West recently is the Vajrayana tradition, which is practiced in Tibet. One of the reasons for the increased interest in this particular tradition has been the publication of various translations and explanations of The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which specifies the details of the dying process and what can be expected in the afterlife. The teachings are also appealing to people, because they promise additional benefits for the transitory being. If the being is truly "aware" in the bardo, and does not act out of fear, they will be presented with numerous opportunities to avoid rebirth. If these are all passed up, then they will still be given the chance to choose the best possible circumstances for their next incarnation. Since there are so many pitfalls along the way, Tibetan Buddhist's believe it is important to become very familiar with the bardo, before entering it at the time of death. In addition to experiencing it through meditation, it can also be read about in the Bardo Thtrl. The Bardo Thtrl, which is more commonly known in the West as The Tibetan Book of the Dead, or Liberation Through Hearing in the Bardo, is used as a guide through the dying process. It is read aloud to the dying person to alert them to what is occurring and to keep them focused in the right direction. It is read continuously for forty-nine days, since this is the length of time one stays in the bardo if one has not found one's way towards enlightenment, or has mistakenly taken a wrong turn into a lower realm. The reading of the Bardo Thtrl is considered especially important for those who may have become confused by a serious illness or sudden death, and for those who have not been rigorous about their meditation practice. In addition to helping the deceased recognize auspicious signposts and opportunities, it also helps to reassure them during the inevitable moments of uncertainty.
The teachings of the bardo are also applicable in our daily lives. According to Sogyal Rinpoche: "The word 'bardo' is commonly used to denote the intermediate state between death and rebirth, but in reality bardo are occurring continuously throughout both life and death, and are junctures when the possibility of liberation, or enlightenment, is heightened" (11). Yet, if we are unprepared for these heightened moments in time, we may be afraid to go forward, afraid to jump off the precipice, and will miss out on some great opportunities. Contemplating death can dispel these fears and can bring about many other forms of awareness. The three major Buddhist traditions each have a slightly different idea about the benefits behind building death awareness. The Theraveda tradition, which is primarily practiced by professional monks, uses an awareness of death to help "develop a sense of moderation, renunciation and nonattachment." They believe that an untrained mind tends to elevate the importance of pleasurable events and denigrate unpleasant occurrences. This leads to either excess attachment or unnecessary aversion, which can have a direct effect on one's karma. "Training in death awareness causes us to see things in a more calm, undisturbed and unaffected light, providing us with a deeper sense or moderation in interaction" (Mullin 20). The Mahayana tradition, which is accessible to professionals and lay practitioners alike, uses death awareness to further their fundamental interest in compassion. Practitioners see this awareness as an aid to helping people to comprehend the impermanence of all other beings. "When the trainee has a deeply rooted awareness of death it is easy for him/her to feel patience toward the harms caused by others, and to feel love and compassion towards them. Seeing their impermanent nature, he/she responds with great compassion toward any act based on ignorance" (Mullin 21). The Vajrayana school believes that practitioners can meditate on death and actually experience its various stages before they die. While the idea of intentionally experiencing death may seem unthinkable to many in the West, practitioners of Tantra see it as being extremely beneficial. Not only does it prepare the person for the actual death experience, but it also helps to teach them about "subtle energy channels, energies and points of the subtle body, the manipulation of the sexual substances and the invoking of the most refined bodily energies and levels of consciousness," which greatly accelerates the ability to achieve "full Buddhahood in one lifetime" (Mullin 21). While contemplating death may not bring enlightenment to everyone, there is no doubt that enhancing our awareness has many benefits for Westerners. Instead of attempting to hide from death, we may be able to look to it as a teacher. The moment of death does not always have to be perceived as a great defeat or tragedy. It does not have to bring us pain and sorrow. If we can learn to view death from the Buddhist perspective, we may also find it easier to support those who are dying, to offer them comfort and the knowledge that there are many positive possibilities ahead. Maybe then we will be able put the Buddhist lesson of non-attachment into practice and learn to let go of our loved ones when the time has come. They are going on to a new life, and we should send them off with all the support and love that we can offer. The time of death is a time of great transformation and holds many opportunities for any sentient being who is aware.
Works Cited
Kramer, Kenneth. The Sacred Art of Dying: How World Religions Understand Death. New York: Paulist Press, 1988. Lester, Robert C. "Buddhism: The Path to Nirvana." Religious Traditions of the World: A Journey through Africa, Mesoamerica, North America, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, China, and Japan. Ed. H. Byron Earhart. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1993. 847-971. Mullin, Glenn H. Death and Dying: The Tibetan Tradition. Boston: Arkana Penguin, 1986. Neumaier-Dargyay, Eva K. "Buddhism." Life after Death in World Religions. Ed. Harold Coward. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1997. 87-104. Parry, Joan K., and Angela Shen Ryan. A Cross-Cultural Look at Death, Dying, and Religion. The Nelson-Hall Series in Social Work. Chicago, IL: Nelson-Hall, 1995. Rinpoche, Sogyal. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Eds. Patrick Gaffney and Andrew Harvey. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1993.
