AnuKabal Posted December 24, 2005 #1 Share Posted December 24, 2005 What about heaven makes it the ideal afterlife. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 24, 2005 #2 Share Posted December 24, 2005 Well according to the Bible, God takes away your sorrows there. I guess that may make it an ideal location. Interestingly enough, "hell" used to be a part of heaven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnuKabal Posted December 24, 2005 Author #3 Share Posted December 24, 2005 What does it have going for it, for example a warriors afterlife would be filled with battles against the greatest of different times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 24, 2005 #4 Share Posted December 24, 2005 It depends on which heaven. But the Biblical one without sorrow doesn't sound too shabby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnuKabal Posted December 25, 2005 Author #5 Share Posted December 25, 2005 I still prefer my battles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1667832 Posted December 25, 2005 #6 Share Posted December 25, 2005 Here is Heaven from different faiths. Hope it helps. In Christianity, heaven is a return to the pre-fallen state of humanity, a second and new Garden of Eden, in which humanity is reunited with God in a perfect and natural state of eternal existence. In Hinduism or Buddhism, for example, there are several heavens, and those who accumulate good karma will go to a heaven; however their stay in the heaven is not eternal — eventually they will use up their good karma and be reincarnated in another realm, as human, animal, or other beings. Islamic descriptions of Jannah (Heaven) are couched in the language of physical pleasure, sometimes interpreted literally, sometimes allegorically. Heaven is most often described as a cool, well-shaded, and well-watered garden. The rewards of the righteous are also described in explicitly physical terms; they include unlimited food and drink. Some interpretations also promise enormous palaces staffed with multitudes of servants, and perfect, perpetually-virgin spouses. (Judaism) While the concept of heaven (malkuth hashamaim מלכות השמים - The Kingdom of Heaven) is well-defined within the Christian and Islamic religions, the Jewish concept of the afterlife, sometimes known as "olam haba", the world to come, was never set forth in a systematic or official fashion as was done in Christianity and Islam. There is, however, a belief in the Heavens, where the angels and God reside. Jewish mysticism recognizes seven heavens. This info is from Wikipedia. God Bless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 25, 2005 #7 Share Posted December 25, 2005 There is, however, a belief in the Heavens, where the angels and God reside In the Book of Enoch I believe there are ten heavens. And the tenth heaven is where God and angels with free will reside. But what makes it ideal escapes me. For Buddhism, the point (mainly) is to end the cycle of life and death. Also to reach nirvana. There is no physical heaven with this it is just a state of being. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagerthorn Posted December 25, 2005 #8 Share Posted December 25, 2005 (edited) What about heaven makes it the ideal afterlife. In short words: Eternal Happiness and Cleansing of Sins. Of course I assumed you meant the Christian ones tho... Edited December 25, 2005 by TheThirdAngel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1667832 Posted December 25, 2005 #9 Share Posted December 25, 2005 In the Book of Enoch I believe there are ten heavens. And the tenth heaven is where God and angels with free will reside. But what makes it ideal escapes me. For Buddhism, the point (mainly) is to end the cycle of life and death. Also to reach nirvana. There is no physical heaven with this it is just a state of being. "The aim of Buddhist practice is to end the cycle of rebirth called samsara (Pāli, Sanskrit), by awakening the practitioner to the realization of true reality, the achievement of liberation (nirvana). To achieve this, one should purify and train the mind and act according to the laws of karma, of cause and effect: perform positive actions, and positive results will follow. Accordingly negative deeds have negative consequences. Eventually, however (from the Mahayana viewpoint), the conditioned realm of karma needs to be transcended altogether in the attainment of the ineffably blissful and utterly liberated state of Nirvana and Awakening." Other Heavens emphasise physical pleasure, whereas that one is moreso spiritual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 25, 2005 #10 Share Posted December 25, 2005 For some it may help to be ascetic to reach nirvana, but that's off topic because it's not exactly "heaven". