PRE-FINAL EXAM

Vestnik Rossijskogo universiteta družby narodov. Seriâ Filosofiâ, 2024

The study deals with some of the central issues concerning the notion of death as discussed in Theravāda (Pāli Buddhism) as well as Mahāyāna Buddhism. What is the sense that death is regarded as an instance of duḥkha (Sanskrit) or dukkha (Pāli)? The research claims that here, firstly, the word duḥkha/dukkha is used as an adjective (which means 'unsatisfactory') rather than a noun (which means 'pain' or 'suffering'). Secondly, by death, the Buddha did not mean the act of dying but the experience of someone's death or the idea of death. The Buddha also talked about deathlessness as the goal. Here, deathlessness does not amount to accepting something eternal but developing a proper perspective towards death by meditations such as that on impurity (аśubhabhāvanā) and contemplation on death (maraṇānussati). If the cessation of the cycle of rebirths and re-deaths (punarmṛtyu) is the ultimate goal that the arhat (Sanskrit), or arahant (Pāli), achieves, then the same should apply to Tathāgata. In that case, the problem suggests itself: how could the question of Tathāgata's existence after death be accounted for as an unanswerable (avyākṛta)? The study opines that the reason behind this is the profound, immeasurable, unfathomable nature attributed to Tathāgata. The research also discusses the basic difference between the attitudes on death in Śrāvakayāna and Mahāyāna. Lastly, it deals with the question of whether termination of one's own life is permissible in Buddhism under certain conditions.

Brill's Encyclopedia of Jainism, 2020

Most religions believe in the concept of soul or a spirit that resides in our bodies. It is also generally accepted that it is the soul that gives life to the body which it enters and then resides in. If the soul leaves the body, the person dies-in other words life is terminated. For this reason, life and soul are often considered synonymous. A few questions arise about these concepts. The questions consist of what happens to the soul as it leaves its previous body? Another question that comes up is when-at what instant does the soul leave a body? A further point-why does the soul leave the body of a person? Does it know that a body is old and weak and it is a good time to leave the body? In this limited sense, this idea appears to make sense. It is as if we are standing in a building engulfed by fire. We quickly try to run away from there to safety. But let us say the person is physically fit but either meets with a fatal accident or is fatally shot by a pistol or gun. As a result the person who was physically fit a little while earlier, dies instantaneously or a little while later. Does the soul understand the fatal nature of the accident or shooting and thus leaves the body? The question as to what happens to a soul as it leaves its previous abode is generally answered by the belief that it enters another body that has been conceived in its mother's womb. With this answer we say that the soul or any soul for that matter, is never without an abode-it always finds a new body to live in and be housed. This belief or answer also has some puzzles. Is the soul indivisible or an entity that can be divided? If indivisible, what happens when the human population keeps increasing? How do those human beings who are now born and have added to the increase of population, get their souls? This would necessitate the concept that new souls are being generated to accommodate the increasing number of human bodies. A possible answer to this puzzle can perhaps be understood if we understand a little better the nature of the soul. Originally the soul is considered as a spiritual entity that moves around like a river and meets many objects – human, non-human, non-living. Just as a mighty river flows, coming into contact with several obstacles without changing its predetermined path, so a free soul moves around. But it is also ordained to enjoy a material form and then it enters the body of a human (or non-human) being. As stated earlier, a soul resides in a body and when the body dies it finds another abode. The abode may be that of a human being, a plant, fish, animal or bird or any other living entity. In this essay I shall confine myself to a soul of only human beings. During the life time of an individual, if the person behaves well or does not resort to any evil activity, the soul will find another human being to reside after the first person dies. This can continue indefinitely. However as per the Vedic philosophy/ Srimad Bhagwatam, the soul or this living entity would like to free itself from the material world and to become free of bondage of any living being – human or non-human. It wants the process of transmigration to cease.

The title of this dissertation is Birth and Death View in Saṃyuktāgama Sūtra, which would include the following three subjects: the view on the birth (jāti) and death (marana) phenomenon, the problems after death, and how to confront birth and death. These subjects are arranged as followed: the second chapter is about the dependent arising mechanism of birth and death continuity (pravratti), which illustrates the idea and the angle about birth and death phenomenon in Saṃyuktāgama Sūtra, as well as the reason to observe birth and death phenomenon from this angle. The third chapter is about birth and death view in Middle Way from the perspective of different situations after death, which illustrates the idea about after-death situation in Saṃyuktāgama Sūtra, the expression about birth and death view. Based on the second chapter and the third chapter, which included some entering points and observation about birth and death and life, and how to treat birth and death (jātimarana) in scriptures, then the fourth chapter and the fifth chapter respectively illustrated Buddha dharma cultivation under mundane and super mundane two systems to face birth and death. Modern theory about birth and death as a social thought trend makes people change from fear of death to reconsideration about death. This dissertation tries to enumerate views and practice abut birth and death in Saṃyuktāgama Sūtra, with the aim to provide another view and solution to face death in modern birth and death theory.

Religions, 2017

This article is a reflection on a conception of death, that of karma and rebirth, and its value in interpreting one's life. I have thought about this conception in two ways. The first is that I can see the circumstances of my life as the result of causes of which I was the agent, and the second is that I can see my life and the relationships in my life as part of a much larger narrative that began before this life. Through an examination of Vaishnava and Advaita theology, Nyāya philosophy, and some Puranic and Epic texts, I argue for an interpretation of karma and rebirth as a rational system that allows one to see relationships as involving many layers of complexity.

East African Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 2021

The analysis and discussion concerning death as intended by the Researcher depicts that death is an irreversible condition or state encountered by beings (all living creatures), due to a total dysfunction of the body organs. Such an irreversible condition is an enemy of human beings, which supersedes humanity, causing unexpected changes in life. It came as a punishment of abusing the supernatural power and finally it became a fact of not living forever. By the use of different literatures, Interviews and Documents, the research explored diverse concerns of death and drew its conclusion. Some of those concerns are "how is death detected? What are the causatives of death? Does death have its remedy? Where are dead people? Why do we bury the dead? And what is next after death?" The findings reveal that Doctors prove death by assessing and measuring the vital signs such as Blood Pressure, Pulse Rate, Respiratory Rate and Body Temperature. Moreover, the causatives of death include chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, ischemia, stroke, dehydration, infections and pain as well as old age. Those who encounter death are laid in the graves because God commanded it to be so and they produce unpleasant smell and stink. The remedy of it depends on the supernatural power that is believed to have ability of restoring the lost lives at consummation. That's why Christians believe that on the second coming of Jesus Christ, all the dead shall rise. Hence, human beings have to be kin enough in lifetime, so that they may prolong a bit their lifespan through observance of health principles and guidelines.

IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science

From ancient times, death is the mysterious problem that surrounds all human beings. In Buddhist teaching, death can be defeated by facing and understanding it as the characteristics of five aggregates not own self and also stop the attachment with the practice through the eightfold path. This thesis study proposes the concept of death before death by Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu as a way to practice for achieving the extinction of all defilements and suffering in this life here and now. This concept is known as the death of attachment to the self-idea of I and mine.