Sunday, February 25, 2007
More on death and impermanence
This past Saturday I went hiking, and on my way to the trailhead, I passed several signs which said "Jesus is coming. RU ready?" I think it would be better to rephrase it as "Death is coming. Are you ready?" Assuming you believe that Jesus is coming and will render judgment, causing some to suffer eternal damnation and some to enjoy eternal bliss, the fact is that you are far more likely to die before that happens than not. As far as I inderstand it, once you die, there is no way to make further spiritual progress in the Christian tradition. Hence you should live every day like it's your last. When death inevitably and unexpectedly comes, you're either ready or not. In the Buddhist tradition, we also use death as a spur to practice. Unlike in Christianity, after death, one still has the oppurtunity to practice in one's next life, but the problem is that if we don't live our lives virtuously, we will end up in a body with a lot of suffering (like hell, only with a very long, but finite extent), and will find it very difficult to get back to a body where we can practice spiritually. Thus we should live each day as though it were our last, practicing virtue, else when we die we end up suffering for eons before we finally get the chance to practice again.
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6 comments:
Well, since God is the judge, he determines what happens to the soul after it leaves this tent. So one cannot assume that no progress is possible.
Once a person has been made into a new creation (born again), then things always get better and better. And, it shouldn't be necessary to be recycled back into the "hell" of birth-death or to be sent to some other "purgatory." We are appointed once to die and then the judgment. But I'm afraid that for many slow learners, the judgment is to be sent back into this karmic world.
It's a mystery: all who are meant to be saved will be saved but, the question is, when?
How much torment will they endure before they "hit their bottom" and go to the master?
As for the tares, those who exist among us because of Satan's treachery, they will all be gone one day. What happens to the tares? They are burned up or thrown away, I suppose. Sounds cruel, but God is not unmerciful.
When Jesus comes, it will be in an astounding flash. Whoever is ready is ready, and whoever is not, is not.
Even the born-again (enlightened by the Spirit) believer can only glimpse a bit of the truth "through a glass darkly."
Many mysteries and "contradictions" will one day be resolved. This shouldn't be too surprising. Think of quantum mechanics. It's crazy, but true. And there's got to be a lot we don't know.
I'm not saying there aren't more liberal interpretations of Christianity, such as the one you describe. I was just trying to interpret what various books in the New Testament say. I went through the bible and looked at every occurrence of the word death, and at least one New Testament quotation said that Jesus would come and decide everyone's fate. A literal reading of this verse said that those who had died would be raised up to meet their judgment, at least strongly implying that once you die, you wait around until the day of judgment.
Anyway the basic point I wanted to make is that Christians should use death as a spur to practice, not as a subject to be avoided. The sign "Jesus is coming, RU ready?" to me indicates a basic unwillingness to accept death. These people find it easier to accept that Jesus will come in their lifetime, despite probabilistic arguments against that fact, than to accept their own mortality.
Thank you for the pleasure of this discussion.
Searching the scriptures, as you describe, is an excellent thing. And I admit to having been remiss in that regard of late.
Jesus said that no one, not even he, knew when he would return in power and glory. That knowledge was reserved for the Father.
Jesus also sternly warned of false messiahs and said that if anyone says the messiah has already arrived and is in some earthly locale, don't bother to go find him.
On the other hand, Jesus said that when you see certain signs, you might want to get ready.
My feeling is that a lot of our incomprehension has to do with the fact that we're like "flatlanders" in a three-dimensional world. "In my Father's house are many mansions [or rooms]. If it were not so, I would have told you."
am currently trying to calm down enough to feel that acceptance thing -- I have a very ill dog and am clawing a very rough way up a hill, against the stream, what have you. (only just found out yesterday actually.) I can accept my own death peacefully, but hers. . . I ain't there yet.
I'm sorry to hear about your Dog, Pistolgal. :(
thanks vacuous; that's kind of you. I was looking at the Medicine mantra card that you made. it's very lovely. I will find comfort there I am certain.
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