Buddhist Views on Death

Question 1

What was the drastic difference between Hinduism and Buddhism in Death & the Afterlife?

Answer 1

In Hinduism, the self or atman is an eternal, immortal, unchanging entity synonymous with consciousness itself. It continues unchanged through apparent lifetimes of an individual.

In Buddhism, the self is a compounded entity made of five aggregates.

Question 2

What do Buddhist claim about Hinduism?

Answer 2

1. The hierarchy of the caste system should be rejected
2. Asceticism should be avoided and the Middle Way should be adopted
3. Hindu pantheism was recognized, but with no bearing on human enlightenment

Question 3

What are the 3 evils/poisons?

Answer 3

1. Desire
2. Hatred
3. Ignorance

Question 4

What is Dukkha?

Answer 4

It is the suffering based on attachment of three evils

Question 5

What is the Tibetan Sand Mandala and what does it represent?

Answer 5

A Tibetan sand mandala is wiped away art to represent the impermeance of all things

Question 6

What is the Buddhist Notion of the Self?

Answer 6

The notion of a personal, eternal, permanent self is actually an illusion
IT DOES NOT EXIST

Question 7

What is Anatta vs. Anatman?

Answer 7

Anatta is the theory of no-self
Anatman is no-self

Question 8

What is Nirvana?

Answer 8

Achieve enlightenment by recognizing suffering is inevitable, and accepting you do not exist
- liberation from the cycle of samsara (suffering)
- nirvana represents the extinguishing of desire, hatred, and ignorance

Question 9

What are the 5 Skandhas?

Answer 9

1. Form
2. Feeling
3. Character Traits
4. Cognition
5. Consciousness

Question 10

What is reincarnated according to Buddhism?

Answer 10

No Self
- your karmic energy is being reincarnated because we cling to it

Question 11

What are Buddhist death rituals?

Answer 11

TIBETAN SKY BURIALS
- after someone dies, this funeral practice consists of leaving the dead body of a loved one out to be eaten by vultures.
- the body is left in the natural elements to decompose and be taken back to nature

There is two reasons for this practice:
1. The body is seen as an empty vessel that does not contain an essence or soul, so there is no need to preserve the body after death
2. The body is simply a passing state of karmic energy that has come to an end and can help sustain other life.