Is life a good or bad thing for Christians?

[yeshuaslavejeff]

must a Christian endure or enjoy life?

Jesus says if a man does not hate his <soul>life now, he will not have <spirit>life.
If he gives up and renounces his <soul>life, he may have true <spirit>(eternal)life.
And Jesus says "WOE to those who are comfortable now, for they have received their comfort" ....
And again "ENDURE" >
Matthew 24:13 But the one who perseveres to the end will be ...
Matthew 24:13 But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

But about the future life, I believe only peoples in the favors of God are supposed to know it, so we can assume it is good, I guess a life without bad people, disease, aging (?).

Nothing harmful, no sorrow, no tears, no memories of some or all worldly things.
As written to know. We don't assume things.(and should not).

The unspiritual, natural (normal) man CANNOT KNOW anything spiritual. It is not possible for him to apprehend nor to understand the Truth (Jesus).

The spiritual (alive) man in Christ Jesus can comprehend all things, yet is comprehended by no one.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

That's essentially correct, IMO.

"Life" as we know it involves cause & effect. For every cause, there must be an effect. (E.g. life inevitably results in death.) The natural conclusion is that life is constantly undergoing change, and change is dissatisfying since we desire no change to things which makes us happy. Therefore, we conclude that samsaric life is ultimately dissatisfying, due to its inherent changing nature.

Nibbana is considered uncaused, and is therefore unchanging.

Interesting. I agree that people often abandon the things that seem to make them happy, but I really believe those things didn't really make them happy, or they wouldn't have abandoned them.

Many "overlook an orchid while searching for a rose", always seeking 'the next big thing', and so go from one activity or interest to another, never satisfied. Of course if one forsakes other interests for the 'pearl of great price', well, they have to pay the price, that being limiting your interest to those pearls.

On a personal note my earthly pearl is the annual bowhunting season here in Wisconsin. None of my old hunting buddies hunts anymore however, having long ago moved on to other pursuits. Bowhunting (and archery in general) is a pleasure that I have incorporated into my life for more than sixty years. So, things that bring pleasure don't necessarily have to change.

Life is good, especially since the bowhunting season just opened.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Hello,

Is life a good or bad thing for Christians?
And if it's a good thing, how do you explain that the “Paradise“ of one of the major religion of the world consist in getting out of the cycle of life (Nirvana with Buddhism) ?
If it doesn't happen like that in Buddhism, correct me please, I am ignorant about this religion.

Thank you for your answers!

What they do not tell you is the cycle is endless and you may come back as an ant or a squid. So in my experience, which I was involved in the 80's, it was a meaningless, empty path that can never be achieved because it has to be accomplished in one's life. Buddha claimed enlightenment but who can really claim perfection? Well there is one who did and proved it. Jesus Christ of Nazareth and He made it very simple for the whole world. Buddha made it impossible. You choose.
Blessings

 

[Gogogo]

Thank you for your answers!

Buddha made it impossible.

What is impossible in the things one must do to go the Nirvana please?

 

[Chesterton]

Ok thanks for your answers!


But the Dalai Lama seems pretty happy, he smiles on pretty much all the photo I saw of him on Google Images.

That shows Buddhism to be false. He likes existing as we all do.

 

[Gogogo]

He likes existing as we all do.

But there are people who commit suicide, so the love for existence is sometimes counterbalanced.

 

[Chesterton]

But there are people who commit suicide, so the love for existence is sometimes counterbalanced.

The vast majority of people don't commit suicide.

 

[renniks]

If life isn't good for you, you're doing it wrong. God promises his children Joy. He doesn't promise them a lot of money or a lot of possessions, or great circumstances all the time. But he gives Joy not as the world gives, and promises to always be with us... What could be better than that?

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Thank you for your answers!



What is impossible in the things one must do to go the Nirvana please?

Why is Nirvana impossible? It actually is as much impossible as it is inevitable. Buddha did not believe in God or any god. Nirvana to him was THE END. It is accomplished at death with no afterlife with God. A very permanent condition and a very lonely one as knowing your Creator is not an option with this path.

But there is Good News! Your Creator does exist and He wants you to know Him. Just turn away from an empty philosophy and join pure loving one where there is a God and His name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Blessings

 

[ananda]

A couple of things I would like cleared up. Who is/are the "we" in the above?

"we" refers to Buddhists in general.

Why would you assume that something uncaused would be unchanging?

It does not involve cause & effect, and cause & effect is the law that governs change.

 

[ananda]

Interesting. I agree that people often abandon the things that seem to make them happy, but I really believe those things didn't really make them happy, or they wouldn't have abandoned them.

The explanation there, from a Buddhist perspective, is that we "abandon things that seem to make us happy" because we replace it with something else that we perceive or believe that makes us happier.

Many "overlook an orchid while searching for a rose", always seeking 'the next big thing', and so go from one activity or interest to another, never satisfied. Of course if one forsakes other interests for the 'pearl of great price', well, they have to pay the price, that being limiting your interest to those pearls.

On a personal note my earthly pearl is the annual bowhunting season here in Wisconsin. None of my old hunting buddies hunts anymore however, having long ago moved on to other pursuits. Bowhunting (and archery in general) is a pleasure that I have incorporated into my life for more than sixty years. So, things that bring pleasure don't necessarily have to change.

Life is good, especially since the bowhunting season just opened.

Do you sense a decrease in pleasure when bowhunting ends? Do you engage in other activities that fills its place until it begins again?

 

[ananda]

What they do not tell you is the cycle is endless and you may come back as an ant or a squid. So in my experience, which I was involved in the 80's, it was a meaningless, empty path that can never be achieved because it has to be accomplished in one's life. Buddha claimed enlightenment but who can really claim perfection? Well there is one who did and proved it. Jesus Christ of Nazareth and He made it very simple for the whole world. Buddha made it impossible. You choose.
Blessings

How did Jesus prove it to you?

 

[Maria Billingsley]

How did Jesus prove it to you?

He proved it by showing me who really was behind the deception and that it was not the truth.

 

[ananda]

He proved it by showing me who really was behind the deception and that it was not the truth.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

The explanation there, from a Buddhist perspective, is that we "abandon things that seem to make us happy" because we replace it with something else that we perceive or believe that makes us happier.

Do you sense a decrease in pleasure when bowhunting ends? Do you engage in other activities that fills its place until it begins again?

I am blessed to be a happy person by nature. I especially enjoy my job which is why I am still working at my age. I do plan on retiring soon though and have great plans for the remainder of my life.

 

[grasping the after wind]

"we" refers to Buddhists in general.

It does not involve cause & effect, and cause & effect is the law that governs change.

Why do you assume cause and effect is a law and that it is the sole law that governs change?

 

[Tinker Grey]

Why do you assume cause and effect is a law and that it is the sole law that governs change?

Rather, why assume an eternal uncaused thing can't change.

 

[grasping the after wind]

Rather, why assume an eternal uncaused thing can't change.

That too.

 

[ananda]

Why do you assume cause and effect is a law and that it is the sole law that governs change?

We observe it to be the core law that governs all of observable reality. Have you observed another, more fundamental law?