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/buddhism/essays/buddhism_death.asp
Buddhism and Death
The Great Unmentionable It is sometimes said that Death today has replaced Sex as "The Great Unmentionable," and certainly it is, for most people, an uncomfortable subject which they do not care to think about overmuch. Yet if there is one thing that is certain in life it is that we shall all die, sooner or later. There was once a creed which declared: "Millions Now Living Will Never Die," and it had great appeal -- but all those who first heard it proclaimed are now dead. So we all have to face death, whether we like it or not. And we all know it, however we may try to forget the fact. Let us, then, at least for a while, stop trying to forget it and look death straight in the face. It is, of course, perfectly true that we can be too preoccupied with death. There are those who are eaten up with fear of death so that they hardly have any energy or zest for living, and there are some for whom mortality and all its accompaniments and trappings have a peculiar fascination. Facing death realistically does not mean being obsessed by it. Here, as in other respects, Buddhism teaches a Middle Way. For those who have an unhealthy preoccupation with the subject, it can teach a saner and more balanced concern; for those who seek at all costs to avoid thinking about it, it can likewise show a reasonable approach. Fear of death is an unwholesome state of mind, and for this, as for other unwholesome states of mind, Buddhism can show a remedy. In the West today, there are many different attitudes to death and a large number of people are probably quite bewildered by it, not knowing what to believe. But two main ones predominate: the Traditional Christian view and the Modern Secular view. The Traditional Christian view (which has many variations of detail) asserts the reality of an after-life, which the Modern Secular view denies or at the very least calls strongly into question. The Traditional Christian View This asserts that man has an immortal soul, created by God. After death a man will, in some shape or form, receive the reward or punishment for his deeds on earth. In short, the good will go to heaven and the wicked to hell. Heaven and hell are everlasting. Of course, many Christians -- even fairly "traditional" ones -- are more or less uneasy about this, especially about the eternity of hell, but this doctrine is still taught by many Churches in some form, with whatever loopholes or reservations. It should also be noted that on this view only man has an "immortal soul," and
that (non-human) "animals" simply perish at death. A few Christians, especially in England, dislike this and hope to be reunited with their pets in another world. Inquiry would probably show that this is a genuine stumbling-block for more people than might have been supposed. The Modern Secular View According to this view, which usually claims to be "scientific," man is just another animal and, like the animals in the Christian view, simply perishes totally at physical death. This could actually be in part an unrecognized heritage from Christian thinking. The Christian says: "Animals have no souls." The Secularist caps this by saying: "Man is an animal, therefore he has no soul." Modern biology, medical science, psychology and so on tend markedly (whether quite explicitly or not) to take this view for granted. As has been stated and will be shown, the "scientific" basis for this attitude is at the very least, highly questionable. But its exponents are often people enjoying considerable prestige and are widely listened to by those who do not feel able to form an independent opinion on this subject. The Buddhist Attitude The Buddhist attitude to both of these types of view is that they are extremes, neither of which is in fact true. The first type of view is called in Buddhism "the heresy of eternalism" (sassatavaada), while the second is called "the heresy of annihilationism" (ucchedavaada). They both in fact miss the point.
What actually happens according to Buddhism can only be clearly understood if we have some acquaintance with the Buddhist view of the general nature of man. But before considering this (as far as it is relevant to our subject), it may be as well to observe how the Buddhist view can be misinterpreted. If we say, for instance, that in the Buddhist view man is not distinguished from animals by the possession of an "immortal soul," then this looks very like the Modern Secular position. If, on the other hand, it is pointed out that according to Buddhism we reap the rewards and penalties, after death, for our actions in this life, then this looks rather like the Traditional Christian view. If both propositions are stated to be correct, the result looks like a contradiction, though in fact it is not. These misapprehensions about Buddhism result from failure to realize the kind of "optical illusion" which occurs when a middle position is viewed from one of the extremes. If an island is exactly in the middle of a river then from either bank it looks closer to the opposite bank than to the observer. Only an observer on the island can see that it is equidistant. Viewed from the extreme left, any middle position looks much further to the right than it is, and vice versa. The same phenomenon is commonly observable in politics and other walks of life. In this case, the true Buddhist view is that the impersonal stream of consciousness flows on -- impelled by ignorance and craving -- from life to life. Though the process is impersonal, the illusion of personality continues as it does in this life.
