heaven, hell, karma, ice-cream
I had some thoughts all day yesterday, having read some sites about this and that religion claiming this God that God for their own deluded designs and in the process, dragging the entire afterlife affair down the dark murky gutters of their extremely disturbed minds. It will continue to bother me until I write it down to make some sort of sense to the whole thing, if possible.
“Homosexuals will burn in hell. Single mothers will burn in hell. Whores (defined by the religious perpetrators’ own limited imaginations) will burn in hell. Soldiers will burn in hell. If you are not one of us and do not accept our doctrine, you will burn in hell.”
Besides it being a load of crap, it also made me rather thankful to be living in Malaysia. If the likes of Fred Phelps were here in our country, he would have been jailed a long time ago. Or at least I hope so. I mean, these dudes don’t look so pretty anymore. Phelps would have never made it out there alive 
Unless Abdul Fatah Harun shows up to save his arse.
Freedom of speech is a nice thing to have. Sometimes you need the extremes to appreciate the sensibles. But sometimes one’s limit is reached and you just CANNOT take it anymore. Fuck free speech; if that man were anywhere remotely near my personal space, I’d bitch slap him till he faints, kick his guts out, draw his blood and leave him for the vultures. He is rather old now so that won’t be too difficult.
But I shouldn’t bother, really. Like the old Malay proverb goes, it’s a case of ‘nyamuk di seberang lautan nampak, gajah terponggok di hadapan mata tak nampak’. Something about a mosquito and an elephant. Tolerance, understanding and acceptance — goodness knows what home devils we have to deal with!
Except that I need to update my blog.
Heaven and Hell
“Embrace [insert religion here] and you shall live forever!”
“There is only one Lord; believe in others and go to hell!”
“The end of the world is near, repent your sins today!”
“Pray to [insert preferred higher power's name] and go to heaven!”
“Americans/Iraqis/Brits/murtads/kafirs belong to hell!”
“Oh yeah, oh yeah, FEEL GOD’S WRATH, you SINNERS!!!”
(By the way, I like this article)
Sounds familiar? Of course, everyone is trying to define the rules of religions according to their own interpretations. Faith, you say, but who are the people who can tell you whether or not you will end up in heaven or hell? Are they God? No. Are they living up to what they preach? Sometimes. Do they really believe that what they say or do with regards to their own religion will be for the good of the world? Hmmm… depends. Hitler had serious self-esteem problem, remember?
Besides, all these could lead to a very funny scenario, something perhaps worth thinking about. Imagine one of those one of those preachers come to you and say that this or that God is great and you should repent your sins and follow the way to heaven etc etc etc. You say that you are not interested thanks. He continue on about his religion and claim that you would end up in hell for being blinded by false gods and so on and so on. You then scream that HE would end up in hell and not you for being so annoying and stubborn when you plainly do not want to layan him. He then scream, “No, you are going to hell!” and you scream, “No,YOU are going to hell”, repeat tirade.
Who do you think will end up in hell?
I remember reading an article eons ago about this supposedly super-duper psychic power dude who claimed that there are no actual heaven and hell for EVERYONE. Sort of anyway. Instead when people die, their souls go to different dimensions their thoughts have made when they were alive. Those who believed that they would go to heaven, would go to heaven where they’d meet similar-minded souls. Those believed they would end up in hell, go to hell. Those believed they would end up in an after-life Starbucks with iMacs and free Internet access go to that dimensions they have created. It is like their very own worlds. Now, I don’t really believe that he left his body and saw this whole phenomena, but I rather like the concept. You end up where you want to be.
The modern Buddhism concept is that heaven and hell are everyday life situations. No need to wait for when you draw your last breath to know what they are like. Heaven, being an idyllic and much sought-after dimension can be experienced if you are happy and jolly and at ease with yourself. Hell, the extreme opposite of Heaven is when you are a vengeful angry miserable cow.
In this context, I ask thee, how does one make out Heaven and Hell then? The suicide bomber *might* end up in Hell, but he believes that he would go to Heaven. Or is it the other way round? Who knows? I am still alive and I do not really fancy asking the dead. The do-gooder who happens to be homosexual *might* end up in Heaven, but who is to say? Who is keeping score? Where’s the definition? How do you draw the line?
Who is playing God? Whose God is it anyway?
Karma for everyone!
And there’s a Hinduism/Buddhism concept that is now very popular even among those who do not believe in organised religions. The Law of Cause and Effect states that ‘whatever you do will come back to you’. This is as simple as snatching someone’s apple when he is about to bite into it. Bam! that is bad. Or deliberately running down a dog. Bam! karma points deducted. When I was younger, I asked a YBF senior if she could prove to me the concept of karma. She looked at me for a bit, then gave me a hard slap on the thigh and said, “There’s your karma; the cause is my slap, the effect is your pain.”