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1667832 Posted December 25, 2005 #11 Share Posted December 25, 2005 Sufis believe that you can experience closeness to God, while living, through spiritual means very alike Buddhist and Zen practices. This in itself would be a form of Heaven to many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 25, 2005 #12 Share Posted December 25, 2005 But in general it isn't comparable to the Christian heaven. Nirvana is the end of suffering while you're alive, and the end of rebirth after you die. The "afterlife" isn't a Christian heaven or hell. There is so much focus on asceticism in life (for some). And the belief in reincarnation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnuKabal Posted December 25, 2005 Author #13 Share Posted December 25, 2005 So in all these heavens it's perfectly happy and no violence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1667832 Posted December 25, 2005 #14 Share Posted December 25, 2005 These Heavens offer the one thing humanity craves: happiness. It offers it through spiritual wealth. Understandably, most Heavens focus on the physical joys, but the mind and soul is also cured of all ailments and sin. This is the foundation of happiness. You cant enjoy physical things in Heaven if you're mind isnt pure. So, spiritually, you'd be at your peak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnuKabal Posted December 25, 2005 Author #15 Share Posted December 25, 2005 But what if your perfect happiness was something like violence or is that not pure enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piney Posted December 25, 2005 #16 Share Posted December 25, 2005 [quote name='Aaleyah-Abqurah' date='Dec 24 2005, 10:22 PM' post='992182 In Hinduism or Buddhism, for example, there are several heavens, and those who accumulate good karma will go to a heaven; however their stay in the heaven is not eternal — eventually they will use up their good karma and be reincarnated in another realm, as human, animal, or other beings. The Nanticoke belief is the same. You enjoy a time in the "Southlands" and are later reincarnated to earth. Sometimes because you have a "mission" of some sort. Lapi'che Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 25, 2005 #17 Share Posted December 25, 2005 Not necessarily. One of the first aferlifes was the Sumerian one. I think it was a place of darkness and mud. Pretty gloomy stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1667832 Posted December 25, 2005 #18 Share Posted December 25, 2005 Do you think that life is suffering? Do you believe that while we are in the human state, instead of the Divine state, that we are doomed to suffer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 25, 2005 #19 Share Posted December 25, 2005 But what if your perfect happiness was something like violence or is that not pure enough. Violence for some, is an earthly pleasure. Is there earthly pleasure in heaven? With the Christian heaven I suppose God will begin to alter your free will and attempt to remove your sorrow. And all your pleasures may then be of a spiritual nature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1667832 Posted December 25, 2005 #20 Share Posted December 25, 2005 Violence for some, is an earthly pleasure. Is there earthly pleasure in heaven? With the Christian heaven I suppose God will begin to alter your free will and attempt to remove your sorrow. And all your pleasures may then be of a spiritual nature. I agree. I understand what you mean by enjoying violence, but I think you mean it in the sense that you enjoy say, a fightsport, like boxing? I believe it is the intention behind everything which dictates whether it is pure or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnuKabal Posted December 25, 2005 Author #21 Share Posted December 25, 2005 I mean like a warrior enjoying struggling to overcome a powerful foe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piney Posted December 25, 2005 #22 Share Posted December 25, 2005 Do you think that life is suffering? Do you believe that while we are in the human state, instead of the Divine state, that we are doomed to suffer? Only to give us strength and knowledge in spirit, and to teach us lessons. Lapi'che Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1667832 Posted December 25, 2005 #23 Share Posted December 25, 2005 AnuKabal - In Heaven, I dont believe there will be a powerful foe. Perhaps you can train, fight, things like that. Some people believe Heaven is the thing you enjoy the most. And you never know what is behind the Afterlife. Perhaps another life for other beings, in which a powerful foe grows, and you are called to fight against. Piney - I agree with this. Do you believe that this is why Buddhists believe that you continue to come back? So that you can gather knowledge and strength? Also, does that mean that in the end, you can be born as many times as you want, so that in the end you can become a perfect human being? Whereas other beliefs focus on you living one life, and if you are good in it, then you can get to the reward: Heaven. God Bless. a-a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 25, 2005 #24 Share Posted December 25, 2005 Only to give us strength and knowledge in spirit, and to teach us lessons. Wow, I actually agree with that 100%. To me, the hardships is to progress. Things are difficult for a reason but you learn along the way. You evolve spiritually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piney Posted December 25, 2005 #25 Share Posted December 25, 2005 What does it have going for it, for example a warriors afterlife would be filled with battles against the greatest of different times. Later in life some regret comes from such actions. There is no honor in killing. It is a "job" and not something you seek in the higher realms. You do not learn much participating in battles. and war does not belong in what I consider "heaven". Lapi'che Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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