Interfaith talk 19: Life after death

*Sensitive issue, please stop reading if at any time you find my review is offensive. You have been warned.*

This is what I summarized from the talk from the 4 speakers.

Religion A:

Aim: To be at god's feet (stop of rebirth)

Drive: Good Karma and rebirths

Religion B:

Aim: To live in heaven with fellow believers

Drive: After life justice and believing in ......(the impression I get is fear)

Religion C:

Aim: Get out of the "samsara" cycle (rebirth)

Drive: Achieving balance, no good karma, no bad karma

Religion D:

Aim: Go to heaven, live in pleasure

Drive: Believe in.... and that pleasure is awaiting

Question I asked: When we are reborn we carry the karma of the past but not our memories. What thinking should we have when we are faced with a suffering that is possibly due to bad karma that we dont remember accumulating?

Answer: We must understand that this sufferings are due to karma and accept it openly, whole-heartedly.

What I think: Probably the speaker is right, when you accept something openly, whole-heartedly, it hurts less than trying to reason out, "why me? what have I done?". That said, it is also not easy to accept suffering unlike accepting joy and happiness.

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Unlike the other questions by other students such as, "what is in 'your' heaven?", I think mine is more practical. By asking what your heaven has to offer, are you implying that if the other religion offers a better heaven, I will ditch my religion and join that religion.

This is a personal view, I find it offensive when someone says, I will be punished for not accepting a certain religion when I die.

English English...

Yesterday, I had my Malaysian University English Test (MUET). I was tested on my reading, writing and listening. Considering it is an official whole nation English test, I expect the invigilator to give instructions in English. However, it came to my surprise when she started giving instructions in Malay. I felt awkward, like I was back in secondary school taking some mid term paper. Throughout the 4 years in University, no matter what paper I am sitting for, the instructions were always spoken out in English. Then, an English paper with the instructions spoken in Malay. My lecturer told me that day that Malaysian was once very welcome in England because we were once that good and they can understand us. Not anymore. All I can say is, Malaysia Boleh!