Expert: Justin Choo - 11/5/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hello justinchoo!
Can we say that Buddhism is an atheistic religion?
Why do Buddhists do not believe in afterlife? I think it would be hard for me not to believe in afterlife. I think it would be very unjust if there were no life after death.
Just imagine two people getting born at the same time. One is born into a very rich family and leads a happy life, is healthy and so on. The other one is born sick, paralysed, poor and has to live like this to the end of his days. They both die at the same time. If there is no afterlife then it would be very unjust, their lives would be unjust, and I believe that justice exists if not here than somewhere else.
What's Buddhist view on after life?
Thank You

ANSWER: Hi Luke,

Welcome back if you are the same Luke.  However,if you are the same Luke, I would be surprised if you still ask such questions.

If "atheistic" means the rejection of the belief in an all-powerful God, then Buddhism is an atheistic religion.

I think you are referring to the Christian concept of "afterlife" where one goes to eternal heaven or eternal hell.  Buddhism does not subscribe to such "eternal" places as they view even heavens and hells as not eternal.  Anyone reborn in heaven or hell will eventually die and reborn again in another realm of existence.  Buddhists believe in life after death.  The concept of rebirth explains clearly that this is not our first life nor our last.  We have been through the cycles of births and deaths since time immemorial.  Two people born with different conditions clearly confirms the concepts of kamma and rebirth.  Because one had enough accumulation of good actions (kamma) in his previous life, one is born healthy and happy.  Whereas the other had committed bad actions during his past life, he is born crippled to suffer.  The law of cause and effect is amoral and works like clockwork.  Just like gravity, there is no escape from its pull.  I agree with you that it is very unjust if there is no life after death.  It would also be unjust if there is only one afterlife and only two places to go, heaven or hell.  How could our lives be so clearcut that we either have to go to hell or heaven?  Are we so pure that we will go to heaven to enjoy ourselves forever?  Or are we so evil that we have to be condemned to eternal hell?  All of us have both good and bad qualities.  As such if there is only one heaven and one hell, there will be great problem in selection.

Smile from justinchoo :-)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello justinchoo! Thank you for your answer. Yes I'm the same Luke.

Hmm, I knew that Buddhists believe in reincarnation, but did not know that they believe in something like heaven and hell and that we die there and again are reborn in another realm of existence.
As for heaven and hell.
I'm a Catholic so I should believe in heaven and hell, and also in purgatory.
According to my faith we have time here on earth to change ourselves for better to get to this better place after death. And it's not like this that only those who lead a pious life from birth to death will go to heaven. It's not the start which is important, but the finish. There are many saints in my religion, and many of them were not good people at the beginning of their lives, but they changed, they rehabilitated themselves. Of course we're never sure where they went after death. It might have been heaven or purgatory, but, we're quite certain it's not hell where they went to. I think a good example could be Mother Teresa who worked with the poor almost throughout her life. So many people believe that after death she went straight to heaven cause she lead a pious life, helped many people, lived in poverty, did not seek comfort, devoted her whole life to God she believed in. As I said there is also purgatory. And those who did not manage to redeem all their sins here on earth after death they go to purgatory where they suffer cause they cannot watch God like the souls in heaven. That's why we here on earth, pray for them, cause it is the only way we can help them. However, if someone gets to purgatory it is sure that he/she will one day go to heaven. It is said that at the end of time, when the judgement day comes purgatory will stop exist. There will be only heaven and hell, and all those who were in purgatory will go to heaven.
As for hell it is a place of eternal sufferring and condemnation. It's a place for those who throughout  their lives did almost nothing else but evil. As I said it's not the point how you start but how you finish.
Where do you think Hitler, Stalin, Hussain, and other cruel dictators might have gone when they died? You wrote: are we so evil that we have to be condemned to eternal hell. I think some people are, because they don't want to change when they have time for it. They are selfish, greedy, and won't hesitate to even kill someone to achieve their aims. Where do you think they should go after death? They should be rewarded or punished? There are no pure people, everyone has good and bad sides, everyone once did good and evil, but some people want to change and some don't, or maybe rather- they don't care.
You wrote:  All of us have both good and bad qualities. I agree. It's hard to say for anyone of us if someone deserves to go to heaven or hell. Why? Because we do not know the whole life of the given person. But we believe that God knows everything, and that's why HE's the only one who can pass an objective judgement upon you, and no one else.
Of course there are many things I'm not sure of. For example, what about those who are good, honest, just people, but they do not believe in God. What about them? Frankly speaking I don't know, I would have to ask a priest for instance.
Take care.

Answer
Hi Luke,

Thank you for your learned and impartial comments.  It is such a pleasure to communicate with you especially so, now that knowing you are a Catholic.  It is quite unusally for a Christian to be so interested in Buddhism for such a long period.  You are a good Catholic and my respect for you.  It is beneficial to know of others' beliefs although we may not agree with them.  Only with respect and understanding for others can we live in peace and happiness.   

Regards, justinchoo :-)