Philip José Farmer in his Riverworld series (1971) created perhaps the best science fiction depiction of a "man" made hell created with advanced technology that ensures immortality and sustenance but allows suffering. While it is never meant to be hell it quickly becomes hellish because the good and evil are both repeatedly resurrected. Immortal and immoral Dictators end up running many areas. It may be called a humanist model of hell. Yet the author car ...

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Hell, Hell - Origins, Hell - Religious accounts, Hell - Rabbinic Judaism, Hell - Ancient Greek religion, Hell - Christianity, Hell - Islam, Hell - Chinese and Japanese religions, Hell - Hinduism, Hell - Buddhism, Hell - Bahá'í Faith, Hell - Taoism, Hell - Hell in Literature, Hell - Hell in entertainment and other popular culture, Hell - Non-religious context, Hell - Euphemistic ways of saying hell, Hell - Language edits, Hell - Places named Hell

Read more here: » Hell: Encyclopedia II - Hell - Hell in entertainment and other popular culture

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Hell, Hell - Origins, Hell - Religious accounts, Hell - Rabbinic Judaism, Hell - Ancient Greek religion, Hell - Christianity, Hell - Islam, Hell - Chinese and Japanese religions, Hell - Hinduism, Hell - Buddhism, Hell - Bahá'í Faith, Hell - Taoism, Hell - Hell in Literature, Hell - Hell in entertainment and other popular culture, Hell - Non-religious context, Hell - Euphemistic ways of saying hell, Hell - Language edits, Hell - Places named Hell

Read more here: » Hell: Encyclopedia II - Hell - Religious accounts

Hell appears in several mythologies and religions in different guises, and is commonly inhabited by demons and the souls of dead people. Some accounts of Hell describe it as a series of numbered layers or levels. What the layers consist of differ from religion to religion, but the descriptions of certain numbered layers often coincide even between different religions. Examples of these coincidences include a layer of intense flames numbered 54 in several religions or a layer where the world looks like earth but is inhabited by demons; ...

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Hell, Hell - Origins, Hell - Religious accounts, Hell - Rabbinic Judaism, Hell - Ancient Greek religion, Hell - Christianity, Hell - Islam, Hell - Chinese and Japanese religions, Hell - Hinduism, Hell - Buddhism, Hell - Bahá'í Faith, Hell - Taoism, Hell - Hell in Literature, Hell - Hell in entertainment and other popular culture, Hell - Non-religious context, Hell - Euphemistic ways of saying hell, Hell - Language edits, Hell - Places named Hell

Read more here: » Hell: Encyclopedia II - Hell - Religious accounts

Hell is, according to many religious beliefs, a place or a state of painful suffering. The English word 'hell' comes from the Teutonic 'Hel', which originally meant "to cover" and later referred to the goddess of the Norse underworld, Helgardh. Compare Anglo-Saxon helan, Greek kalyptein and Latin celare = "to hide, to cover" (all from IE *kel). In many religions, after death, evildoers either suffer eternally or until they have paid for their bad deeds before reincarnation or redemption. In monotheis ...

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Hell - Origins Hell - Religious accounts
Hell - Rabbinic Judaism Hell - Ancient Greek religion Hell - Christianity Hell - Islam Hell - Chinese and Japanese religions Hell - Hinduism Hell - Buddhism Hell - Bahá'í Faith Hell - Taoism
Hell - Hell in Literature Hell - Hell in entertainment and other popular culture Hell - Non-religious context
Hell - Euphemistic ways of saying hell Hell - Language edits Hell - Places named Hell

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Introduction to Buddhism.

Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development and the attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of life. This makes Buddhism different from many other faiths for it is not centred on the relationship between humanity and God. Buddhism doesn't fit the pattern of other faiths and needs to be seen in its own terms to be understood properly. Buddhists do not believe in a personal creator God. It does not have the concept of a Saviour, nor of Heaven and Hell in the popular sense. Buddhism doesn't demand blind faith or belief, and says that people should test its teachings against personal experience.

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Hell is, according to many religious beliefs, a place or a state of painful suffering. The English word 'hell' comes from the Teutonic 'Hel', which originally meant "to cover" and later referred to the goddess of the Norse underworld, Helgardh. Compare Anglo-Saxon helan, Greek kalyptein and Latin celare = "to hide, to cover" (all from IE *kel). In many religions, after death, evildoers either suffer eternally or until they have paid for their bad deeds before reincarnation or redemption. In monotheis ...

