Over the thousands of years of development of our civilization, various beliefs and religions have arisen. And every religion in one form or another has formulated the idea of life after death. The concepts of the afterlife are very different, however, there is one thing in common: death is not the absolute end of human existence, and life (soul, stream of consciousness) continues to exist after the death of the physical body. Here are 15 religions from different parts of the world and their ideas for life after death.
15. Antique era
The most ancient ideas about the afterlife were not divided: all deceased people go to the same place, regardless of who they were on Earth. The first attempts to connect the afterlife with retribution are recorded in the Egyptian "Book of the Dead" associated with the afterlife judgment of Osiris.
In ancient times, there was still no clear idea of heaven and hell. The ancient Greeks believed that after death, the soul leaves the body and goes to the dark kingdom of Hades. Her existence continues there, rather bleak. Souls wander along the shores of Lethe, they have no joy, they grieve and lament the evil fate that deprived them of sunlight and the delights of earthly life. The dark kingdom of Hades was hated by all living things. Hades was seen as a terrible, ferocious beast that never lets go of its prey. Only the most brave heroes and demigods could descend into the dark kingdom and return from there to the world of the living.
The ancient Greeks were as cheerful as children. But any mention of death caused sadness: after death, the soul will never know joy, will never see the life-giving light. She will only groan in despair from joyless submission to fate and the unchanging order of things. Only the initiates found bliss in communion with the celestials, and all the rest after death awaited only suffering.
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14. Epicureans
This religion is approximately 300 years older than Christianity and today has a certain following in Greece and other parts of the world. Unlike most other religions on the planet, Epicureanism believes in many gods, but none of them pay attention to what human beings will become after death. Believers believe that everything, including their gods and souls, is made of atoms. In addition, according to Epicureanism, there is no life after death, nothing like reincarnation, the transition to hell or heaven - nothing at all. When a person dies, in their opinion, the soul also dissolves and turns into nothing. It's just the end!
13. Bahá'ís
The Bahá'í religion has gathered under its banner approximately seven million people. Bahá'ís believe that the human soul is eternal and beautiful, and each person must work on himself in order to get closer to God. Unlike most other religions, which have their own god or prophet, Bahá'ís believe in one God for all religions in the world. According to the Bahá'ís, there is no heaven or hell, and most other religions are mistaken in considering them to be physically existing places when they should be viewed symbolically.
The Bahá'í attitude towards death is characterized by optimism. Bahá'u'lláh says: “O son of the Most High! I have made death for you a herald of joy. Why are you sad? I commanded the light to pour out its radiance on you. What are you hiding for?"
12. Jainism
Approximately 4 million followers of Jainism believe in the existence of many gods and the reincarnation of souls. In Jainism, the main thing is considered non-harm to all living things, the goal is to get the maximum amount of good karma, which is achieved through good deeds. Good karma will help the soul to free itself, and the person will help him become a virgin (deity) in his next life.
People who do not attain liberation continue to revolve in the cycle of rebirth, and with bad karma, some of them may even go through eight circles of hell and suffering. The eight circles of hell get tougher with each next stage, and the soul goes through trials and even torture before getting another opportunity for reincarnation, and another chance to achieve liberation. Although it can take a very long time, liberated souls get a place among the gods.
11. Shinto
Shintoism (?? Shinto - "the way of the gods") is a traditional religion in Japan, based on the animistic beliefs of the ancient Japanese, the objects of worship are numerous deities and spirits of the dead.
The strangeness of Shinto is that believers cannot publicly admit that they are adherents of this religion. According to some old Japanese Shinto legends, the dead end up in a dark underground place called Yomi, where the river separates the dead from the living. It looks a lot like the Greek Hades, doesn't it? Shintoists have an extremely negative attitude towards death and dead flesh. In Japanese, the verb "shinu" (to die) is considered indecent and is used only in cases of extreme need in it.