In terms of Absolute Truth, there is no "immortal soul" that manifests in a succession of bodies, but in terms of the relative truth by which we are normally guided, there is a "being" that is reborn. In order to gain Enlightenment, it is necessary to come to a realization of the situation as it is according to absolute truth; in order to face and begin to understand the problem of death we can, in the first instance, view it in terms of that "relative truth" which normally rules our lives and which has its validity in its own sphere. We need merely, for the present, to remind ourselves that this is but a "provisional" view of things. In this connection, too, we have to observe that we are dealing only with the question of death as it affects the ordinary person, not one who has attained Enlightenment. We may therefore say that Buddhism, rejecting Annihilationism outright, partly agrees with the Eternalists, to the extent of accepting a form of Survival, without, for the moment, considering the differences further.
Implications of "Survivalism" and "Annihilationism" It makes a considerable difference to our outlook on life, whether we believe in any form of survival or not. Those who entirely reject the idea of survival inevitably concentrate all their ambitions and hopes, for themselves and others, on this single life on earth. This life, they feel, is all they have and for them the only reasonable goal can be the achievement of some kind of mundane satisfaction or contentment in this world -- all else being meaningless. The precise implications of such an attitude will depend greatly on a person's character. The idealist may devote himself to all kinds of plans for bettering the human condition. It is claimed, and not without some justice, that this view of things has led to a great many social improvements. Nevertheless, if we look at the whole picture, it may be doubted whether all the social consequences of a purely "this-worldly" view have been beneficial. And even the idealist must admit that his hopes are strictly limited, not only for himself but for the race itself which will inevitably die out one day, possibly hastened to its end by man's own wicked folly or even his incompetent attempts to "control nature." Furthermore, those who are less idealistically inclined may tend to regard this "one-life-only" theory as an excuse for enjoying themselves as selfishly as they like while they have the chance, with no fear of any post-mortem retribution. In addition, are there very many people who are more or less (in some cases greatly) tormented by the fear of utter extinction at death. To point out that this is illogical is useless. For many such, fear of cancer or other fatal diseases, or war and other disasters, is not made any easier to bear because they see no future for themselves beyond the grave. Those who preach the "we have only one life" gospel too enthusiastically may forget in their zeal for good causes the serious psychological harm such talk can do. Fear of death is not, of course, confined to those who do not believe in an after-life. It is in fact universal. "In that sleep of death what dreams may come" is a thought that has given pause to many besides Hamlet, and in the past many have gone terrified of hell-fire -- and some still do. Probably, however, most believers or would-be believers in survival today settle in fact for something vaguely comforting, a trifle wishful, and with few clearly envisaged details. It should be noted that lack of belief in survival is not entirely incompatible with a religious attitude, though probably most sincere believers in all religions have some such faith, however vague. The Jewish religion, for instance, has little to say on an after-life (though this is not denied), and probably many orthodox Jews have little or
no faith in one. This is partly due to the reticence of most of the Hebrew Bible (known to Christians as the Old Testament) on the subject, and in this connection the well-known concern of Jews with their race and its continuance is significant -- as in the case of the secularists noted above. The relation, of course, is an inverse one: the Jew, concerned with racial survival, thinks little about personal survival. The secularist, rejecting personal survival, pins his hopes on that of the race. The concern of many Christian churchmen with social problems today often goes together with a marked reticence on the subject of survival, and occasionally even with a degree of open skepticism. In some cases this looks like a scarcely-veiled capitulation to the dominant materialistic outlook of the present age. Of course there are many who believe -- rightly or wrongly -- that they can get in touch with the departed. Mediums who claim to be able to do this are numerous, and while some (it is impossible to say how many) are fraudulent, and some others are self-deluded, it would be unwise in the extreme to suppose that this is always the case. Genuine clairvoyants, spiritual healers and other such specially gifted people unquestionably exist, as anyone who is prepared to undertake an impartial investigation can readily discover. But in the public mind such people tend still (though perhaps rather less than formerly) to be dismissed en masse as fraudulent or at best cranky. Those who consult them often do so surreptitiously, guarding the fact from their friends as a guilty secret they would be ashamed to divulge. While excessive concern with such matters is not necessarily a good thing, the loudly voiced scornful skepticism of many materialistic-minded people is simply an inadequate response to something of which they are woeful -- sometimes even culpably -- ignorant. Repression Since in fact a fear of death is deep-rooted in everybody, the propagation of an attitude of total skepticism can do much harm. Even a great psychologist like the late Dr. Ernest Jones, the biographer of Freud, considered it necessary to declare that it was important to eliminate from one's mind all belief in an after-life. Now if, in fact, it could somehow be finally proved (which it cannot) that there is no such thing, and if further it were possible through psycho-analysis or some such methods to get rid of all fear of extinction, this might be a good thing. But since these premises cannot be substantiated, the claim falls to the ground. The fact is that orthodox psycho-analysis was able to find out a great deal about the problem of sex, with which it was largely (though not entirely) able to cope. But it had not and has not the equipment to adequately deal with the problem of death. What Dr. Jones (Freudian though he was) failed to see is that the only result of such an attempt can be repression! Repression may be briefly defined as "the active process of keeping out and ejecting, banishing from consciousness, the ideas and impulses that are unacceptable to it."1 We can call it successful self-deception. Its deleterious effects on the psyche are well-known, thanks above all to the work of Sigmund Freud and his followers. In this case it means that we deceive ourselves into believing that we are not afraid of death -- and in fact very many people do this. Buddhism is actually an even better and more radical method of dealing with one's repression's than