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TikTok: buddhism323

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"What happens to me after I die?"
In Buddhism, this question is called "the most important matter of the afterlife."
Here are some of the answers given to this question today.

"By now, he's probably having a drink with his wife in the afterlife."
This is a phrase often heard at funerals.
However, do those who say this truly believe that they will be able to reunite with their deceased wife in the afterlife and share their favorite drink?

If the afterlife were a place where one could freely enjoy a drink of their favorite alcohol—wine, beer, scotch, awamori, or whatever—and reunite with their loved one to reminisce, it would be wonderful. But it's hard to believe these words come from someone who genuinely believes this.

If you can reunite with someone you love, you might also reunite with someone you disliked, but that possibility isn't even considered.
You only think you can reunite with someone you love.
Is the afterlife really that convenient?
To put it even more cynically, if you love someone but they don't love you back, will you still reunite? Or, conversely, if they love you but you dislike them, what happens? If you keep asking these questions, I feel like you'd get a wry smile and a reply like, "How would I know?"
I suspect these aren't serious reflections, but rather just polite formalities, convenient idioms, or perhaps vague wishes being expressed.

"They're watching over us from heaven."
We often hear this phrase.
At celebrity funerals, when asked for comments, they're reported to say things like, "They're laughing in heaven," and viewers accept these words without question.
I wonder, what kind of "heaven" do they believe in when they say this?

The word "heaven" sounds like a wonderful place, but what exactly is it like?
If we could go to such a happy place after death, dying wouldn't be scary; in fact, it would be a cheerful feeling. Suicide would even be encouraged with the idea that "if you're suffering now, it's better to go to heaven and have fun." But is that really okay?

As this question is raised, some might say, "No, I actually think that everything ceases to exist after death." But then why do we say things like "we'll watch over you in heaven" or "we'll meet again in the afterlife"?

If "the mind is merely a physical phenomenon created by the brain, and everything ceases to exist after death," then humanity wouldn't need memorial services or prayers for the deceased. So why do we so sincerely pray, "May you find peace," and "May you rest in peace"?

Especially when a close family member dies, we feel a genuine urge to pray.

Perhaps this is due to human emotion, a deep sense of humanity that cannot be explained by mere knowledge.

Is there an afterlife, or is there nothing?

If there is, is it heaven? Is it a place where we can reunite? What exactly is it like?

Buddhism teaches this as the "great matter of the afterlife," and its resolution is its sole purpose.

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Community where you can ask questions to Ryuta Kikutani
"Reiwa Gobou"
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Self-introduction
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I dropped out of Waseda University in 1988 to pursue a career as a Buddhist lecturer.
I obtained a Buddhist lecturer qualification from the Jodo Shinshu Shinran Association and began giving public lectures throughout Japan.
Since 2010, I have been writing an email newsletter, which has 12,000 readers and is one of the largest Buddhist email newsletters.
Since 2014, I have also been active in providing video lectures for online courses connecting people nationwide.

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