YinvsYang

Have you ever thought so much about life after death that you got to the point of internally debating whether or not to kill an annoying insect?  I mean, really thought about if it is wrong, or whether Karma, or God, or whatever will haunt you because of this action?  You want to do it, but you feel guilty.

Well, right in my garage, I have a fly that is annoying the hell out of me as I write.  I desperately want to smash it against the wall, but I just feel like taking any life is not right.  I mean it is only an insect.  It does not know any better.  Why should I be the judge of whether it lives or dies?

Just as I am contemplating whether or not I am a better person for this, my cat pounces out of mid air right on the fly and eats it.  The look on his face is definitely not about whether it was right or wrong.  He just followed his instincts and now that it is over with, he is ready to move on.

At least I will have good company in Hell, I thought.

Growing up in a Roman Catholic household, I was well versed in the concept of life after death.  When I was little, I was taught my actions in life would determine if Heaven or Hell would be my final destination.  I was preached all of this in Catholic school as if it was coming straight from the Creator himself.  It was a rather simple concept:  Live a good life and you are in, live a bad life and you burn.

As I got older, my thirst for knowledge grew.  I had a voracious appetite for movies from all over the world.  These films allowed me to digest unique perspectives from foreign places with very different viewpoints than typical Hollywood movies.  I was introduced to many, many different ways of thinking and it really peeked my curiosity.  I began to surf the web as the internet popped up and read all sorts of history books & classic Renaissance novels in search of truth.

The more I learned, the more I strayed from the fear based teachings I absorbed as a youth.  I realized the entire world has various views on life after death, and proving any of them wrong or right is impossible.  There is not one accepted concept because no one really knows anything for sure.  It is simply all about what you believe.

I find it remarkable how some people live their life solely for this belief, and how some people could care less one way or the other.  This simple difference in thinking has been the cause of countless deaths and atrocities.  I wonder, is either way necessarily a better way to live than the alternative?  Is it important to worry about what happens when you die?

I believe, just like me, society has begun to reject fear based concepts as our collective intelligence has grown through increased communication.  It’s funny, because after a long journey, I have come almost full circle.  I believe all of the ideals I was taught in my upbringing are vital to living a good life NOW, not after I die.  I also am amazed as I look back, just how much of my life has been spent preparing for death.  It is quite remarkable when you think about it.

The great thing about the internet is it allows us to hear a myriad of wonderfully diverse views from around the world.  I believe there are positive aspects in all of our beliefs. I am dying (no pun intended) to hear what you think.  What are your thoughts?

Does your belief (or not) in the afterlife affect your day to day life?

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