psycho-analysis, and it is often a hard task to convince people that they have in fact not "transcended," but merely repressed their fear of death! The reader is earnestly advised at this point to consider seriously the possibility that he or she has done just this, bearing in mind that in the nature of things an immediate negative reaction proves nothing! If in fact there is any instinctive tendency to shy away from the whole subject, the answer is actually obvious, though it may be hard to accept. This is due not only to the fear itself but to conceit -- the belief that one is "advanced." Consequences The consequences of a definite denial of the possibility of survival (so highly praised by Dr. Jones) are the persistence of the fear of death, in either an overt or repressed form. Either way there is a distortion of the psyche with resultant suffering, whatever the exact form it may take. Since such an attitude of denial is very widespread in many parts of the world today (and even officially prescribed in some places), these deleterious effects, on a very wide scale, are quite inevitable. In passing, in may be presumed that if in fact there were no survival, we would not have this built-in fear of death. In present circumstances, the man who thinks, or wants to think otherwise, is in something of a dilemma. Assuming that he is not a psychic or drawn to spiritualism or the like, nor on the other hand an orthodox believer in one of the traditional faiths, he is probably plagued by doubts and has at best only a hazy notion of what it is he "believes." He may indulge in many fanciful speculations. It is not at all clear to him on what basis he can judge of the possibly validity of these ideas. Under the impact of his surroundings, his belief, vague though it may be but perhaps based
on some genuine intuition, is liable to be weak and fail him in times of crisis. In such a case, a resolute dismissal of all such ideas as "wishful thinking" may for the time being even bring a sense of relief (especially where his thoughts of the hereafter tend to arouse exaggerated fears of some awful retribution). All this must be admitted, and it is presumably for just such reasons that thinkers like Dr. Jones advocate the course they do. In fact, of course, it does not solve the real problem. The social and personal drawbacks of the "Jonesian solution" do not end there. This negative attitude is the outcome of a materialistic view of the world which -- though it is still held by many scientists -- is in fact outmoded. Being in essence materialistic, it tends also to reduce our respect for human life. The traditional Christian view that "animals have no souls" is in fact semi-materialistic in this sense. Those who think that man is a special case tend all too easily to take the view (for which, unfortunately, there is Biblical support) that animals are totally subservient to him and can be treated as of no account -- hence factory-farming and many other such horrors. The true materialist goes a step further and regards man himself as an "animal" in this sense. The extreme consequences of a radical application of this idea can be witnessed in many places at this day, and are often utterly appalling. But even when tempered with "liberal humanism" they can be pretty bad. Power over life and death is given to the medical profession and others to a degree which is sometimes quite irresponsible. Transplant surgery, to take an example, is based on a view of death which is entirely unethical by traditional standards, apart altogether from any "religious" considerations, and similar objections apply to demands for virtually indiscriminate abortion. Death and the Buddhist What, then, should be a truly Buddhist attitude towards death? Let us first note that in traditional Christianity, as for instance in the Roman Catholic Church (which has more wisdom -- despite all reservations that may be made -- than it is often given credit for!), great attention is paid to the dying. Special rites are performed, and every effort is made to help the dying person to pass on in what is considered to be a right frame of mind. To those with no belief in a hereafter, all such things are meaningless. To Buddhists and other non-Catholic "survivalists," they may be open to certain criticisms, but the principle is wholly admirable. In Tibetan Buddhism especially, there are observances of a very similar nature, while in Theravada countries it is part of the duties of a vipassanaa bhikkhu to assist the dying. Of course, the frame of mind in which a Buddhist should die is not quite the same as that expected of an adherent of a theistic religion. But at least it is better to try to give the dying such understanding as one can, than to drug them into unconsciousness as an almost routine measure. That way they will pass on to another existence in much the same state of blindness and confusion with which they have gone through this life. Let us note once again that such considerations can only be rejected as quite valueless if we are perfectly certain that there is no form of after-life -- and even on that basis it might be very cruel to deprive many of the dying people of such comfort. Therefore the suggestion made in the humanist circles that hospital chaplains should be abolished can only be characterized as downright wicked. Some such chaplains may be pretty useless, but the majority can give the sick and dying at least some comfort. Ideally, of course, they should all be highly-trained bhikkhus! However, when one is actually dying it is a bit late to begin thinking seriously about death. We should familiarize ourselves with the thought long before we hope it will happen! And besides, even for the young and strong, it can still come with unexpected suddenness. Mors certa -- hora incerta, "Death is certain -- the hour is uncertain." To bear this in mind is for the Buddhist an important aspect of Right Understanding. And therefore the Buddhist practice of Meditation on Death -- not very popular in the West -- should be encouraged. Death for the Buddhist is not indeed the absolute end -- but it does mean the breaking of all ties that bind us to our present existence, and therefore, the more detached we are from this world and its enticements, the more ready we shall be to die, and, incidentally, the further we shall get along the path that leads to the Deathless -- for this is one of the names of Nibbaana: amata.m "the Deathless State." Meanwhile, for those who have not got so far along the Path, death is inseverable from birth. Existence in the phenomenal world (sa.msaara) is continual birth-and-death. The one cannot be understood without the other, and cannot exist without the other. We all fear death, but actually we should also fear the rebirth that follows. In practice, this does not always happen. Fear of rebirth is less strong than death. This is part of our usual short-sighted view (for those who do actually believe in rebirth), and the fact must be faced. Full Enlightenment will only be achieved when there is the will to transcend all forms of "rebirth" -- even the pleasantest. Though as a first step then, acceptance of the fact of rebirth may help to overcome the fear of death, the attachment to rebirth itself must then also be gradually overcome.
