Ultimate Journey: Death and Dying in the World’s Major Religions

208 Pages·2008·0.99 MB·English

by  Steven J. Rosen

ULTIMATE
JOURNEY
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ULTIMATE
JOURNEY
Death and Dying in
the World’s Major
Religions
EDITED BY STEVEN J. ROSEN
Library of CongressCataloging-in-Publication Data
Ultimatejourney:deathanddyingintheworld’smajorreligions/editedbyStevenJ.
Rosen.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographicalreferences and index.
ISBN 978-0-313-35608-7(alk. paper)
1. Death—Religious aspects. I.Rosen, Steven, 1955–
BL504.U48 2008
2020.3—dc22 2008023719
British Library CataloguinginPublication Dataisavailable.
Copyright (cid:2)C 2008byStevenJ.Rosen
Allrights reserved. Noportionof thisbookmay be
reproduced, byany processortechnique, without the
express writtenconsent of thepublisher.
Library of CongressCatalogCard Number:2008023719
ISBN: 978-0-313-35608-7
Firstpublished in 2008
Praeger Publishers, 88PostRoadWest, Westport, CT 06881
An imprint ofGreenwood Publishing Group,Inc.
www.praeger.com
Printed inthe United States of America
Thepaper usedinthisbookcomplies with the
Permanent PaperStandard issuedbythe National
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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Introduction vii
StevenJ.Rosen
1 Judaism:TheJourneyoftheSoul 1
RabbiArthurSeltzer
2 PreparationforEternalLife:Christian
TeachingsonDeathandDying 21
FrancisV.Tiso
3 DeathandDyinginIslam 59
HussamS.Timani
4 AwakeningtoMortality:BuddhistViews
ofDeathandDying 83
JohnM.Thompson
5 HinduModelsofEnlightenedDeath 115
PeterMedley
vi Contents
Conclusion:AShepherdintheTrenches—One
Chaplain’sWorkwiththeDying 155
DavidCarter
Index 187
AbouttheEditorandtheContributors 195
Introduction
Steven J. Rosen
Whatcan weknowofdeath,
We,whocannotunderstand life?
—Gates of Prayer,Jewish prayer book
We all know that death awaits us. Yet we tend to avoid the subject as if
our lives depend on it.
We don’t live as if we know we’re going to die. Instead, we try to cam-
ouflage the oncoming train of death with material possessions, reputation,
popularity, and the pleasures of the senses. We sometimes conceal this
truth consciously, though most of the time it is quite unconscious.
Perhaps we avoid the subject because we think it somewhat morbid.
True, there are people who contemplate death to an excessive degree,
making it an obsession and letting it get in the way of life.
But it doesn’t have to go there. Rather, a natural curiosity about the
nature of life and its inevitable demise can be healthy. After all, death is
one of the few certainties we have. And knowing what to expect, what
various deep thinkers have had to say about it, and what the great reli-
gions of the world tell us is in store for us—all of this can be edifying,
preparing us for the unavoidable journey that each of us must take.
It’s not that we have to believe every proclamation that well-meaning
thinkers, scriptures, or theologians have made on this subject. But it
behooves us to listen with an open mind, for these are resources that
claim the secrets of life and death as their main concern; they have deeply
viii Introduction
contemplated life’s ultimate journey, and we can benefit from their
insights.
WHAT IS DEATH?
Untilrelativelyrecently,peopleweredeclareddeadwhentheirheartbeat
and breathing came to an end. But with emerging techniques, such as CPR
and prompt defibrillation, we have entered a new era, for now a person’s
breathing and heartbeat can often be restarted. Similarly, life can some-
times be sustained with a series of life support devices, organ transplants,
and artificial pacemakers. Thus, when heartbeat and breathing stop, we
refertoitas‘‘clinicaldeath.’’Itisnotconsideredtheultimateendoflife.
Today, experts usually use the terms ‘‘brain death’’ or ‘‘biological
death’’ when indicating the absolute end of life processes: People are con-
sidered dead when the electrical activity in the brain comes to an end.
This cessation of brain activity, says modern science, indicates the end of
consciousness as we know it. For this to be true, however, suspension of
consciousness must be permanent and not temporary, as when one is
asleep or in a coma. If it is permanent, it is called death.
But isn’t there more to death than this? Or, to state it more directly:
Isn’t there more to life? Clearly, we’re not just machines that begin to mal-
