If you
try to convert me,
I've thought about heaven and hell,
I'm prepared to face either,
if either of them exists.
- Lee Kuan Yew
(The Straits Times, 06.09.11)
Is it possible for anyone to truly imagine or to ever be
prepared to face the endless terrors of eternal hell, if it really
exists? Can one be extremely prepared for the extremely unknown? If
we contemplate the possibilities of the afterlife as being simply
nothing other than the extremes of eternal heaven or hell, and
consider that being sufficient thinking, we are being extremely
simplistic – because how can anyone do enough of any good and evil in
a limited lifetime to deserve extreme reward or extreme
retribution? Between such extreme ends, not that they
are real, there should naturally be a spectrum of other possible
and temporal states (realms or planes) of the afterlife for those
who are neither extremely good nor evil – us. Many agnostics have
not reflected on this thoroughly, while they might believe they
have already done so, thus dismissing the need for further
reflection.
There are two extreme misconceptions about the afterlife, as
highlighted by the Buddha, which agnostics, free-thinkers and even
some religionists might oscillate between, both of which we should
avoid. The first misconception is Nihilism (断灭见), which proposes
that since there is nothing after this life, that there is no state
of existence hereafter and no rebirth, and nothing we do now to
ensure a better (or worse) afterlife will ever matter. But how can
something become nothing, when even scientists cannot destroy
energy? Energy can only transform from one state to
another. The mind or
consciousness is very definite and powerful energy – that cannot
simply fizzle out into 'nothingness'. The second
misconception is Eternalism (长见), which proposes that the state we
are in after this life will be eternal – as an unchanging heaven or
eternal hell.
What the Buddha realised is that the truth lies on the Middle Path
between these two erroneous views. There is the phenomenon of
ongoing rebirth for the unenlightened. Between the idea of 'fixed nothingness' in
Nihilism, and the idea of 'fixed somethingness' in Eternalism, lies
constant change of 'everythingness' via rebirth – from
life to life. Agnostics should thus reconsider the laws of cause
and effect, of how what one does now can karmically affect the
afterlife, which is more likely to exist than not. We need to guard
our thoughts, speech and deeds now – because they will lead us to
somewhere and not nowhere. And when that somewhere is reached, we
need to continue being mindful as what we do there will lead
elsewhere!
If there is karmic afterlife,
you will have a good rebirth if you do good.
If there is no karmic afterlife,
you will live happily now if you are free of ill
will.
If evil befalls the evil,
you will not be affected if you do no evil.
If evil does not befall the evil,
you will be pure both ways if you do no evil and do
good.
- Stonepeace (rephrased
from Kalama Sutta)
