ghosts = YES / after-life = NO

[hope rainbow]

A lot of people are ready to believe in ghosts, but not in after-life... (or at least they DO NOT care - when it concerns them directly)
How to explain that?

A lot of people are ready to believe in black magic, but not in the power of prayers...  (or at least they DO NOT practice any - when it concerns them directly)
How to explain that?

I am asking...
Why do you think? Why?

[lotus1]

I would think that a lot of people do not fully understand the law of karma that there are previous and future lives.

For them, there is only one life, i.e. the current life. So, they would believe in ghosts that is another beings that they might see in this life, but not in after-life. So, they would not think that they might be ghost in their future lives and think that it concerns them directly. This will also lead them just pursue and enjoy the pleasure of this life and not working towards the ultimate happiness of their future lives.

[Q]

I suppose it is difficult for some people to comprehend things that they do not understand or have some sort of direct experience towards it. For ghosts, it is quite common for many of us to at least have an encounter or heard about it from friends and family, people that we trust.

The same for black magic, may of us actually have heard of stories where black magic was done upon someone we know.

Well, for the after life however, you don't really get a clear cut example... after all, how many people can remember their past lives? And those that can are either too humble to even tell others or some just hush themselves in fear they are labeled as 'insane'... well at least that's what I believe.

Guess it's people's choice to remain ignorant as always, and do not wish to widen their perspective that there is life after death... perhaps it is too fearful to know you'll just have to go through with samsara all over again

[fruven]

Many believes ghost and spirit are not related to human, they exist separate it. I think the same apply for when these people view animals as separate from human. Once a human die one doesn't become spirit, animals, or some other existence, not related with 'me'. As for after-life when death comes, people probably has the idea that it means non-existence, you couldn't do anything about it. Even if there is after-life so to speak it off, it could be another form of existence, non-related with spirit, or animals whatsoever.

The idea of next life is not mainstream. It is not in the mass consciousness. It is not part of parcel, not counted, in our every day living. Why? Perhaps most of us are brought up to think only of study and work, concern of yourselves. And the education system doesn't talk about next life, being spiritual, what to do investing in your future lives.

[bambi]

I agree with fruven. I have experiences with people who knows Dharma yet they do not care about life after death nor the animals that they eat. They actually think that it has nothing to do with the same existence. They dont even believe in hell although you hear it in so many religion. To them, its about what ever happens, they deal with it later. People choose what they want to believe and not what others tell them. Of course, not having the merits to understand and not wanting to understand karma. Too much work to do so for some.

[Midakpa]

Practising Buddhists definitely believe in the after-life. Non-believers are either non-Buddhists or non practitioners who have not learned the Dharma and are steeped in ignorance. Many, however, although they accept the possibility of an unfortunate rebirth, do not engage in spiritual practice because they feel that it really doesn't matter since they won't remember their past life anyway. Some do not think seriously about future lives as they are too busy with matters of this life. Some are in complete denial, believing that since they have not harmed anyone in this life, they would probably be all right in future lives. Some think that since they are human in this life, they will be reborn human in the next life. Thus, it is very necessary to educate these types of people in the Buddhist doctrine so that they will be able to practise and prepare for better future lives.

[RedLantern]

All throughout the world in every culture people come up with theories related to ghost or other spirits that remain here on earth after death.There are many reasons for people want to believe that there is life after death,inexplicable environmental factors cause people to blame"spirits" because they don't know the true cause,and of course,people are afraid of the dark and what could loom there.Perhaps someday people won't be so quick to look at things that they can't explain to ghost,and they will simply say"  I don't know how that happened" But people don't like not knowing things,so it isn't so very likely to happen soon.

[Tammy]

Why do we even bother to explain to non-believers of ghosts and after-life? Everybody is entitle to their own opinion. Buddhists' view on ghosts and after-life is different from that of Christianity, does this mean that we are RIGHT and they are WRONG? It is all about different points of view.

[Rihanna]

Ghosts and after-life - both are intangible, we can't see, feel or touch them, same as air that we breath, flavour that smell and taste. Yet people believe them but not ghosts and after-life.

There are countless literature about Near-Death-Experience (NDE) and close encounter with ghosts that non-believers could read up and then make their own conclusion. Also, if there is negative energy, definitely there must be positive energy too, right? So why shouldn't then prayers bear positive results when back magic/negative energy causes harm?

[hope rainbow]

I think that we choose a path that is most convenient for us (or at least we think so).