The followers of this religion believe in ancient gods and spirits called "kami". Shintoists believe that some people can become kami after they die. According to Shinto, people are naturally pure and can maintain their purity by staying away from evil and going through some purification rituals. The main spiritual principle of Shinto is life in harmony with nature and people. According to Shinto ideas, the world is a single natural environment, where kami, people and the souls of the dead live side by side. Shinto temples, by the way, are always organically inscribed in the natural landscape (in the photo - "floating" torii of the Itsukushima temple in Miyajima).
10. Hinduism
In most Indian religions, the idea is widespread that after death a person's soul is reborn into a new body. The transmigration of souls (reincarnation) occurs at the will of the higher world order and almost does not depend on a person. But everyone has the power to influence this order and in a righteous way improve the conditions for the existence of the soul in the next life. One of the collections of sacred hymns describes how the soul enters the womb only after traveling the world for a long time. The eternal soul is reborn again and again - not only in the bodies of animals and people, but also in plants, water and everything that is created. Moreover, her choice of a physical body is determined by the desires of the soul. So every follower of Hinduism can "order" who he would like to be reincarnated into in the next life.
9. Chinese traditional religion
Everyone is familiar with the concepts of yin and yang, a very popular concept that all followers of the Chinese traditional religion adhere to. Yin is negative, dark, feminine, while yang is positive, bright and masculine. The interaction of yin and yang greatly influences the fate of all essences and things. Those who live according to traditional Chinese religion believe in a peaceful life after death, however, a person can achieve more by performing certain rituals and giving special honor to ancestors. After death, the god Cheng Huang determines whether a person was virtuous enough to get to the immortal gods and live in Buddhist paradise booths, or whether he goes to hell, where an immediate rebirth and reincarnation follows.
8. Sikhs
Sikhism is one of the most popular religions in India (approximately 25 million followers). Sikhism (?????) is a monotheistic religion founded in Punjab by Guru Nanak in 1500. Sikhs believe in One God, the Almighty and All-pervading Creator. Nobody knows his real name. The form of worshiping God in Sikhism is meditation. No other deities, demons, spirits, according to the Sikh religion, are worthy of worship.
The Sikhs decide the question of what will happen to a person after death as follows: they consider all ideas about heaven and hell, retribution and sins, karma and new rebirths to be wrong. The doctrine of retribution in the future life, demands for repentance, cleansing from sins, fasting, chastity and "good deeds" - all this, from the point of view of Sikhism, is an attempt by some mortals to manipulate others. After death, the human soul does not go anywhere - it simply dissolves in nature and returns to the Creator. But it does not disappear, but is preserved, like everything that exists.
7. Juche
Juche is one of the new teachings on this list, and the state idea behind it makes it more of a socio-political ideology than a religion. Juche (??, ??) is a North Korean national-communist state ideology developed personally by Kim Il Sung (the country's leader in 1948-1994) in opposition to imported Marxism. Juche emphasizes the independence of the DPRK and fences off the influence of Stalinism and Maoism, and also provides an ideological basis for the personal power of the dictator and his successors. The DPRK Constitution establishes the leading role of the Juche in state policy, defining it as "a worldview, in the center of which is a person, and revolutionary ideas aimed at realizing the independence of the masses."
Juche adherents personally worship Comrade Kim Il Sung, the first dictator of North Korea to rule the country as eternal president - now in the person of his son Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong Soko, Il's wife. Juche followers believe that when they die, they go to where they will forever remain with their dictator-president. It is not clear only whether this is heaven or hell.
6. Zoroastrians
Zoroastrianism (????? "? - good faith) is one of the most ancient religions, originating in the revelation of the prophet Spitama Zarathustra (??????, ??????????), which he received from God - Ahura Mazda. The teaching of Zarathustra is based on a person's free moral choice of good thoughts, good words and good deeds. They believe in Ahura Mazda - "a wise god", a good creator, and in Zarathustra, as the only prophet of Ahura Mazda, who showed humanity the way to righteousness and purity.
