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Life vs. Afterlife

Amadeus

Amadeus

Chews the Cud
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Which existence is more important to you: this life, or the afterlife?
 
This life.


Every man dies. Not every man really lives.
 
Amadeus said:
Which existence is more important to you: this life, or the afterlife?
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As far as I can see, this is the only life we have, and there is no afterlife. I might be wrong, but I might as well live this life to the fullest while I am here.
 
Both, as they are extensions of each other, and are both integral to growth. This one just seems more important while we are here. In the words of the great buckaroo banzai: "wherever you go, there you are" ;)
 
RAMOSS said:
As far as I can see, this is the only life we have, and there is no afterlife. I might be wrong, but I might as well live this life to the fullest while I am here.
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This is my understanding as well, but some do feel that this life is preparation for the afterlife. As I understand it, Christians believe that life doesn't truly begin until you die. And my understanding of Buddhism is that rebirth is a form of punishment -- that you cannot achieve peace until you break the cycle of life and death. Nirvana is not really a heaven, it is a state of complete liberation.
 
lizzie said:
Both, as they are extensions of each other, and are both integral to growth. This one just seems more important while we are here. In the words of the great buckaroo banzai: "wherever you go, there you are" ;)
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To add to that, imho.....this one life we have in this world ain't no trial-run either.
 
tosca1 said:
To add to that, imho.....this one life we have in this world ain't no trial-run either.
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Imo, multiple lives makes more sense, but I believe it is wise to live as if this is the only one. It helps keep us focused.
 
I cannot prove, nor even find enough evidence to cause me to BELIEVE in such a thing as an afterlife...while my current life is certainly real, to my perceptions. So obviously, right now, LIFE takes center stage.

Even for those who DO believe in afterlife, most of their beliefs center around the concept of cause and effect for the idea. Meaning, your actions in life affect how your afterlife will be.

Meaning, life takes center stage.
 
Amadeus said:
Which existence is more important to you: this life, or the afterlife?
Click to expand...

both of them

what God says about it

Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children - like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.57 (sūrat l-ḥadīd).
 
RAMOSS said:
As far as I can see, this is the only life we have, and there is no afterlife. I might be wrong, but I might as well live this life to the fullest while I am here.
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If your moral compass and living life to the fullest were ever in conflict, which would take precedence?
 
Crovax said:
If your moral compass and living life to the fullest were ever in conflict, which would take precedence?
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Don't we do itall the time?
 
Medusa said:
both of them

what God says about it

Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children - like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.57 (sūrat l-ḥadīd).
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God? Which one? Mars? Aphrodite's Child?
 
Amadeus said:
Which existence is more important to you: this life, or the afterlife?
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Considering there is absolutely no evidence of any kind that there is anything after this life, this life is by far more important. We need to be cherishing the life we have and not wasting it in hopes of an afterlife we think we deserve.
 
No afterlife thus live life to the fullest - would make an interesting philosophical discussion.

A topic was created.
 
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Amadeus said:
This is my understanding as well, but some do feel that this life is preparation for the afterlife. As I understand it, Christians believe that life doesn't truly begin until you die. And my understanding of Buddhism is that rebirth is a form of punishment -- that you cannot achieve peace until you break the cycle of life and death. Nirvana is not really a heaven, it is a state of complete liberation.
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While many Jewish people (most) believe their is a 'world to come', many also do not. The focus of the Jewish religion is how to live this life.

The only clear reference to an afterlife in the Tanakh is in Daniel , which was placed in the Ketuvim for a reason. Despite claims from some Christians that it should go in the Nevi'im , it is a later writing about Daniel, not from Daniel.
 
Amadeus said:
This is my understanding as well, but some do feel that this life is preparation for the afterlife. As I understand it, Christians believe that life doesn't truly begin until you die. And my understanding of Buddhism is that rebirth is a form of punishment -- that you cannot achieve peace until you break the cycle of life and death. Nirvana is not really a heaven, it is a state of complete liberation.
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Do you feel your current life is punishment? We are re-born to have the opportunity to learn. Life is the opportunity to learn. Within our current life we are given constant lessons. When we don't learn a lesson it is repeated, often in a different form. As soon as we learn the lesson, we get a new lesson. We have countless lessons going on simultaneously. When this life ends and we are reborn we continue with lessons not yet learned.

For example. A person man have been extremely oppressive in a former life. He may have been given many opportunities to learn in that life but his oppressive attitude did not change. In this life he falls in love with a woman he adores and through an accident she becomes disabled (a lesson for her from a previous life). His wife struggles for acceptance in a world that refuses to treat her equally because of her disability. Her loving husband watches as she struggles not so much with her disability but as she struggles against oppressive attitudes of others.

Punishment? Perhaps it could be seen that way, but then we all must struggle through lessons. If we don't learn we will repeat the lesson. At some point the unlearned lesson will become more severe.

If the man in the example becomes an advocate for the people with disabilities but continues to treat people born into poverty with scorn, has he learned his lesson regarding oppression? It would seem not. But, we don't know. We can't know. It is his life, his lesson, his path. While we may have already learned that particular lesson we most surely learned it a different way, in a different time, in a different life. And could we possibly know what specific lesson any other person is to learn at any given time? We cannot. We are all learning...or not. Sometimes I think universe continues to hit my reset button. ;)

To my understanding and thinking I don't know how people can hate so many different kinds of other people and expect to suddenly appear in heaven and experience nothing but total and perpetual love for all others.

As for life being punishment, the vast majority of people on earth do not elect to kill themselves. "Everybody wants to go to heaven, I say, but nobody wants to die." ~ Peter Tosh
 
Medusa said:
keep your enjoyment for the philosophy forum
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Do you not think it important to state, what God you are referring to, when you are talking about his preferences?
 
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