Including:

Hell - Origins Hell - Religious accounts
Hell - Ancient Greek religion Hell - Christianity Hell - Islam Hell - Chinese and Japanese religions Hell - Hinduism Hell - Buddhism Hell - Bahá'í Faith Hell - Taoism
Hell - Hell in Literature Hell - Hell in entertainment and other popular culture Hell - Non-religious context
Hell - Euphemistic ways of saying hell Hell - Language edits Hell - Places named Hell

Read more here: » Hell: Encyclopedia - Hell

Buddhist Quotes: Like a Frontier Fortress

Like a frontier fortress,

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(See also: Buddhism Archives, Buddhist Quotes, Inspirational Quotes, Love Quotes, Friendship Quotes, Life Quotes)

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Buddhist Quotes: The Dalai Lama on Religion & Spirituality

I believe there is an important distinction to be made between religion and spirituality. Religion I take to be concerned with belief in the claims to salvation of one faith tradition or another--an aspect of which is acceptance of some form of meta-physical or philosophical reality, including perhaps an idea of heaven or hell. Connected with this are religious teachings or dogma, ritual, prayers and so on.

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(See also: Buddhism Archives, Buddhist Quotes, Inspirational Quotes, Love Quotes, Friendship Quotes, Life Quotes)

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Naraka or Neraka, in Buddhism and Hinduism, is the underworld and Hell. In Hinduism, there are many hells, and Yama, Lord of Justice, sends human beings after death for appropriate punishment. Such punishment can be in boiling oil, etc. However, Naraka in Hinduism is not equivalent to Hell in Christian ideology. Naraka is only a purgatory where the soul gets purified of sin by sufferings. Even Mukti-yogyas (souls eligible for mukti or moksha), and Nitya-samsarins (forever transmigrating ones in Dvaita theology) can experience Naraka for expiation. Cited from Bhakti Schools of Vedanta, by Swami Tapasyananda. ...

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Amitabha's forty-eight vows were made by the primary Buddha of the Pure Land school of Buddhism. Also known as The Vows of Samantabhadra of the Mahavaipulya Buddha they list all the criteria under which Amitabha would refuse enlightenment. A blunt summary is: none of the three paths of suffering (Hell, Animal and Hungry Ghost). no deaths into the three evil realms (Hell, Animal and Hungry Ghost). anybody not be of the colour of genuine gold (an attribute of a buddha). any difference in in ...

Including:

Amitabha's forty-eight vows - The remaining 26 vows need summary

Read more here: » Amitabha's forty-eight vows: Encyclopedia - Amitabha's forty-eight vows

Heaven is an afterlife concept found in many religions or spiritual philosophies. Those who believe in heaven generally hold that it (or Hell) is the final afterlife destination of many or all humans. In unusual instances, humans have had, according to many testimonies and traditions, personal knowledge of Heaven. They presume this is for the purpose of teaching the rest of humanity about life, Heaven, and God. Heaven - Conceptions. While there are abundant and varied sources for conceptions of Heave ...

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Heaven - Conceptions Heaven - Location Heaven - Getting into Heaven Heaven - Heaven in Roman Catholicism Heaven - Heaven in Orthodox Christianity Heaven - Heaven in Protestant Christianity Heaven - Heaven in the Bahá'í Faith Heaven - Heaven in Judaism Heaven - Heaven in Hinduism

Read more here: » Heaven: Encyclopedia - Heaven

While there are abundant and varied sources for conceptions of Heaven, the typical believer's view appears to depend largely on his particular religious tradition. Various religions have described Heaven as being populated by angels, demons, gods and goddesses, and/or heroes (especially in Greek mythology). Heaven is generally construed as a place of eternal happiness. The relationship between this concept and the celestial sphere is generally believed to have been first proposed by the ancient astr ...

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Heaven, Heaven - Conceptions, Heaven - Location, Heaven - Getting into Heaven, Heaven - Heaven in Roman Catholicism, Heaven - Heaven in Orthodox Christianity, Heaven - Heaven in Protestant Christianity, Heaven - Heaven in the Bahá'í Faith, Heaven - Heaven in Judaism, Heaven - Heaven in Hinduism

Read more here: » Heaven: Encyclopedia II - Heaven - Conceptions

The idea of Heaven as a physical place has existed since the dawn of religion and human civilization. In some early religions (such as the Ancient Egyptian faith), Heaven was a physical place far above the Earth in a "dark area" of space where there were no stars, basically beyond the Universe. Departed souls would undergo a literal journey to reach Heaven, along the way to which there could exist hazards and other entities attempt ...

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Heaven, Heaven - Conceptions, Heaven - Location, Heaven - Getting into Heaven, Heaven - Heaven in Roman Catholicism, Heaven - Heaven in Orthodox Christianity, Heaven - Heaven in Protestant Christianity, Heaven - Heaven in the Bahá'í Faith, Heaven - Heaven in Judaism, Heaven - Heaven in Hinduism

Read more here: » Heaven: Encyclopedia II - Heaven - Location

In Roman Catholicism Heaven is the Physical Realm of God, the Mother of God, the Angels, and the Saints. Upon dying, the soul goes to what is called "the particular judgement" where their afterlife is decided (e.g. Heaven (after going through Purgatory) or Hell.) This is different from "the general judgement" also known as "the last judgement" which will occur when Christ returns to judge the living and the dead. It is a common Roman Catholic belief that St. Michael the Archangel carries the soul to Heaven. The belief that Sain ...

