Death From A Buddhist And Christian Point Of View

Death from a Buddhist and Christian Point of View

"You will be with me today in paradise," Jesus Christ told this to the thief on the cross while they were dying. However, can people believe that there is truly life after death? In many different religions there are different perceptions of life after death. For example in the Buddhist religion, the Buddhist people believe that life is practice for death. Professor Brown, of California State University of Northridge stated, "The Buddhist people cultivate positive, happy virtuous states of mind and abandoning non-virtuous, harmful, suffering states of mind." This teaching is mirrored by Christianity teachings as well. Professor Brown also stated, "Death is an opportunity for great spiritual achievement if one is prepared and remembers one's spiritual practices and beliefs and understandings during the death process."

From its inception, Buddhism has stressed the importance of death, since awareness of death is what prompted the Buddha to perceive the ultimate futility of worldly concerns and pleasures. Realizing that death is inevitable for a person who is caught up in worldly pleasures and attitudes, he resolved to renounce the world and devote himself to finding a solution to this most basic of existential dilemmas.

Buddhism does not look at death as a continuation of the soul but as an awakening. Dying and being reborn has been compared by some Buddhist as a candle flame. When the flame of one lit candle is touched to the wick of an unlighted candle, the light passes from one

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candle to another. The actual flame of the first candle does not pass over but is responsible for lighting the second candle.

When preparing for death Buddhist generally agree a person's state of mind while dying is of great importance. While dying the person can be surrounded by friends, family and monks who recite Buddhists scriptures and mantras to help the person achieve a peaceful state of mind. Buddhism asserts that all being live beyond the various fluctuations of this life. Death is merely a passage to rebirth in another realm such as the human world, a pure land or the flowering of the ultimate nature of the mind.

So in all actuality, Buddhist believe that every day on earth, people should live with good positive feelings, positive thinking, positive attitude. As Buddhist people suggested, life is practice. One can not be happy in the after life unless one takes the advantage of their life on earth.

This belief system is also mirrored bye the Christianity point of view on life, death, and the after life. Of course, there are differences, but also vast similarities.

Going back to what Jesus stated on the cross, "You will be with me today in paradise." This is a quote that many Christians take to heart. In the Christian point of view, Jesus Christ is believed to be the Son of God, the Holy Spirit, as well as God. Jesus was sent on earth by God to fulfill God's will. Jesus, while spreading the teachings and practicing the teachings of God, is to die for everyone's sins. While on earth, Jesus was able to help people and perform many miracles. For example, he has raised the dead. Three times this feet was achieved. Once he rose Jairus' daughter (Mark 5. 22-24, 35-43; He also rose the son of the widow of

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Nain (Luke 7.11-16); and Lazarus (John I 1).

Christianity also has a set of teachings that people must follow and go bye while living. Most commonly known are the Ten Commandments. Some of those Commandments include, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not covet a neighbors belongings, honor thy father and mother and so on. These teachings help people of the Christian fate to live everyday. These teachings give Christians a standard to live bye. It is a code that