Fire And Brimstone

[camerata]

Last week I was fortunate enough to catch an exhibition of early Japanese emaki scrolls at Kyoto National Museum which featured the famous 12th century hel_l Scrolls and Hungry Ghost Scrolls.

I didn't find them quite as gruesome as Goya's paintings but they probably frightened the life out of Japanese peasants. This type of picture scroll was "popular" in the early Kamakura period. The Amidist and later Pure Land priests favoured fire and brimstone preaching in which the torments of the hel_l realms were made all too clear to those who didn't strive to enter Amida's Western Paradise.

These days it seems to me that no one really fears falling into a hel_l realm. From talking to Thais I'd say that most of them think that being born a "poor Thai" is pretty low already and what really motivates them is the idea of a better human life next time round. Although Thais definitely believe in the hel_l realms, they don't seem particularly concerned with them. Anyone met one who is?

[thaibebop]

I always thought such ideas went against the whole Buddhist foundation of thought. If life is suffering what's the point of h3ll?

It does interest me. I am working on a story that will use Buddhist ideas of the supernatural and Buddhist verisons of heaven and h#ll. Just not sure how yet.

[Sheryl]

Last week I was fortunate enough to catch an exhibition of early Japanese emaki scrolls at Kyoto National Museum which featured the famous 12th century hel_l Scrolls and Hungry Ghost Scrolls.

I didn't find them quite as gruesome as Goya's paintings but they probably frightened the life out of Japanese peasants. This type of picture scroll was "popular" in the early Kamakura period. The Amidist and later Pure Land priests favoured fire and brimstone preaching in which the torments of the hel_l realms were made all too clear to those who didn't strive to enter Amida's Western Paradise.

These days it seems to me that no one really fears falling into a hel_l realm. From talking to Thais I'd say that most of them think that being born a "poor Thai" is pretty low already and what really motivates them is the idea of a better human life next time round. Although Thais definitely believe in the hel_l realms, they don't seem particularly concerned with them. Anyone met one who is?

Very few -- and these are serious practioners, meditators, not the average Thai. Ditto anyone concerned about falling into an animal plane -- from which regaining human life is said to be very difficult -- although one meets quite a few people who seem to be not long out of it and not far from lapsing back into it!

The Cambodians are even worse -- no apparent concern about consequences in the next life (or later in this one) at all, altho quick to blame every problem they have on their past lives. I often tease them that they believe only in one-way karma.

I think a common tendency is to vaguely plan on solving it all "later" by making merit in one's old age. But I wouldn't really call people thinking in this way serious Buddhists. There is actual Buddhism and then there is the religion that has sprung up, and many Thais assume themselves to be Buddhist without ever really giving it serious thought or examination. Just as many westerbners do with Christianity, Judaism etc. Human delusion knows no national boundries.

Personally, I do worry about the next life, a good deal. So it is hard for me to comprehend self-proclaimed Buddhists who don't, or who seem to take their actions and their consequences very lightly.