Maybe the human soul goes where it belongs — where it feels comfortable and right.
I wrote a piece of fiction [titled Not What It Was Supposed To Be, originally called That Other Place] themed on such a premise. It’s based upon a 1987 radio-broadcast sermon titled “A Bird’s Eye View of Hell”, given by a deceased yet renowned preacher.
As far as conventional theological concepts regarding comeuppance in the hereafter for corporeal misdeeds are concerned, I don’t recall any such punishment, let alone hellfire, mentioned during the forty-five minute sermon.
Perhaps its hypothetical version of Hades—and it’s one that’s very rarely expressed—is based upon the idea of victims who have crossed-over not perceiving any relevance of nor personal need for any post-death penance to be suffered by their physical-realm-affliction perpetrators.
Another atypical version of hell is that about which I learned from two Latter Day Saints missionaries in 1987. They related to me that their church’s doctrine teaches the biblical ‘lake of fire’ actually represents a spiritual burning of guilt over one’s corporeal misdeeds.
“That’s it?" I said, a bit cocky. "Hell is a guilty conscience in one’s afterlife?”
During the many years since then, however, I’ve discovered just how formidable burning guilt can be. I’ve also considered and decided that our brain's structural/chemical flaws are what we basically are while our soul is confined within our physical, bodily form.
The human soul may be inherently good, on its own; but trapped within the physical body, notably the corruptible brain, oftentimes the soul’s purity may not be able to shine through.
Therefore, upon one’s spirit or ‘consciousness’ finally being 100 percent free of the purely cerebrally-based agitation and contempt that may have actually blighted much of their life, they may be wondering, ‘Why was I so angry and so much of the time? I really hope I didn't do damage while I was there’.
Accordingly, upon a multi- or mass-murderer's physical death, not only would he (or she) be 100 percent liberated from the anger and hate that blighted his physical life; his spirit or consciousness would also be forced to exist with the presumably unwanted awareness of the immense amount of needless suffering he personally had caused.
Of course, for the immensely victimized people, particularly loved-ones left behind to mourn their greatest loss, the perpetrator’s afterlife guilt would be of little or no consolation.
Yes, Frank, I had read your post. It reminded me of a comment another Vajrayana practitioner made about the Pure Land. He said he didn't want to go there because it would be boring spending all your time surrounded by buddhas and bodhisattvas giving dharma talks all day long. He'd rather continue to be reborn in the human realm.
“Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living and, above all, those who live without love” (the spirit of school headmaster Albus Dumbledore in 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2').
Many chronically and pharmaceutically untreatable depressed and/or anxiety-ridden people, for example, won’t miss this world. It’s not that they necessarily want to die per se; it’s that they want their seemingly pointless corporeal suffering to end.
Thus, as crazy as it may sound, the greatest gift life offers such souls is that someday, likely preferably sooner rather than later, they get to die. Perhaps worsening matters for them is when suicide is simply not an option, for whatever reason(s), meaning there’s little hope of receiving an early reprieve from their literal life sentence.
I wouldn't be surprised if being reincarnated would be considered Hell for many of them, as it would be for me — the repetition of mostly unhappiness. Notably, Zen Buddhism teaches that life is suffering or hardship interspersed with genuine happiness.
Ergo, to quote passages of a poem:
I awoke from another very bad dream, a reincarnation nightmare / where having thankfully died I’m still bullied towards rebirth back into human form / despite my pleas I be allowed to rest in permanent peace. // ...
... // Each second that passes I should not have to repeat and suffer again. / I cry out ‘give me a real purpose and it’s not enough simply to live / nor that it’s a beautiful sunny day with colorful fragrant flowers!’ //
I’m tormented hourly by my desire for both contentedness and emotional, material and creative gain / that are unattainable yet ultimately matter naught. My own mind brutalizes me like it has / a sadistic mind of its own. I must have a progressive reason for this harsh endurance! //
Could there be people who immensely suffer yet convince themselves they sincerely want to live when in fact / they don’t want to die, so greatly they fear Death’s unknown? //
No one should ever have to repeat and suffer again a single second that passes. //
Nay, I will engage and embrace the dying of my blight!
Thank you so much Mel Pine for writing this piece. It helps me be with the experience (and writing About)-being present for my husbands death (January 2022) - MAID-Medical Assistance in Dying. after several years of caregiving, Michael who said bury me in the Garden and you'll stay in the house for the rest of your life. After forty seven years together- as life partners as well a work partners. Based on my experience /learning with Ancestral Medicine, Ancestral Medicine Practitioners, the work of Daniel Foor, I can still relate to the dead, and my relationship can change both myself and them .
Maybe the human soul goes where it belongs — where it feels comfortable and right.