Okay la, I mean, I did ask for it.
How do you accumulate karma points then? It is not as simple as the merit/demerit system back in primary school. Apparently your good karma points increase only if you perform good deeds with sincerity, without the ‘Oh-I-must-do-this-to-increase-good-karma’ thought at the back of your head. Doesn’t work like that lor. If you see a beggar on the streets, feel terribly sorry for him and tipped him some coins, that’s one notch up the karma ladder. Basically, performing good deeds when you really want to = good. Easy-peasy, right?
Now, try digesting ‘white karma’. This is something I learnt many years back, while trying to understand the finer details of karma. A white lie is when you don’t want to hurt anybody, for example telling your host that dinner was good when in fact it was really, really horrible that you are considering ending your friendship with him just to escape his dinner invitations. White karma is at the middle of the ladder, when certain acts do or do not contribute either way to your karma level.
Scenario 1: You are in the kitchen when you look behind to see a stranger coming towards you with a knife. The look on his face spells murder. You scream, then grab a knife and plunge it into his chest. He sputters and dies.
Question: Does self-defense constitutes white karma? Self-defense in the situation above does not equal to revenge, fyi. But the man died, ffs. Sure, if it wasn’t him it would be you. Basic human survival instincts, I understand that. Again I emphasise, the man DIED.
Scenario 2: You are driving when a cat decided to harakiri. Or you couldn’t stop in time and squash a kitty already squashed by other drivers ahead of you. One life down, none to go.
Question: You can’t help it, you say. All very well. But when it comes to karma, what goes?
Scenario 3: White lies, anywhere and anytime.
Question: While your intentions may be good, you are still committing false speech. Does karma understands that?
Scenario 4: You have the opportunity to stop a murderer by killing him. However you feel pity for him, and feel that he would change his ways after your confrontation with him. So you let him go. Next thing you know, the bloodthirsty murderer strikes again, ending the lives of 3 other people, one of whom is your beloved uncle. Yes I know that this is similar to the Spiderman story.
Question: Your actions lead to other actions. How does chain reaction works when it comes to karma?
I thought about it some more, remembered the Five Precepts and answered scenario 1 and 2. All the five precepts begin with ‘Avoid this and that’ or ‘Refrain from doing this and that’. There is no ‘you must do this or that’ because people being people are not perfect. The first precept says, ‘Avoid killing’. So in cases 1 and 2, there is no choice but for you to do what you did and hope for the best.
Cases 3 and 4 are a tad more tricky for me. You could CHOOSE not to tell a white lie, and you could CHOOSE not to let the fella go. What gives?
I do not have the answers. Perhaps I will never find out for karma is not my mom telling me why this and why that. True, you do not need to know EVERYTHING if it is not going to help you in your cultivation or whatever. But you see, I am a curious cat.
All this reminds me of a conversation I had with my Dad.
Me: Do you believe in heaven and hell?
Dad: No.
Me: Huh then where do you think people go when they are dead?
Dad: The body is made of particles bla bla bla… They just cease to exist.
Me: What about reincarnation? Do you believe in that?
Dad: No.
Me: How about a parallel world?
Dad: No.
Me: What do you think will happen to you after you are dead?
Dad: I just cease to exist.
My dad, he damn solid.
I like ice-cream.
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salute to papa suan
Suanie:
yay!
papa suan for pm!
Suanie:
yay!!
I like ice cream too.
Suanie:
yay!
Wah… this is some deep stuff. I have a problem with your pop’s laid-back explanation, though.
The whole self-awareness thing can be a bitch sometimes. Here I am; being me, feeling the way that I do, thinking the stuff that I think about – I sometimes wonder when did it all began. Was I self-aware at birth, or did this consciousness exist so long ago that I have forgotten? Did I have a consciouness before this life I know? Was I some kind of bug or worm in a life previous to this one? If so, did I just cease to exist then, only to be recycled into my current incarnation?
Whoa. I need ice-cream too. Maybe a vanilla beer float.
Suanie:
haha why? my dad has very scientific views, adopted from his dad. and he normally doesn’t say a lot, hence the brusque answers.
well, i only gained self consciousness at the age of 4, good luck with your self discovery
Karma points? Is it some sort of bonus link stuff?
Heaven and hell thingy, too complicate. A Heaven to one can be somebody hell. Imagine this, putting a drug, a alcoholic, a LSD user, etc to heaven.
Your dad are kool.
Suanie:
hahahaha yeah when you put it like that…
that’s what i was trying to say, not too succinctly I’m afraid.
Heaven and hell is here and now. Why worry about the afterlife when it is beyond our control and when we are struggling in the present life? Do good and the rest will follow.
Peace be with you.
Suanie:
amitabha…
Dont do things that is against your belief and you will be fine. No point of thinking about afterlife now.
