PAGE  ONE

Q-A:    |  01  |  02  |  03  |  04  |  05  |  06  |  07  |  08  |  09  |  10  |

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q-06: Dear Venerable Resident Monk, I can't believe in life after death. I want to believe it. But in my mind there'll be no life after death. No hell and no heaven at all. What should I do? Can I be a good Buddhist without believing in life after death?

All the best,

Rony

A-06:  I have a counter question before I answer your question. You don’t believe in life after death because you don’t believe there is heaven and hell or you can’t simply believe in life after death?

To believe in life after death, we don’t need to believe in heaven and hell because we can understand this nature without heaven and hell. Let’s say we do not believe in heaven and hell because these cannot be seen and cannot be experienced now. But we cannot deny that there are two kingdoms, human and animal, because they truly exist. Suppose, there is no hell or heaven after death but there would be man or animal life after death.

If you do not believe in life after death, then, do you believe in cause and effect operation? I think we cannot deny the cause and effect relationship. If we believe in cause and effect relation, then we must believe the continuation of cause and effect as well. In fact, life after death is nothing but the continuation of the cause and effect operation. So long as we are creating causes, we will definitely have to face the future consequences of our actions. So I believe we do not need heaven or hell to believe in life after death.

What should you do? I’d like to suggest that you read the book “Many Lives Many Masters” by Dr. Brian L. Weiss. This book is helpful because it approaches this issue scientifically.

Can you be a good Buddhist without believing life after death? I believe so. Belief or non-belief is the product of one’s philosophy. Philosophy has some influences on our actions but sometimes it is hard to say that all actions are the reflections of one’s philosophy. I say this practically and not literally.

I have come across people who said that they do not believe in life after death just like you. However their actions are better than some others who said that they believe in life after death. If one’s right philosophy cannot correct one’s wrong doings, then what does this philosophy mean?

What the Buddha said about the nihilism (not life after death) is that if someone holds this view, he would seek for his happiness through ways and means with total disregard for others.

According to your letter, I understand that you are trying to be a good man and a good Buddhist. So you can be a practical good Buddhist not a philosophical Buddhist.

So regardless of whether you believe in heaven and hell , it is the way you decide to take ,that will inevitably lead you to  heaven or hell one day. These existences should not be called hell or heaven since you do not believe in them. However, these experiences would be as enjoyable or as miserable as heaven or hell, respectively. This is the law of cause and effect.

Finally, I have to pass the Buddha’s teaching to you. The Buddha stated that the three views, nihilism, eternalism and Theism are the primary cause of all wrong views. So I wish some knowledge and personal experiences would help you to believe in life after death.

With Metta,

U Cittara

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dhamma Questions are answered by Bhante U Cittara, resident monk of Mangala Vihara, and his assistant monks. Questions and comments on given answers are welcome. Send your questions and comments to resident_monk@mangalavihara.org.sg.