I wrote a piece of fiction [titled Not What It Was Supposed To Be, originally called That Other Place] themed on such a premise. It’s based upon a 1987 radio-broadcast sermon titled “A Bird’s Eye View of Hell”, given by a deceased yet renowned preacher.
https://wordpress.com/post/fgsjrscifi.wordpress.com/294 or https://wordpress.com/post/fgsjrscifi.wordpress.com/336
As far as conventional theological concepts regarding comeuppance in the hereafter for corporeal misdeeds are concerned, I don’t recall any such punishment, let alone hellfire, mentioned during the forty-five minute sermon.
Perhaps its hypothetical version of Hades—and it’s one that’s very rarely expressed—is based upon the idea of victims who have crossed-over not perceiving any relevance of nor personal need for any post-death penance to be suffered by their physical-realm-affliction perpetrators.
Another atypical version of hell is that about which I learned from two Latter Day Saints missionaries in 1987. They related to me that their church’s doctrine teaches the biblical ‘lake of fire’ actually represents a spiritual burning of guilt over one’s corporeal misdeeds.
“That’s it?" I said, a bit cocky. "Hell is a guilty conscience in one’s afterlife?”
During the many years since then, however, I’ve discovered just how formidable burning guilt can be. I’ve also considered and decided that our brain's structural/chemical flaws are what we basically are while our soul is confined within our physical, bodily form.
The human soul may be inherently good, on its own; but trapped within the physical body, notably the corruptible brain, oftentimes the soul’s purity may not be able to shine through.
Therefore, upon one’s spirit or ‘consciousness’ finally being 100 percent free of the purely cerebrally-based agitation and contempt that may have actually blighted much of their life, they may be wondering, ‘Why was I so angry and so much of the time? I really hope I didn't do damage while I was there’.
Accordingly, upon a multi- or mass-murderer's physical death, not only would he (or she) be 100 percent liberated from the anger and hate that blighted his physical life; his spirit or consciousness would also be forced to exist with the presumably unwanted awareness of the immense amount of needless suffering he personally had caused.
Of course, for the immensely victimized people, particularly loved-ones left behind to mourn their greatest loss, the perpetrator’s afterlife guilt would be of little or no consolation.
Yes, Frank, I had read your post. It reminded me of a comment another Vajrayana practitioner made about the Pure Land. He said he didn't want to go there because it would be boring spending all your time surrounded by buddhas and bodhisattvas giving dharma talks all day long. He'd rather continue to be reborn in the human realm.
Thank you, Mel. Today was the perfect day for me to read this entry. Blessings.
Thanx for the reply. ...
“Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living and, above all, those who live without love” (the spirit of school headmaster Albus Dumbledore in 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2').
Many chronically and pharmaceutically untreatable depressed and/or anxiety-ridden people, for example, won’t miss this world. It’s not that they necessarily want to die per se; it’s that they want their seemingly pointless corporeal suffering to end.
Thus, as crazy as it may sound, the greatest gift life offers such souls is that someday, likely preferably sooner rather than later, they get to die. Perhaps worsening matters for them is when suicide is simply not an option, for whatever reason(s), meaning there’s little hope of receiving an early reprieve from their literal life sentence.
I wouldn't be surprised if being reincarnated would be considered Hell for many of them, as it would be for me — the repetition of mostly unhappiness. Notably, Zen Buddhism teaches that life is suffering or hardship interspersed with genuine happiness.
Ergo, to quote passages of a poem:
I awoke from another very bad dream, a reincarnation nightmare / where having thankfully died I’m still bullied towards rebirth back into human form / despite my pleas I be allowed to rest in permanent peace. // ...
... // Each second that passes I should not have to repeat and suffer again. / I cry out ‘give me a real purpose and it’s not enough simply to live / nor that it’s a beautiful sunny day with colorful fragrant flowers!’ //
I’m tormented hourly by my desire for both contentedness and emotional, material and creative gain / that are unattainable yet ultimately matter naught. My own mind brutalizes me like it has / a sadistic mind of its own. I must have a progressive reason for this harsh endurance! //
Could there be people who immensely suffer yet convince themselves they sincerely want to live when in fact / they don’t want to die, so greatly they fear Death’s unknown? //
No one should ever have to repeat and suffer again a single second that passes. //
Nay, I will engage and embrace the dying of my blight!
Thank you so much Mel Pine for writing this piece. It helps me be with the experience (and writing About)-being present for my husbands death (January 2022) - MAID-Medical Assistance in Dying. after several years of caregiving, Michael who said bury me in the Garden and you'll stay in the house for the rest of your life. After forty seven years together- as life partners as well a work partners. Based on my experience /learning with Ancestral Medicine, Ancestral Medicine Practitioners, the work of Daniel Foor, I can still relate to the dead, and my relationship can change both myself and them .