Death-Wish Though there is a strong fear of death, there is, strangely enough, also a desire for it. Psycho-analysis has a good deal to say about this, though it is perhaps not very illuminating. But the fact remains that many people show suicidal tendencies, or even actually commit suicide, whatever be the explanation. The Buddha in fact included this "death-wish" as the third of three kinds of craving: besides desire for sense-pleasures we find in the formula of the Second Noble Truth the desire for becoming (bhavata.nhaa) and the desire for cessation (vibhavata.nhaa). Since life is by its very nature frustrating, we can never get it on our own terms, and therefore there is an urge to be quit of the whole thing. The fallacy, of course, lies in the fact that one cannot just "step out" so easily, since death by suicide, like any other death, is followed immediately by rebirth in some plane or other -- quite possibly worse than that which one had left. The traditional Christian view indeed is that suicide is a mortal sin -- with the implication that it would be a case of "out of the frying-pan and into the fire." Some psycho-analysts speak -- ignorantly -- of the "Nirvana-principle" in connection with the death-wish. But what we are here dealing with is not in fact the urge to true liberation, but merely an escape-reaction. Only if by insight more profound than that of the Freudians, this revulsion is followed by complete equanimity can it be turned towards the Supramundane which alone is the goal of Buddhism. This will not happen spontaneously. It should be noted that the "death-wish" here referred to is associated in Buddhism with the "heresy of annihilationism" already mentioned. In a somewhat aggressive form it can even serve to mask repressed death-fear. This would seem to explain the vehemence with which people like Dr. Ernest Jones assert the desirability of their anti-survivalist views. By way of curiosity, it may be mentioned that a distinguished biologist has gone on record as declaring that whether or not we believe in survival is entirely determined by our genes. This would seem to be pushing determinism pretty far! Psychology of Survivalism and Anti-Survivalism It is, of course, easy to suggest that those who believe in some form of survival are victims of wishful thinking, fantasy, and the like. And in many cases there is a good deal of truth in the allegation. But what is less often realized is the fact that the opposite situation also exists. As has been indicated, quite a number of cases can be found of a curiously fanatical and intolerant belief in "death as the end." That this attitude masks a repressed death-fear has been suggested above. It also betrays a measure of conceit: by adopting it one appears "scientific," "realistic," "tough," and so on. It may even to some extent be an assertion of one's masculinity (disbelief in "old wives' tales," etc.). The fact that more women than men are churchgoers may be partly due to the fact that women in general feel less urge than men to put on this particular "act" (they have others!). Apart from these factors, this attitude also, curiously enough, gives a certain sense of "security." One has made up one's mind on that particular question and can now dismiss it, and turn to other things. This enables the scientist -- and the politician -- to make "realistic" decisions without reference to traditional objections. Also, by excluding one whole branch of phenomena from the need for investigation, it helps to make our scientific knowledge more "neat and tidy." Unfortunately for this type of view, however, there is a whole field of knowledge which runs directly counter to any smug mechanistic-materialistic view of the world. A wide variety of paranormal phenomena -- some with direct relevance to the question of survival -- are so well attested that to brush them aside is a trifle difficult. Some scientists contrive to ignore the whole lot and just go on behaving as if there were "nothing there." A few -- but a growing minority -- investigate, and as a result are convinced that there is at least something "there," however you may explain it. Others can do neither of these things, that is, they can neither ignore the whole lot nor investigate with genuine objectivity. They therefore set themselves up as "debunkers." They set out to "expose" or "disprove" whatever they disapprove of. The assumption is in effect that since, admittedly and obviously, there are some fraudulent mediums and so on, therefore all such people are fraudulent or at any rate deluded. Quite a number of books and articles have appeared in recent years, assiduously "debunking" various classical cases of paranormal phenomena. But genuinely impartial investigation frequently shows that, whatever may have the been the weaknesses in the reporting of these cases, the debunkers have in fact gone widely beyond all reasonable criticism and have sometimes themselves been -- unconsciously no doubt -- quite unscrupulous. The well-known case of "Bridey Murphey" a few years ago illustrates this. Some very confident "debunking" of this story turned out on further investigation to be quite wide of the mark. One book on hypnotism, too, pours scorn on attempts to recall past lives by this method. The author calls these "a hunk of junk" (note the emotive language), and clearly implies deliberate fraudulent suggestion by the
