Expert: Justin Choo - 11/26/2005

Question
please could you tellme if chants please could u send me some and do we hve a soul and wat really happens after your dead or leave this world

Answer
Hi Hollie,

Thanks for asking me.  My apologies for the delayed reply due to website problem.

First you have to know that there are various "traditions" of Buddhism.  They share the fundamental teachings of the Buddha, but differ in emphasis.  As Buddhism is a very liberal "religion"  people incorporate their different cultures and traditions when practising it.  So,different traditions have different rites and rituals.  They also have different chantings.  Actually chanting is mostly the ricitation of the Buddha's discourses as practised by the Theravada tradition.  If you go through the websites at the end of this answer, you will be able to find everything you need about Buddhism.

Buddhists do not subscribe to the belief of "soul".
The Buddhist perspective of life is that this "being" consists of the physical body and the mind. The existence of this being is the result of the energy of the mind taking existence in this physical body. The nature of the life-form that this mind energy affixes to, will depend on the nature of the accumulated "kammic"(all the volitional actions, good and bad) store-house which the being had generated throughout its numerous life existences. If the kammic storehouse has a greater portion of evil and unwholesome kammic energy, this mental energy will seek a rebirth in the appropriate existence such that the evil and unwholesome energies will actualize in that life, causing agony and suffering for the being. In this sense, you can consider that evil mental energies will seek out conditions that favour such existence.  Likewise good kammic energy will seek rebirth in a conducive environment.
So long as we have this desire to exist and ignorance of the true nature of this world and this life, we will continue to experience these rebirths.

Please spend your time surfing through the following websites and you will find answers to all your questions about Buddhism.


www.ksridhammananda.com
Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda is my revered teacher. His writings have benefitted countless people throughout the world.

www.geocities.com/wave_books
You can obtain excellent publications from them.

www.allbuddhist.com
www.buddhanet.net
www.dharmanet.org
www.buddhism.about.com
www.parami.org/buddhistanswers/index.htm
www.nibbana.com
www.triplegem.net
www.buddhistchannel.tv
http://dharmaavenue.com/home.htm
www.dharmagames.org
www.thebuddhistsociety.org
www.fundamentalbuddhism.com

Smile from justinchoo :-)