CHAPTER 6: Life Beyond Death and the Spiritual World
No treatment of Ultimate Reality and the purposes of human life
would be complete without a discussion of death and the individual's
destiny after death. All religions affirm that there is an aspect of the
human person that lives on after the physical life has ended. The
immortality of the spirit or soul or psychophysical individual (Buddhism
does not admit an eternal metaphysical Soul) is the subject of many
passages of scripture. Its destiny after the death of the body is to go
to into another existence--perhaps in heaven or hell, or as another
sentient being on the earth, or in a resurrection body, or merged in
eternal unity with the Absolute. Conceptions of the hereafter vary
considerably from one religion to another, but there are ample common
points which we can explore in making the comparisons in this chapter.
We open with selected passages which affirm the reality of the
spiritual world, which corresponds to this material universe and exists
"alongside" it. In the next section are passages about the immortal soul,
the core of a person's individuality, which survives the death of the
physical body: it may ascend to Heaven, descend into hell, or transmigrate
into another body. Then, since human life is eternal, it is important to
know how to prepare for life in the hereafter. This is the topic of the
third section, which gathers passages urging us to use our lives in this
world as preparation for life in the next world. In the fourth section we
have texts dealing with the actual passage, at the time of physical death,
into the next existence. This is usually depicted as fraught with some
form of judgment or trial. The fifth section contains passages describing
the beauties of heaven and the terrors of hell, using imagery which is
sometimes fantastic, sometimes psychological.
The concluding sections contain texts on the assorted spiritual
beings, angels, gods, and demons which populate the spiritual world. With
power to influence events on earth, these spirits may be looked to for
guidance and inspiration or propitiated by offerings. On the other hand,
many religions recognize that the spirits are often in error. They have
deep suspicions of spiritualism and spirit worship as liable to lead to
idolatry and even demonic possession.
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