hypnotist -- a suggestion which is not only ridiculous but libelous. And the present writer once a heard a very intelligent lady psychologist say: "I'd rather believe anything than accept precognition: it would upset my entire scientific conception of the universe!" Perhaps one can even sympathize a little with this lady; nevertheless since precognition, however mysterious, is a well-attested fact, it is up to her to revise her conception of the universe. She did, however, neatly phrase the dilemma in which a lot of scientifically trained people find themselves today. In view of all this, it is important to be aware of the psychological motives which may underlie different attitudes to this whole problem -- not only in others but in oneself. While excessive credulity and uncritical dabbling in the occult is to be deplored (and has its own serious dangers), the opposite extreme of total rejection should also be treated with more suspicion and reserve than it often gets. Spiritualism and the Occult While Buddhism certainly does not encourage too much preoccupation with these matters, it does not of course deny the existence of various classes of "discarnate" beings. They dwell in various realms and on various planes, some higher and happier than this world, others, such as the so-called "hungry ghosts" (petas), more miserable. They are relatively real -- i.e., no less "real" than we ourselves in this world. They all, without exception, belong to the realm of sa.msaara or "birth-and-death," and their stay in any of the realms they inhabit is therefore temporary, though in some cases it may be fantastically long-lasting by human standards. There is no contradiction here with the idea of rebirth on earth, since the realm one is born in depends on one's kamma, the human condition being only one of the various possibilities (though a specifically important one, since Enlightenment from any other realm is held to be virtually impossible). Therefore, human rebirth is considered to be as desirable as it is rare -- a precious opportunity which it is a folly to waste. It is also stated in the scriptures that man has a "mind-made body, complete in all its parts," which would seem to correspond to the "astral" or "etheric" body referred to by occultists. Responsible occultists -- of whom there are many -- are themselves, of course, thoroughly well aware of the dangers of incautious involvement with these matters, which they often stress. The inhabitants of the various realms are not enlightened beings, and while some are undoubtedly much wiser and more advanced than the average human, others are not, and can even exert a definitely malevolent power. It is not in the province of Buddhist monks to practice any of the occult arts -- it is in fact forbidden them in terms -- although it is not infrequently done in the East. Western Buddhists should actually also not concern themselves with such matters. If they nevertheless do so (as many will, whatever is said to the contrary), they should at least be extremely careful to consult only responsible and conscientious practitioners, with a high moral standard. Such people are not hard to find, and are often very fine characters. But it should always be borne in mind that even quite genuine messages from the departed can be misleading, since they are still, in varying degrees, ignorant. For this reason, too, the well-known triviality of so many "spirit" messages proves nothing about their genuineness. The beings of higher worlds are known in Buddhism as devas, and it seems certain that many of them are truly concerned to help mankind as far as lies in their power. It might even be suggested that there is perhaps no essential difference between the higher devas and the bodhisattvas of the Mahaayaana tradition. Some people are naturally psychic, and some even develop psychic powers as a result, or by-product, of meditation. Such powers are perfectly real, but should not be sought after or clung to, if attained. If they are gained without sufficient insight or moral purification, they can be disastrous. It is another of the many illusions of the modern liberal humanist that such things as "witchcraft" do not exist. Righteous indignation at the cruel treatment of real or alleged witches in the past should not lead us to imagine that the whole thing was completely mythical. So we should be very wary of seeking contact with the psychic planes, not because they do not exist (if that were the case, comparatively little harm would be done), but because they do. What is Death? We now come to the Buddhist definition of death. According to the Ven. Nyanatiloka,2 it is ordinarily called "the disappearance of the vital faculty confined to a single life-time, and therewith of the psycho-physical life-process
conventionally called 'Man, Animal, Personality, Ego' etc. Strictly speaking, however, death is the continually repeated dissolution and vanishing of each momentary physical-mental combination, and thus it takes place every moment." This definition is very important. Each moment (i.e., millions of times a second) "I" die and "I" am reborn, in other words, a new "I" takes over from the old which has vanished forever. At the end of "my" physical life there is at the same time a severing of the link between this mental process and the body, which quickly decays in consequence. But rebirth in exactly the same way is instantaneous in some sphere, whether as conception in a fresh womb or elsewhere. Death, then, except in the case of the arahant (to which we shall briefly refer), is in the Buddhist view inseparable from rebirth. But two kinds of rebirth are distinguished: rebirth from life to life, and rebirth from moment to moment, as indicated in the above definition. Some people today maintain that the Buddha taught only the latter. This is nonsense. There are many hundreds of references to rebirth throughout the Buddhist scriptures of all schools, and they cannot be simply explained away as either "symbolic" (whatever