Suanie:
but it’s fun sometimes… when you are bored
Ice cream can be a dieter’s hell or a sweet tooth’s heaven. Getting a tooth ache after eating ice cream is almost like karma getting back to a person.
BTW, I’ve been told that I’m going to hell. The thing of it is, I already know my reservation was confirmed a long time ago.
Suanie:
what’s your ticket number? let’s sit together-gether
Hahaha I love that, karma = holy bonuslink points.
Or is it heavenly realrewards.
Suanie:
ask terence
I think that it does help when one accepts there’s an ultimate higher power above himself.
Allows them to see things in afew extra perspective.
Funny thing bout this god dude, some believe he exists, some don’t, but no one knows what he/she/it is.
When people talk about god, it’s similar to sayin
“i believe there’s something in that empty box”
I find myself to be mixing and matching different religions that my belief now can get me stoned to death by any one of them.
Suanie:
hrmm.. I think in a way karma *can* be something higher than yourself. According to Buddhism beliefs, there’s the reincarnation and current life situation based on past karma accumulated, and the best thing is that you can change it if you want.
that’s all analogies. then again we seem to be constantly searching for answers as to who we are, what are we and so on. something about spiritual need.
my thinking is exactly like your dad
Suanie:
congrats, you are a genius
Thumbs up to ur dad. Exactly the same concept i have about life. Everyone dies at one point of life and everyone rots, screw heaven n hell or those that governs it as it goes in some thousand year old books. You’ve got enough things to ponder about in life.
Suanie:
aye!
hahaha… karma…
I was superpissed when I read some venerable hsuan something that spoke about karma and his version of “I know it all”.
My mind is better off letting em alcohol components fry up my brain and twisting my liver inside out.
Suanie:
oO google his name can get relevant results ka? relevant as in your experience?
”whatever you do will come back to you’.’
Also a Christian concept. ‘You reap what you sow.’ & ‘Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.’
‘How do you accumulate karma points then?’
You can suck up to people on slashdot … but, I’d rather not be a bi suck, I’m happy with just positive karma, even if it is on zero at the moment.
‘The look on his face spells murder.’
Hmmm, bad tattoo he has! I told him to get his ‘murder’ tattoo on his butt!
Watch out for Kamikaze Kitty [hmm, sounds like a good name for a cartoon character!]
Anyway, the particles that make up your fathers body will still be around.
I also like ice cream … hmmmm, ice cream.
Suanie:
yeap the concept of karma is universal.
As long as em homos don’t come near me I am ok with that.
But if a lesbian butch tries to be funny and competes with you for the girl you like, you shouldn’t need to feel any need to be a gentleman with these man-wannabees esp if they start to trash talk you.
Suanie:
erm ok thanks for the advise
lesson learned from this blog??
dont leave home without your KarmaKard(TM).
Suanie:
har har
Suan is trying to earn karma points by trying to educate the un-washed masses about karma. -_-”
Suanie:
did it work?
Who goes to heaven and who goes to hell is not for human beings to determine. To the believers of a Supreme Being … we believe that it’s really for HIM to decide.
Think : what IF God really exists?
I think He’d just be very disappointed and saddened lah. But I sincerely doubt He’ll condemn good people to hell just because they don’t have the correct ‘label’. Jesus loves all of us =).
Suanie:
I believed God exists once
It’s the white cat black cat as long as it catches rats then it’s a good cat thing. I don’t really care what people believe in actually, until they start annoying me like Fred Phelps. Go read the linked site
i so do not like dooms day evangelists. i’ve had about enough of them, but they keep intruding into my comfort zone.
Suanie:
just tell them that you are already a christian??
‘Suanie:
I believed God exists once’
No need to worry, he still believes in you!
[Or she believes in you ...]
‘ShadowFox: As long as em homos don’t come near me I am ok with that.’
But they find you so foxy.
‘MS: i so do not like dooms day evangelists.’
I used to have a link to an interesting site which collated all the ‘latest’ groups naming the day and or hour of when Armageddon was/is supposed to occur. Wish I could still find the link, but I’ve forgotten it. Waaaah.
Anyway, just tell them you’re a viking and you’re waiting for Ragnarok!!!
Suanie:
take your pick of god — alanis morissette or morgan freeman
I think credit card will be much suitable analogy for this. Trying hard to accumulate point to offset the current and previous bad debts of previous life.
Need to clear those debts and cut the credit card into half and get unplugged. Had enough with the computer/machine generated world.
Suanie:
lucky karma no interest rate
Interesting serious post.
I have to disagree with your senior’s definition of Karma. She slaps your thigh, that’s “cause”. However, the “effect” would be, you slap him/her back.
Suanie:
hahaha well that could have happened, but then I was 14 and meek
Adam
Karma doesn’t work this way…i suppose;
Some arses invaded your country causing death your countrymen.
You go hijacking a domestic plane and crash into that arse’s two buildings causing death of his countrymen.
