About the concept of death

Sakurasou

This is Kawaguchi Hidetoshi. This is my humble answer to the question.

As is the case with fear and anxiety about “death,” various afflictions, including our fears and insecurities, arise from “ignorance” (fundamental ignorance) of “not knowing the truth.” Therefore, I believe that by clearly knowing and understanding what exactly “death” is, that fear and anxiety will gradually disappear.

In Buddhism, as described in the Heart Sutra, it also deals with “immortality,” in other words, “neither arises nor does it perish,” but in order to understand this, we must first understand “sky” and “middle path.”

If you are interested, I hope you will continue to practice with an interest in Buddhism.

Now, it overlaps with the content I answered a little while ago, but when it comes to what we call a normal “death,” it means “physical death,” that is, the body we have now stops functioning as it is now.

Since all things and things are made up of causation (cause and condition), the current body is also made up of various causes and conditions, but eventually, depending on the causal relationship, it ceases to function or collapses.

However, the question is whether everything will disappear because of this, and it will become “emptiness” or “absolute nothlessness,” Buddhism doesn't think that way.

We will be dealing with the continuum of mind, mental inheritance, as a fine consciousness unaffected by the physical body.

In the mental continuum and mental inheritance as a fine consciousness, all of the numerous acts and karma up until now will be carried over, including of course in past and present lives.

Therefore, as a result of that karma, people lose their way into reincarnation and suffer, so it is important in Buddhism to walk through Buddhism as much as possible and aim to break through reincarnation and lead to enlightenment and nirvana by firmly adjusting the good karma and karma leading to enlightenment and nirvana.

I want to accumulate as much good work and karma as possible for death and the future after death.

Kawaguchi Hidetoshi Gassho

I was also quite frightened about death when I was in elementary school.
There are many ways to deal with death around the world.
It may be humanity's eternal challenge.
It would be a good idea to find a way to deal with them that suits you.

In my case, I believe in the Pure Land of Paradise.
According to Buddha's story, it is a country made by Amida Buddha.
It's like heaven in Christianity.
The difference is that the Pure Land of Paradise is a place where people practice ascetic practices to reach enlightenment, and anyone can go if they ask Amida Buddha.
You can meet many Buddhas and ancestors in the Pure Land of Paradise.
There will come a time when I will be separated from my wife, parents, siblings, and children.
However, I think we'll meet again in the Pure Land of Paradise someday.
Also, when you ask Amida Buddha, you can say it aloud with Namu Amida Buddha (Namu Amidabutsu).
It's easy.
Why is it so easy?
That's because Amitabha wanted to take everyone who wishes for the Pure Land of Paradise with him.
If difficult conditions are necessary, there will be people who want to go to the Pure Land of Paradise but can't.
It is said that Amida Buddha, who heard the voice of Namu Amida Buddha, will pick you up the moment your life runs out.
Even if you don't believe in Amitabha from the bottom of your heart, even if you have no religion or belong to another religion, you can simply call it Namu Amida Buddha.
Amitabha Buddha has a great heart of mercy, and he helps no matter who he is.

That's all for your reference.

Actually, reincarnation has existed in India since before Buddhism, and it was the basis for Varna (caste system). It's a terrible argument that “people with high status acted well in their previous lives, and people with lower status acted badly in their previous lives, so it's useless to go against great people.”

Regarding this, the Buddha argues that “it is important not what you did in your previous life, but how you live your life now.” However, the point is that Buddhism begins with case studies like Hasunoha's answer. The Buddha did not leave the fundamental scriptures, and his stance was that one should practice one's own practice and attain enlightenment for oneself.

The Buddha scolded his disciples who became monks, saying, “Do ascetic practices without thinking about the next life being useless” (parable of the poison arrow). However, for the general public, they use the argument “In order to have fun in the next life, 'it is good to live honestly in the present, '” so this does not mean that they are not referring to the afterlife. This is a difficult part of Buddhism.

Research was repeated to derive lawfulness from that case study, repeated presentations at academic conferences, and repeated division and selection until now.

The Indian region was historically heavily defeated by the reincarnation theory of supporters of Varna, and Buddhism was forced to survive by introducing the reincarnation theory. This happened before the outbreak of Mahayana Buddhism, and as a result, Japanese Buddhism was also affected by it. At the level of folk belief, Theravada Buddhism still leaves strong benefits in this world and in the next.

However, it is important to note that regardless of whether it is Theravada or Mahayana, it is originally described as reincarnation based on “not being bound by the unit called an individual.” This is exactly what Master Kawaguchi said about “immortality.”

The Pure Land of Paradise is a world view unique to the Jodo sect, the Jodo Shinshu, and the Tokimune. It's not that it doesn't exist in other denominations, but it's rarely mentioned. In the age of sumatsu thought, “if you can't understand it on your own because it's the end law, wouldn't it be good if you were reborn in a place other than the end law!” From this idea, the pure land of paradise, which is a utopia, was brought up close.

The Jodo Shinshu sect is the largest denomination in Japan, so it is very famous, but please note that this does not mean that it is an idea that can be applied to other denominations. Just because America is a superpower doesn't mean it's a global standard.

Instead of thinking about death when you are close, it is originally desirable to face it in a way that improves your constitution from a young age. Please ask your questions again.

Being keenly aware of death, as in Hagakure, on the contrary, means surviving with care.
In the Bushido world, if you think that you will die tomorrow along with the danger of not knowing when you will die, I think today will be a fulfilling day.
In other words, it means being kept alive rather than being alive.
The world after death is a world where no one can understand.
If you do well on a regular basis, I think that world will probably be a bright world. It's just a matter of imagination.

I'm honestly sad when someone close to me passes away, and I'm reminded of the fear that I too will die.
The monk who prays to the Buddha for the grief and suffering of the bereaved family in sutras is the spokesperson.

It's a scary expression, but the downside is that death is always close to us, but after all, I want you to live a fulfilling life while you're alive.

Don't get caught up in the past, don't be afraid of the future, and live in the present! These are the words of Mr. Takafumi Horie.