that means) or as "concessions to popular beliefs" (it is not true, incidentally, that in the Buddha's day "everybody believed in rebirth"). Nor is there any need for such explanations, since there is plenty of convincing evidence for the reality of the process (see Appendix). What is Rebirth? Though "rebirth from moment to moment" is very important to understand and should not be overlooked what we are really concerned with here is "rebirth from life to life." In this connection, two general, somewhat minor points should be made. The term "birth" (jaati) here is not confined to extrusion from a womb, it includes other processes such as the spontaneous appearance of beings in certain states. Birth of the human type is thus simply a particular case. There is also the question of "intermediate states" between births. Some Buddhists, and others, speak of such states. This is really just a question of semantics: in the Theravada view, at least, any such so-called intermediate state between existences of a certain type is itself a "rebirth." The reason why rebirth, of whatever kind, takes place is because of the unexpended force of ta.nhaa or craving, conditioned by ignorance. This force of ignorance and craving is comparable to a powerful electric current. To suppose that it just ceases at physical death is actually quite unreasonable, and contradicts the law of conservation of energy. As to the question of the identity of the being that is reborn with the one that died, the best answer is that given by the Venerable Naagasena to Kind Milinda: "It is neither the same nor different" (na ca so na c'a~n~no). The whole process is really quite impersonal, but seemingly a being exists and is reborn. We can thus make a clear distinction between the terms "Reincarnation" and "Rebirth." "Reincarnation" is the term used by those who hold that a real entity (a "soul") exists and passes on from life to life, occupying successive bodies. Literally, this should only apply to manifestation in "fleshy" bodies, though it is commonly applied to discarnate states as well. "Rebirth" denotes the Buddhist view that while this is indeed what seems to happen, the true process is entirely impersonal. What, therefore, in terms of relative truth appears (and can be experienced by some) as Reincarnation, is in terms of absolute truth Rebirth. The formulation of Dependent Origination (pa.ticca-samuppaada) describes the process as follows: ignorance conditions sankhaaras (the karmic of personality patterns), the sankhaaras condition consciousness, consciousness conditions mind-and-body, and so on. This means that the pattern or "shape" of a person's character is based on ignorance; this pattern is impressed, like a seal on wax, on the new consciousness arising in the womb (or otherwise), on which the development of a new being (mind-and-body) depends. The Western assumption that character and mental traits are genetically inherited is not accepted in Buddhism; true, there may be some genetic element, apart from the purely physical side, but essential inheritance here is karmic. The apparent inheritance of mental traits can be explained in many other ways. In part, it is mere assumption. If a child turns out to be musical, people will recall that his uncle George used to play the clarinet, a fact which would have been forgotten had the child been tone-deaf. Parental and other environmental influences can undoubtedly account for much, especially when we allow for unconscious (telepathic) influence. Sir Alister Hardy has even suggested that genes may be capable of being influenced telepathically. Further, the "choice" of one's parents is bound to be
influenced by some affinity, and even by karmic links from the past. By the same token, suggestions that it would be possible to breed a race of "clones" with identical reactions belongs, no doubt very fortunately, strictly to realm of science fiction. Such people even if bred would not be karmically identical, any more than identical twins are. Life is not as mechanical as all that. Death and the Arahant For one who has attained full Enlightenment in this life, the death of the body brings with it the end of all individual existence: this at least is the Theravada teaching. This is called anupaadisesa-nibbaana, "Nibbaana without the groups remaining." While the final attainment of Nibbaana should not be understood as mere annihilation in the materialistic sense (though some scholars seem to interpret it in this way), nothing positive can be predicated of it. It is not the extinction of self, for that self never was real in the first place, nor is it "entering into Nibbaana," for there is no being who enters. It is the final cessation, however, of the five aggregates which were the product of greed, hatred and delusion. We may think of it as a state of utter peace, and perhaps we can leave it at that. It is the Deathless State. Meditation and Death In his elaborate survey of Buddhist meditation methods, the Ven. Dr. Vajira~naa.na says this of the meditation on mindfulness of death: "It virtually belongs to the Vipassanaa meditation, for the disciple should develop it while holding the perception of anicca, dukkha, and anattaa."3 When the Ven. Somdet Phra Vanarata, the then Vice-Patriarch of Thailand, visited Wat Dhammapadiipa, Hampstead, London, on 23rd October 1968, he spoke on the subject of death. He said that we are fortunate to be born in the human condition, in full possession of all our faculties, as this gives us the possibility of hearing the Dhamma and practicing it. This is an advantage we should not neglect, because birth in the human state is a rare thing. If people are born blind or deaf, or without other