The teachings of Zarathustra were one of the first who were ready to recognize the personal responsibility of the soul for the acts committed in earthly life. Those who chose Righteousness (Ashu) await heavenly bliss, those who chose False - torment and self-destruction in hell. Zoroastrianism introduces the concept of a posthumous judgment, which is a counting of deeds committed in life. If the good deeds of a person outweighed the evil by even a hair, the Yazats lead the soul to the House of Songs. If evil deeds outweighed, the soul is dragged to hell by the devas of Vizaresh (devas of death). The concept of the Chinwad Bridge leading to Garodmanu over the hellish abyss is also widespread. For the righteous, it becomes wide and comfortable; in front of sinners, it turns into a sharp blade, from which they fall into hell.
5. Islam
In Islam, earthly life is only a preparation for the eternal path, and after that, its main part begins - Akiret - or life beyond the grave. From the very moment of death, Akiret is significantly influenced by a person's lifetime deeds. If a person was a sinner during his lifetime, his death will be heavy, the righteous will die painlessly. In Islam, there is also an idea of a posthumous trial. Two angels - Munkar and Nakir - interrogate and punish the dead in their graves. After that, the soul begins to prepare for the last and main Just judgment - the judgment of Allah, which will happen only after the end of the world.
“The Almighty made this world a habitat for humans, a“laboratory”for testing people's souls for loyalty to the Creator. Whoever believed in Allah and in His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) must also believe in the coming of the End of the World and the Day of Judgment, for this is what the Almighty says in the Qur'an.
4. Aztecs
The most famous aspect of the Aztec religion is human sacrifice. The Aztecs revered the highest balance: in their opinion, life would not be possible without offering sacrificial blood to the forces of life and fertility. In their myths, the gods sacrificed themselves so that the sun they created could move along its path. The return of children to the gods of water and fertility (the sacrifice of babies, and sometimes children under 13) was considered a payment for their gifts - abundant rains and harvests. In addition to offering the "blood sacrifice," death itself was also a means of maintaining balance.
The rebirth of the body and the fate of the soul in the afterlife depend to a large extent on the social role and cause of death of the deceased (in contrast to Western beliefs, where only a person's personal behavior determines his life after death).
People who succumb to illness or old age end up in Miktlan - a dark underworld ruled by the god of death Mictlantecutli and his wife Mictlanciuatl. In preparation for this journey, the dead man was swaddled and tied with a bundle with various gifts to the god of death, and then cremated along with a dog that was supposed to serve as a guide through the underworld. Having passed many dangers, the soul reached the gloomy, soot-filled Miktlan, from where there is no return. In addition to Miktlan, there was another afterlife - Tlaloc, belonging to the god of rain and water. This place is for those who have died from lightning, drowning, or certain excruciating diseases. In addition, the Aztecs believed in paradise: only the most valiant warriors who lived and died as heroes got there.
3. Rastafari
It is the youngest and most resilient of all religions on this list. No sacrifices, just dreadlocks and Bob Marley! Rastafarian followers are on the rise, especially among the marijuana-growing communities. Rastafarianism originated in Jamaica in 1930. According to this religion, the Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie was once an incarnate god, and his death in 1975 did not refute this statement. The Rastas believe that all believers will be immortal after going through several reincarnations, and the Garden of Eden, by the way, in their opinion, is not in heaven, but in Africa. They seem to have excellent grass!
2. Buddhism
The main goal in Buddhism is to free oneself from the chain of suffering and the illusion of rebirth and go into metaphysical non-existence - nirvana. Unlike Hinduism or Jainism, Buddhism does not recognize transmigration of souls as such. It speaks only of the travel of various states of human consciousness through several worlds of samsara. And death in this sense is just a transition from one place to another, the outcome of which is influenced by actions (karma).
1. Christianity
In the two most numerous world religions (Christianity and Islam), views on life after death are very similar. In Christianity, they completely rejected the idea of reincarnation, about which a special decree was issued at the Second Council of Constantinople.
Eternal life begins after death. The soul passes to another world on the third day after the burial, where it then prepares for the Last Judgment. Not a single sinner can escape God's punishment. After death, he goes to hell.
In the Middle Ages, a provision on purgatory appeared in the Catholic Church - a temporary place of residence for sinners, after passing through which the soul can be cleansed and then go to heaven.