Suanie:
speaking of which, I saw the trailer for the movie World Trade Center, bleargh. just saying.
“Fuck free speech”
Free speech doesn’t mean you don’t have the freedom to NOT listen. If you don’t value free speech, who do you want to decide what you can or cannot say?
I am dissapointed.
Suanie:
Well your comment’s still here
I think in a lot of cases, you really can’t help but to take things personal. He may have his freedom to talk shit, I have my freedom to beat him up, he has his freedom to retaliate, but then he would have fainted.
Since we embrace our own religion, or some don’t embrace any at all, I think we’ll all go to hell if the scriptures are right.
Suanie:
yay! long long long queue though
jom kita pegi makan ice-cream
If the choice was between those two, I’ll take Morgan Freeman. As much as I liked the movie ‘Dogma’, and disliked ‘Bruce Almighty’, I still think Morgan Freeman would be the wiser of the two choices.
Black Cat, White Cat? Sounds like pluralism to me. Everything is the same right? As long as you do good and stand up against evil.
The only danger to that was seen in 9/11 – those hijackers thought they were doing GOOD. Suanie, we live in a time where we cannot afford to be plurarists.
Anyway, Phelps sounds like a real whack job. Being a Christian he should know the basic precept of ‘love’. Hate the sin, not the sinner.
Suanie:
but everybody lives with their own definition of what is good or what is bad. AND you see it from your own definition of what is good and bad.
9/11… it was sad and needless but I don’t agree with you. I see it as a retaliation. Not that I endorse or encourage it, but when you have nothing else to lose, you go the extreme ways.
We all gotta change and seek the truth Suanie. That was why 2000 years ago The Messiah came with the message of love, hope and forgiveness.
I have seen it. Its called the Veil. I taught myself how to communicate with the other realm. We live in a world which uses Religon to replace the emptiness of the sixth sense we have lost access to due to evolution. What are we? we are nothing but energy. As energy (hence the soul), we cannot see objects in our physical lives without using human eyes, which Ironicly convert light into photons of electricity via the optic nerve (Hence, touch uses electric impulses in the nerves, hearing is made possible by physical vibrations of sound penetrating to cause electrical impulses for the brain to interpret etc). We are souls of course, which use the complexities of the human biological body to manjfest our souls in. Our bodies are only a tool to experience life on earth, just like a camera is used to capture a split second. So why can’t we leave the body? Just like magnets, the soul and the body are the same principal. The body has its own energy to survive on (i.e. Called ATP which genetic material called mitochondria use to live on after converting oxygen and food energy into ATP) and the energy of the soul. These two energies are forced to bind together as one (and you can see the soul lingering around your body called an aura which is colour due to your emotions, the soul extends beyond the body) and when the body dies, the soul is set free (like one of the magnets flipped over, causing both magnets to compell against each other). You have to understand that because the soul energy has been released from the body (often called a vessel) the soul can no longer see the world as we see it, because souls don’t have the biological eyes, ears, hands, and nose to experience this world, but it has its own senses instead. Language is far inferior than the other realm. This is the real deal. If the soul feels it hadn’t experienced life to the fullest, then it may reincarnate into a new body. That is it finds a family, knows the couple will have a baby, and the spirit will know the path/course of that babies life. In the mothers womb, I do’t specifically know at how many weeks into the pregnancy but, during the stages when the foetus is not controlled by the brain (i.e. the nerves throughout the body are making the connections to the brain and the body) the heart naturally beats without any brain activity. When all the nerve links have been established, the brain takes over the pacemaker of the heart (i.e. SA Node) and this is when it is believed that the soul enters the body. Still brith is due to the soul changing its course of life and choosing to reincarnate into another body. We as a human race, set beliefs based on human logic, language, etc. We cannot experience the other realm because our minds are based on conscious beliefs (i.e. if we try to percieve what the spiritual realm looks like, we would expect it to look like what we would see through two human eyes. Our souls are not human, far greater and superior, and the spiritual realm if we could see it would look like based on a 360 degree view) Please know that I am studying 1st year medicine, and have taken an interest in spiritual beliefs due to the many scientific explanation that this belief has. Its logocal, and based on fact. Its not a bible written by men, during a sinful era in time, then translated from hebrew into all the other languages on earth. We all know words in other languages means slightly different meanings in our own. I am not ruling out that god doesn’t exist, however, I believe he does, but not as we have been made to percieve him to be. He is on the highest vibration in the spiritual realm. MUrders are on the lowest vibration, the arc angels (Whom have never been, and will never be human) are below god, then people like Princess diana whom had a big impact on people on earth will never reincarnate, instead, remain as a spirit who guides souls on earth in vessels to help them in everyday life.
If you would like me to explain further, I will be more than happy to reply. My email address in douglastaua@mac.com. Hope to answer your questions shortly.