faculties, this is the result of kamma. They may have to wait for another opportunity. We should always remember the inevitability of death. The awareness of this should make us cease from clinging too much to worldly things. If we constantly keep the thought of death before our minds, this will be an instigation to work hard on ourselves and make good progress. The standard Meditation on Death is given by Buddhaghosa in Chapter VIII of the Visuddhimagga ("Path of Purification"). It may be summarized as follows: Buddhaghosa begins by stating the kinds of death he is not considering: the final passing of the Arahant; "momentary death" (i.e., the moment-to-moment dissolution of formations); or metaphorical uses of the term "death." He refers to timely death which comes with exhaustion of merit, or the life-span, or both, and to untimely death produced by kamma that interrupts other (life-producing) kamma. One should go into solitary retreat and exercise attention wisely thus: "Death will take place, the life faculty will be interrupted," or "Death, death." Unwise attention may arise in the form of sorrow (at the death of a loved one), joy (at the death of an enemy), indifference (as with a cremator), or fear (at the thought of one's own death). There should always be mindfulness, a sense of urgency, and knowledge. Then "access-concentration" may be gained -- and this is the basis for the arising of Insight. "But," says Buddhaghosa, "one who finds that it does not get so far should do his recollecting of death in eight ways, that is to say: (1) as having the appearance of a murderer, (2) as the ruin of success, (3) by comparison, (4) as to sharing the body with many, (5) as to the frailty of life, (6) as signless, (7) as to the limitedness of the extent, (8) as to the shortness of the moment." Some of these terms are not quite self-explanatory: thus (3) means by comparing oneself with others -- even the great and famous, even Buddhas, have to die; (4) means that the body is inhabited by all sorts of strange beings, "the eighty families of worms." They live in dependence on, and feed on, the outer skin, the inner skin, the flesh, the sinews, the bones, the marrow, "and there they are born, grow old and die, evacuate, and make water, and the body is their maternity home, their hospital, their charnel ground, their privy and their urinal." (6) means that death is unpredictable, (7) refers to the shortness of the human life-span. Buddhaghosa concludes: "A bhikkhu devoted to mindfulness of death is constantly diligent. He acquires perception of disenchantment with all kinds of becoming (existence). He conquers attachment to life. He condemns evil. He
avoids much storing. He has not stain of avarice about requisites. Perception of impermanence grows in him, following upon which there appear the perceptions of pain and not-self. But while beings who have not developed mindfulness of death fall victims to fear, horror and confusion at the time of death as though suddenly seized by wild beasts, spirits, snakes, robbers, or murderers, he dies undeluded and fearless without falling into any such state. And if he does not attain the deathless here and now, he is at least headed for a happy destiny on the break up of the body. Now when a man is truly wise, His constant task will surely be This recollection about death Blessed with such mighty potency." 4
http://library.thinkquest.org/11719/Religions/Buddhism/Buddhist.html
Buddhists do not worship any particular god, nor do they care if there is an afterlife. The main thing that concerns them is the fact that all people suffer. They hope to relieve some of the pain in the world by not causing anyone else to suffer. They also try to do good deeds whenever they can.
The Buddhist religion was founded by the son of Queen Maya, and King Suddhodana, who ruled a small kingdom in northern India over 2000 years ago. His name was Siddhartha Gautama. Until he was 29, he lived in a palace, surrounded by riches and luxury. When he was 29 years old, he went to the village to see how common people lived. Siddhartha discovered that people get old, get sick, and die. He was shocked that there was so much suffering in the world. He gave up all his riches to become a poor holy man. After studying with the most well known religious teachers for 6 years, he still was not satisfied. Siddhartha sat under a great Bo tree to meditate. He was tempted to give up his search for the Answer. He resisted these temptations, and gradually, Siddhartha was no more. He was now Buddha, or Enlightened One. He began to preach about nirvana, which is the state where a person is not affected by age, sickness and death. Buddha preached for 45 years before entering parinirvana, which is a state of total peace, or death. The sangha, or the community of monks and nuns that are dedicated to Buddhism, spend their lives meditating, and learning the ways of dharma. Dharma is the teachings of Buddha. Included in this are the four noble truths, which are: 1. There is suffering.
2. The cause of suffering is wanting. 3. Suffering can end completely. 4. The Eightfold Path is the cure. The Eightfold Path is when you develop good Understanding, Thought, Speech, Action, Work, Effort, Mindfulness, and Meditation. Those that follow the dharma try not to hurt any living being.
http://www.teachingaboutreligion.org/SingleWorldview/buddhist_worldview.htm
Mortality (and Afterlife)
At death, each life continues in some other form--human, divine or animal, depending upon the results of behavior in the last life. The goal of Buddhism is to extinguish the flame of wanting or attachment to the sense of self so that rebirth does not occur and Nirvana is attained.