Thanks so much for all your responses yesterday. Truly... this, for me, is what blogging is all about. Culling wisdom. But then, you all know I feel that way about it.
On a somewhat easier note, how about a more general question? Do with it as you will. Talk as much or as little as you like. Theology is fine if it is part of your reasoning. Or don't give a reason. Just answer the question. :)
Would you rather be reincarnated or go to heaven? Why?
For me, I would rather go to heaven. I don't seem to be a good match for the material plane. It is all like some kind of baffling mystery that often leaves me feeling kind of hollow. I like the idea of being "done" and being able to move on to something else, perhaps another plane of existence with different lessons.
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Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Would you rather go to heaven or be reincarnated....
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28 comments:
My answer won't surprise you much, but I welcome the blessing of this world. No matter what happens or has happened in my life, it's all worth it to be here in this amazing place.
People say, "how do you know?" and all I can say is, I just know.
The way my husbands church describes heaven sounds like I'd get tired of it eventually. I like the idea that when I die, my minerals and deposits feed the earth which feeds other living things. I like the idea that my soul gets reborn. Wether in this plane or another, hopefully in a more advanced realm of sorts. I like being challenged in life. Maybe because I'm too stubborn to give up, or let it best me.
Since I believe in reincarnation, I assume that I will continue to be recycled until I reach enlightenment, and then I will become a bodhisattva who returns out of choice to help others.
Besides, I have never heard a single concept of heaven that didn't sound numbingly dull.
I love this plane of existence. I have been given many blessings, and believe that the rich and varied beauty of this earth is a precious place to perfect my soul.
I would love to experience a little weightlessness and telepathy from time to time, though.
Claudia, I think that's awesome.. and I'm so glad you feel that way. :)
It is a geographically beautiful planet, isn't it?
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Reflecting, the standard definition of heaven would bore even someone like me, I'm sure. I like to think of it as a place (in my fantasies, since I don't believe in a literal heaven) where the lessons are a bit gentler, where the way of life is a bit calmer..
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Susan, my actual beliefs are the same as yours.. but I like to fantasize about a place where is all is peaceful and good. :)
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Peace,
~Chani
Heaven. For sure.
I've seen too many people that I love suffer from illness and broken hearts and other people's poor decisions.
I look forward to loving and being loved, wholly. Forgivness and understanding attained. Grace embodied. Truth embraced.
That's a tough one.
I don't know that I would want to be reincarnated. I like the thought of being done, when I'm done.
On the other hand, I don't really believe in Heaven as a place. To me, it's the state of mind that you are in when you pass. If you have lived your life to the fullest, and you have made peace with all of your relationships and decisions when you take the last breath, that's heaven, to me. So I guess that's where I strive to be.
I would choose Heaven. I'm tired.
I want to come back, this time around kind of sucked, I am not done yet
Chani,
I'm assuming by heaven you mean a heavenly realm as opposed to the human realm. And by reincarnated you mean reborn in the human realm.
Like you, I find life here baffling. And fitting doesn't come naturally. I've always been an outside-looking-in sort of person.
Yet, I'd rather not make a choice. I figure if I just live the best I can, whatever happens next will be a result of that living. I keep trying to do better. And that's the best I can do.
I'm not sure that there is a difference. I believe that we came here of our own free will and that we will choose again when the time comes. This must have looked like heaven at the time it was chosen.
I want to be reincarnated. Especially if I can take the lessons I learned in this life with me to the next life. ;)
Snoskred
www.snoskred.org
I can't answer unless i know what heaven would be like.
If it's like in that movie "Defending Your Life" where you can eat all you want and never gain weight, i might consider it.
What a great question! Far more interesting than, "do you believe in heaven (or reincarnation)."
I'd rather be reincarnated. I think I am somewhat afraid of running out of time before having a chance to do all that I want to do. I was raised Christian, and heaven never appealed to me much. I mean, it appeals in comparison to the alternative, but the mental image I have of the place is booooriiiiinnng!! I mean, all of the fun stuff is a sin, and there's no sin in heaven, right?
And as much as I'm worried about running out of time in this life, what on earth (or in heaven, I guess) would I do FOREVER? That's a long time to be good (and bored).
Now, setting aside the ideas about heaven that I have because of my experience with church and preferring my own -- life the way it was meant to be -- I'd take that, I guess rather than living another life with all the "evils" of this world.
That is quite a heavy question for someone who is just now de-lurking to post a comment on your blog ;)
I'd want to go to heaven. I sort of believe that I chose to come here in the first place and, well, maybe I'd return again, but I'd like to hang out in heaven for a long time first.
Well...I'm still struggling with my theistic beliefs, but I don't think I believe in heaven and hell as literal places, much less that "good" (Christian) people go to heaven and "bad" (everyone else) people go to hell. I think morality and virtue are far too complicated to be quantified in such a pat, simplistic manner.
That said...there is far too much in this world to see, do, and experience in one lifetime. And, I find the prospect of simply...not existing, incredibly frightening. So reincarnation really appeals to me.
