At all times, people have been searching for the answer about what awaits them after death: is there heaven and hell, is there a soul, are we dying completely or can we be reborn? Currently, there are 4 main religions on Earth : Christianity (Catholic and Orthodox), Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, and hundreds of religious movements, as well as many small and large sects. And each promises the righteous life in paradise, and sinners inexpressible hellish torment.
What does Christian look like
According to Christian canons, the afterlife is divided into two stages: until the second coming of Jesus, souls are in paradise and hell, each according to its earthly deeds. And after the coming, the sinners will remain in their former place, and the righteous will return from heaven to the changed and blessed Earth. In both Orthodox and Catholic books, paradise is described sparingly enough. The most complete picture can be found in “The Revelations of St. John the Evangelist”, which tells about a city of pure gold and precious stones, the streets of which are “saved nations”, and where there is never a night. Almost nothing is said about what the human soul will do, but the line from the Bible: “... for in the resurrection they neither marry nor get married”, suggests the impossibility of any sexual relations in the afterlife.
What does a Muslim paradise look like?
In Islam, a blissful posthumous existence is provided for all righteous men and women. According to Muslims, the faithful after death will end up in a wonderful oasis, with rivers full of milk and honey, green gardens and pure innocent huries. And besides, all believers will again be united with their loved ones: wives with husbands, parents with children.
What does the Hebrew paradise look like?
In Judaism, very little is said about paradise: there is such a thing as Eden, in which righteous souls await their return to Earth, where they will gain eternal life. Sinners are waiting for nothingness.
What does the Buddhists look like paradise
Buddhism differs sharply from other world religions in that it does not define “good” and “bad” actions. This belief teaches us to understand the connection between cause and effect, when a person is his own judge, and future rebirth will depend only on the awareness of his present life. Therefore, Buddhists do not have heaven and hell, and eternal existence is represented as an endless chain of reincarnations. There is such a thing as “nirvana”, but this is not a place, but rather a state of mind.
Paradise in mythology
Ancient peoples also had a different view of existence after death:
- among the Slavs: Avian and Serpent Irius (respectively - heaven and hell). Every autumn birds fly to Avian Iri; from there they bring the souls of newborns;
- among the Scandinavians: the glorious Valhalla, where the souls of warriors fall and where the endless feast goes;
- among the ancient Greeks they meant only torment for sinners, for all the others - an incorporeal silent existence in the fields of sorrow.
Undoubtedly, the descriptions of paradise in many religions overlap; there are only small differences in the details. But everyone must answer the question "is there a paradise in reality" himself - this knowledge cannot be obtained scientifically, you can only believe or not believe.