\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
Would the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\nAn old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\nWe have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\nTraditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\nThe Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\n\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\nA person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\nThis was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\n\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\nFrom the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\nOf course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\nWhether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\nP:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\n<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\n<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\n<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe felt that her prayer would not be answered however hard she prayed to the Goddess of Mercy, a Buddhist bodhisattva because her granddaughter attended a Christian church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry at all. The Goddess of Mercy is very kind and generous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould the infinitely compassionate Goddess of Mercy care whether a high school senior goes to a church or a Buddhist temple? She wouldn\u2019t be the Goddess of Mercy if she did, would she? Our religious beliefs are limited by our ignorance, and we disparage God or the Buddha by bringing them down to our own level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting back to the subject, there is no need to worry about the afterlife. If heaven and hell actually existed, you will go to heaven, not to hell, when you do good deeds. Your future is decided by how you live your life now. Living well today will ensure a better tomorrow. Hoping for a better tomorrow while living an improper life today is like trying to catch a cloud. People who do bad deeds rightly deserve punishment, but when they refuse to accept the consequences and ask to be sent to heaven, they demonstrate a complete lack of consciousness. Wanting to go to heaven when they have done nothing to deserve it and refusing to go to hell when they have performed deeds that warrant it is no different from desiring a good harvest after planting rotten seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a true Christian, you shouldn\u2019t worry about living and dying. Since God decides whether to send someone to heaven and hell, you should just follow his will. If you are a Buddhist who believes in the law of cause and effect and know that the everything originates from the mind, you just need to cultivate your mind without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Then, your tomorrow will be better, so there is nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n","post_title":"How To Overcome The Fear Of Death","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-death-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-27 21:42:08","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-28 02:42:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17859","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};
\n<\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/gwmw><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
P:<\/strong> Why do we fear death? The thought that everything will end when we die may trigger a sense of sorrow about others as well as ourselves. These sentiment fuels fear. Our fear of death has spawned legends and religions that promise a beautiful afterlife, devised to alleviate the terror we feel about the unknown. It feels less fearful to think that it doesn\u2019t end when we die, that we will live on in some way or go to a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhether or not the afterlife actually exists is not important. What matters is that the belief in the afterlife helps us overcome our fear of death. How empty would we feel to think that our loved ones will disappear completely when they die? Thinking they are in a better place gives us great comfort. For this reason, instead of asking the question whether life after death exists or not, it\u2019s better to examine whether or not the belief of its existence is beneficial to people. It appears to be more beneficial than harmful, so it\u2019s best to accept the age-old methods that humans have established to overcome the fear of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, we should refrain from putting too much emphasis on the idea of the afterlife because we know from history that it can also have negative side effects. Some examples include churches demanding large donations in exchange for a \u201cticket to Heaven\u201d and Buddhist temples overcharging for 49-day prayer rituals for the dead (49 jae: a Buddhist-Confucian ceremony for the deceased). These examples show how religion can take advantage of people\u2019s fear as a means of extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the point of practice, fear of death is no more real than a daydream. When our fear of death disappears and we can accept our inevitable demise as part of the natural order, it will become irrelevant whether or not the afterlife exists and whether our spirits will go to a good place or a bad place. When fear melts away, everything that stemmed from fear becomes nothing but a dream. While dreaming, there are good dreams and bad dreams. However, when we wake up from the dream, regardless of whether it was good or bad, we realize that it was a dream. In the same vein, when we grasp the essence of fear, all the issues that originated from it will disperse like clouds. This is how we \u201ctranscend life and death.\u201d Transcending life and death doesn\u2019t mean \"not dying\". Instead, it means realizing that life and death do not actually exist. The afterlife is a frequent topic in Buddhism. According to Buddhist beliefs, people go to paradise when they die or are reincarnated, but this cannot be proven. Every religion has different beliefs about the afterlife, but none of them has been proven. There is no point in debating endlessly which belief is right when all is but theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was a common belief among people in India during the Buddha\u2019s lifetime. Therefore, they washed their bodies in the holy river, and those who had never bathed in the holy river during their lifetime were dipped in it posthumously. They all believed they had to do that in order to go to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Buddha was saying that if a man can go to heaven for being dipped in the Ganga River after his death, the fish that live in the river will go to heaven before anyone. The Buddha\u2019s words help us obtain a big realization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditionally, Buddhists have believed that the greedy will be reincarnated as swine, the lazy as cows, and the nasty as serpents. But are pigs really that gluttonous? They eat when they are hungry, but they stop eating when they are no longer hungry. They don\u2019t prevent other pigs from eating the remaining food. Humans, on the other hand, do not share food stored in their homes, even if there is someone starving right before their eyes. People are much greedier than pigs. Lions are wild and ferocious, but they will not kill a hare that crosses their path when they are not hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have created an image of a gluttonous pig based on the sound they make when they eat and made them synonymous with greed. There is no proof that a greedy person is reincarnated as a pig. Besides, reincarnation originated with Hinduism, so it\u2019s not actually a Buddhist belief. Over ninety percent of Korean Buddhists believe in Hindu doctrines, but they mistakenly think it\u2019s Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An old lady came to consult me about her worries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q:<\/strong> \u201cI pray to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, but I am afraid my prayer will not be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nP:<\/strong> \u201cWhat are you praying for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nQ:<\/strong> \u201cMy granddaughter is a senior in high school. I am praying that my granddaughter gets accepted into a good college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