Thus, even when people DO believe with conviction in ghosts and black magic, it is easy for them to deluded themselves about it by surrounding themselves with people that either choose not to care (recklessly-defiantly) or simply do not believe.

Then enters into motion a very basic human behavior: IF I AM NOT ALONE I'LL BE FINE.

Humans can engage in all sorts of TERRIBLE things that THEY KNOW are WRONG, but because they are in a "GROUP", they just go along with it as if a warning light got dis-engaged...
Examples: deporting Jews to death camps during World War 2, taking part of a gang-raping, abusing and killing animals for food even!

[Rihanna]

Ghosts and after-life - both are intangible, we can't see, feel or touch them, same as air that we breath, flavour that smell and taste. Yet people believe them but not ghosts and after-life.

There are countless literature about Near-Death-Experience (NDE) and close encounter with ghosts that non-believers could read up and then make their own conclusion. Also, if there is negative energy, definitely there must be positive energy too, right? So why shouldn't then prayers bear positive results when back magic/negative energy causes harm?

A lot of people that I know do think that they will actually be born as human again in their future lives. This lead to me thinking that they ignorantly believe that they will not be having the ‘karma’ to be reborn as spirits or animal but only becoming back as human in their future lives. I feel they are just being fixed in their projections and they do not even bother to think further that their actions determine their future. Same goes to prayers, they only believe in the power of black magic but not the power of prayers so they do not pray but they will be very frightened upon knowing someone close to them is suffering from black magic attack. Sigh.

I think they are just being selfish and ignorant, possibly out of the lack of dharma knowledge . They do not know or believe in some cases that bad karma will ripen upon them one day. Probably they will only do the prayers or cultivate a good attitude once they know and understand about Karma that can ripen on them anytime without warning.

[yontenjamyang]

Irrationality! That is basically the reason why many people will readiness accept the existence of ghost but not after life. I am where do ghost comes from? We can readily accept the existence of the ghost of such and such and something happen to that person and that person became a ghost. If that is the case, where do people who after death do not become a ghost goes to? Technically, that is what we define as after life.

The irrationality becomes self-deception, because if we accept ghost, then we must accept after-life. If we accept after life then we must ask who or what decides where one goes after death? Then it must leads to religion. One may accept God at the very least or if not then accept karma as the most logical reasoning. That is the foundation of the understanding of Buddhism.

[Rinchen]

Many do believe in ghosts because it is something that they are able to relate to. Meaning to say that there are stories all around saying that there are ghosts around living with us on this planet. There are even documentaries to show this. It is mystical yet it sound logical for things that are not being explained by science.

Most people do not believe in afterlife because what is usually taught to us is that there are only two possibilities after we die.
1. To go to heaven where God would be there.
2. We will go to hell for the sins we committed.
There are very few documentaries about past lives that people can recall. And usually people that do recall their past lives would be children between the age of when they can speak to age 8. Usually what the "adults" would do, is that to say that what the children have said is all part of their imagination. And very seldom we will be able to hear a story like this without judging them saying that they are just coming up with stories to get attention.

As for magic, it is shown in many platforms, from movies and dramas to real life stories and games. Hence, it is easier for people to believe in that as there are also rumors about some countries practicing magic.

Usually people d not believe the power of prayer because they do not know that what has happened is actually from the power of their prayers. They will think that it is actually miracles that has happened to them. Reason being that the signs for the power of prayers is usually not very clear and obvious enough for superficial people like us to notice.

[Tenzin Malgyur]

In my opinion, many people believe that ghosts exist from the many stories that were told to them by their elders. I have heard of many ghost stories from the older generations of my family too, some of their own experiences and many more of which that happened to someone they knew. There are also no shortage of ghost movies on the television to send a chill up one's spine. And so much have been written in words too that a book store have the horror section dedicated to books on ghost/spirits.
Most people believe that their spirit will go somewhere after they pass on, to the heaven if they have been good and to hell if they had been a criminal or murderer. It is so sad to know that most people are only concerned about this life only and have the thinking that they would be going to a heaven if they did not commit any murder or "heavy" crime.

[ilikeshugden]

I think that the reason people believe in ghosts but not the afterlife is due to their upbringing. Usually, ghosts are taught as people who did not die a peaceful death. Thus, as long as the person does die a peaceful death, they are submitted into heaven (If they propitiate a certain deity) or hell (If they don't).

So, as long as they believe in a God, they do not fear an afterlife as they believe that their afterlife will be in heaven and have nothing to worry about..