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Heaven, Heaven - Conceptions, Heaven - Location, Heaven - Getting into Heaven, Heaven - Heaven in Roman Catholicism, Heaven - Heaven in Orthodox Christianity, Heaven - Heaven in Protestant Christianity, Heaven - Heaven in the Bahá'í Faith, Heaven - Heaven in Judaism, Heaven - Heaven in Hinduism

Read more here: » Heaven: Encyclopedia II - Heaven - Heaven in Roman Catholicism

Historically, Christianity has been divided over how people gain entry into Heaven. From the 16th to the late 19th century, Christendom was divided between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox views on the one hand, and the Protestant views on the other. In the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, entry into Heaven depends upon the Christian receiving God's grace through the activities of the church. This would include sacraments such as Baptism, the Eucharist and Confession. Roman Catholics believe that entering Purgatory after death ...

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Heaven, Heaven - Conceptions, Heaven - Location, Heaven - Getting into Heaven, Heaven - Heaven in Roman Catholicism, Heaven - Heaven in Orthodox Christianity, Heaven - Heaven in Protestant Christianity, Heaven - Heaven in the Bahá'í Faith, Heaven - Heaven in Judaism, Heaven - Heaven in Hinduism

Read more here: » Heaven: Encyclopedia II - Heaven - Heaven in Protestant Christianity

For Bahá'ís, entry into the next life has the potential to bring great joy. Bahá'u'lláh likened death to the process of birth. He explains: "The world beyond is as different from this world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the womb of its mother." The analogy to the womb in many ways summarizes the Bahá'í view of earthly existence. Just as the womb constitutes an important place for a person's initial physical development, the physical world provides the matrix for the development of the individual soul. ...

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Heaven, Heaven - Conceptions, Heaven - Location, Heaven - Getting into Heaven, Heaven - Heaven in Roman Catholicism, Heaven - Heaven in Orthodox Christianity, Heaven - Heaven in Protestant Christianity, Heaven - Heaven in the Bahá'í Faith, Heaven - Heaven in Judaism, Heaven - Heaven in Hinduism

Read more here: » Heaven: Encyclopedia II - Heaven - Heaven in the Bahá'í Faith

In Hinduism, with it's emphasis on reincarnation, the concept of Heaven is not as prominent. While heaven is temporary (until the next birth), the permanent state that Hindus aspire to is Moksha. Moksha is seen as the soul's liberation from the cycle of life and death, a re-establishment in one's own fundamental divine nature and may include union with or joining God. Entry into heaven (swarga loka) or hell (Naraka) is decided by the Lord of death Yama and his karmic accountant, Chitragupta, who records the good and bad deeds of a per ...

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Heaven, Heaven - Conceptions, Heaven - Location, Heaven - Getting into Heaven, Heaven - Heaven in Roman Catholicism, Heaven - Heaven in Orthodox Christianity, Heaven - Heaven in Protestant Christianity, Heaven - Heaven in the Bahá'í Faith, Heaven - Heaven in Judaism, Heaven - Heaven in Hinduism

Read more here: » Heaven: Encyclopedia II - Heaven - Heaven in Hinduism

Demons are found in many religions, and many cultures have developed a rich mythology of demons. The study of demons is called demonology, while the worship of demons is known as demonolatry. In Buddhism the word demon can refer to sentient being in either Hell realm or Asura realm depending on the tradition. In Japanese folklore, demons (Yokai), are not necessarily evil or even anthropomorphic, but range from the evil oni (devils) to the erotic meinaishujin (unseen or invisible masters), and to the mischievous kitsune ( ...

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Demon, Demon - Etymology, Demon - Demons in the Hebrew Bible, Demon - Influences from Chaldean mythology, Demon - In Jewish rabbinic literature, Demon - The King and Queen of Demons, Demon - In the New Testament and Christianity, Demon - In Christian myth and legend, Demon - War in Heaven, Demon - Demonologies, Demon - In pre-Islamic Arab culture, Demon - In Islam, Demon - In Hinduism, Demon - Demons in other cultures and religions, Demon - Demons in Hellenistic Neopaganism, Demon - In art literature and television, Demon - In science, Demon - In games, Demon - External link

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Myalba (Tibet, Tibetan). In the Esoteric philosophy of Northern Buddhism, the name of our Earth, called Hell for those who reincarnate in it for punishment. Exoterically, Myalba is translated a Hell.

(See also: Myalba, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Evil Paths

The paths of hells, hungry ghosts, animality. These paths can be taken as states of mind; i.e., when someone has a vicious thought of maiming or killing another, he is effectively reborn, for that moment, in the hells.

 (See also: Evil Paths, Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)