function and ultimately succumb to planned obsolescence. Life is more
than that, isn’t it? And while we’re on the subject, what is life? In fact,
wouldn’t knowledge of what life really is be prerequisite for a true under-
standing of death? Indeed, the body is just a machine, but life is not. We
all sense it. Life goes beyond the technical apparatus of our external shell
(bodilyexistence). Itisknownby thepresence ofconsciousness.
Science often talks about the electrical processes of the brain and
attempts to equate these processes with consciousness. The usual claim is
that consciousness is an emergent property of complex bioelectrical activ-
ity in the brain, but solid evidence for this is not to be found. No scien-
tists can tell us exactly what electrical process results in consciousness.
And yet consciousness exists. We love, hate, desire, feel and want, quite
unlike other substances that are products of electrons or electromagnetic
fields. The point is this: Mere objects, such as electrons, do not feel any-
thing at all; objects are not self-aware, and yet such awareness is the hall-
mark sign of a conscious entity. Thus, electrical impulses, in the brain or
anywhere else, do not cause consciousness.
Rather, an alternate model must be put forward regarding the nature
of the self. Religions throughout the world refer to this as the soul, a
nonmaterial entity the likes of which cannot be explained by common
materialistic definitions. And this would fit: Consciousness is the symp-
tom of that which is referred to as the actual self. Call it what you will—
atman, ruach, nephesh, anima, spirit. What’s being referred to is the same
Introduction ix
life force, that indefinable something that separates a living being from in-
animate objects.
The obvious existence of this ‘‘spiritual element’’ is the only premise of
this book. With that as a given, this work will offer much perennial wis-
dom and food for thought.
THE ULTIMATE JOURNEY
The essays in this book were written by experts in their respective
fields, people who have studied the subject of death from a particular
vantage point and who want to share their wisdom and knowledge for
the benefit of those who want to know. They offer traditional points of
view as well as the insights of mystics. Consider their words deeply, for
their research offers detail, clarity, and, in many ways, solace. Accept
what makes sense to you, and discard the rest. In the end—whatever you
accept or don’t accept—you’ll become privy to age-old wisdom, the
cumulative knowledge of generations of seekers and prophets.
Interestingly, the world’s many religious traditions, as outlined here,
share certain key points in common—one notices an overarching unity in
the midst of superficial differences. Along these lines, it is important to
remember that Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, the
religionsaddressedinthisbook,cameofageindifferentregions,withtheir
ownlanguages,customs,rituals,andsoon.Inotherwords,theywereborn
and developed in culturally specific circumstances, giving rise to variations
innomenclature, methodsofcommunication,conceptionsoftime,biologi-
caldetail,environmentallandscape,andsoon.Thus,theexactterminology
of where one goes after death, how one journeys to the next destination,
howlongittakestogetthere,andthenamesandappearancesofsupernat-
ural beings associated with the dying process—all of these will vary. And
yet the essential information is the same: The soul journeys to various
lands—metaphysical lands, perhaps—after death, with the help of super-
natural entities; ultimately, the soul is on its way to a supreme destination,
which may take many lives, and it goes through numerous tests and trials,
whichenhanceitscharacter,renderingitreadytomeetitsMaker.
But the book you now hold in your hands is not just about the dissem-
ination of information and age-old wisdom. Chaplain David Carter offers
us concluding words of a practical nature. He ministers to the dying on a
daily basis, and he brings to this book a sort of ‘‘hands on’’ dimension.
He shows how a spiritual approach to death, whatever one’s particular
orientation—religious or not—has incalculable value, making the transi-
tion smoother, easier, even blissful. Thus, the ultimate journey need not
be disorienting, painful, confusing, or sad. Rather, through time-tested
procedures and a certain adjustment in one’s consciousness, death and
dying can be filled with dignity, grace, and a sense of happiness.