Expert: Joe McSorley - 4/15/2010

Question
Dear Joe,
I heard that some buddhist teachings mentioned that a person who always do good during his life but at the moment of death he turns evil and so after death he goes to hell. Similarly, a person who always do evil during his life but at the moment of death he turns good and so after death he goes to heaven.

Is there such a thing? If so, how can this "unfairness" be possible?

Answer
Dear Choo,
   There is no concept of heaven and hell in Buddhism so I don't understand where you may have heard this or why someone would be teaching this idea as being part of Buddhism.  All suffering is caused by the individual's wrong view of reality.  There is no idea of a judging creator just the consequences of one's own actions.
The idea you talk about is common in Christianity where someone could ask God for forgiveness on their deathbed and receive it thus wiping out their life of sin.  The opposite idea is true also that someone who has lived a good life could commit an egregious offense against God and then be condemned to hell.  Again, these are Christian ideas and not part of Buddhism. This is part of what makes Christianity so appealing to some people in that there is an escape clause for your actions. In Buddhism the idea of karma does not allow us to escape the consequences of our actions.
  I hope this helps you.  Take care,
           Joe