Such a good question. For me it's simple. If I truly had the choice I want to be where ever my Grandparents are. If it's not an option I guess I would just choose heaven.
(I just read yesterday's post and I have to say, I understood your reaction completely. I recently snapped at someone, and this is rare for me.)
Since I don't believe in either, I'd have to say I'll only go to heaven if they have chocolate ice cream there.
Re: commenters on last post. Chani, it is so odd to me that you get nasty comments from people. To me, you seem like the most open and accepting person on earth.
Emily..
I look forward to loving and being loved, wholly. Forgivness and understanding attained. Grace embodied. Truth embraced.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could create that here? :)
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Janet, that is a very interesting thought. I will have to spend some time with it.
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De, I agree. I'm tired, too. Not depressed. Not hopeless. Not despairing. Just tired. I'm a fairly new soul so my lessons have been plenty.. and some of them rather brutal. It's nice to fantasize about a "heaven". :)
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Flutter, I know we need to come back to attain enlightenment but I also think some of our incarnations suck.
But.. as you say.. you're not done yet. You could find a "thailand" in your life, too. :)
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Paul, it's nice to know someone else finds this plane of existence baffling. Some of us might come that way for a reason. One day... we'll know what that reason is.
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Sister, do you think it's possible that we choose it because we know we have a lesson to learn that can only be learned here?
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Snos, theoretically, we do carry our lessons.
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Meno, I really liked that movie! A lot! :)
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Lex, "life the way it was meant to be".. brilliantly stated! I think that's what most of us really want. Joseph Campbell talks about that. We're not looking so much for the meaning of life as we are the experience of being alive.
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Rima, things are kind of typically this way around here. It's so interesting to read all of your answers, even when we disagree.
I agree that we need a lot of healing time in a heaven-like setting before coming back here again. Yikes!
Thanks for coming by. :)
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BA, reincarnation is the only thing that makes sense to me logically. Everything else in nature recycles. Why wouldn't we? We're part of the natural world, too.
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MsPea, it largely depends then on where you believe your grandparents are. :)
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Emily, thank you for such a kind statement. As far as being accepting, it's the only option. If others can't choose.. then logically, I don't get to choose either. :)
As for the nasty comments, I think a lot of people feel really defensive if someone attacks (perceived) something important to them.. such as their culture. I am trying very hard to not be that way about mine.. to understand that while it works great for me, it might not work so well for others.
As long as we all remember that, dialogue becomes far more enlightening.
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Peace all,
I might not be back for a few days. I've come down with a nasty cold!
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~Chani
Tough question for me... I am not sure because I don't really think that such a thing as Heaven exists. If it does, what I picture it to be doesn't sound like much fun... So I'd probably pick to be reincarnated...
heaven.
I don't suppose that either is a real option, but I'll choose heaven if I can.
Reincarnation. Because heaven, even as a concept, doesn't make sense to me.
If heaven is as good as they say it is, then i suppose i'd choose that.
Heaven sounds so tempting....but like Heart, I'd be afraid it might turn out to be mind-numbingly dull. All that angelic singing. I'd want Moody Blues or Janis.....On the other hand, if They send me back we'd have to negotiate. Not having access to all the lessons I've learned in the School of Hard Knocks this time around would be a deal breaker. Maybe they'll solve the dilemma for me and send me where its very warm!
I missed this when you posted it, but I have to say that neither choice sounds ideal. Unless -- here's an idea -- I could be reincarnated as myself and live my life over and over again, not with a knowledge of my prior selves, but letting me unwind my life in a variety of different paths without being aware of it.
Well, based on my studies of religions that believe in reincarnation, the whole POINT of reincarnation is to ultimately get to heaven, so both choices are really the same choice.
I would love to find myself wrapped in God and feel that the test was over, I was safe, and loved. I guess I could feel that today, now, if my eyes were focused. But, since they are so very hard to focus, I vote for Heaven.
I just read the comments and wanted to chime in again (even though I'm last and no one will ever read this, *sigh*).
If God exists, then he would be definition be better, more healthy, more wise, more beautiful, more enjoyable, etc etc than anything we have ever dreamed of or experienced. If he exists, then He is the Creator, and he could not be less than anything we are. If we can be patient, he can be more so. If we can feel joy, then he is more than joy.
Since Heaven, if it exists - either as a state of mind or a place - is where God or god or whatever there ends up being us fully realized, then the same rules apply. It could not possibly be boring or dull. Any good thing that we have known or done or thought or experienced can not supersede the reality of the one who made it.
Does this make sense? I'm using words that come from my own worldview, but there is no religion on earth that would not have to agree with the root point.
Maybe I should blog about this...
Well, I did it - instead of just posting a long comment, I also posted my own long post. :) I'd love to hear what you think - I almost sent it to you first as a test case, because I had to speak so generally to fit it into a blog, not a book, and that always leaves you open for misunderstanding...sigh...i do hate misunderstandings...
catherine
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