Did not know about this Muslim community in Vietnam. Very interesting.
And the statement about violence being our way to deal with "differences that are fictions" definitely reminds me of the Allmuseri tribe in 'Middle Passage,' the National Book Award winning novel by Charles Johnson. That is exactly what they believe--that war and slavery grow out of our refusing to accept that we are not different.
"somehow the thought of some kind of otherworldly afterlife lessens the appreciation of this world, not holding it as a precious gift but a disposable commodity." thanks for this reminder, Phuc. Much needed in my own life right now. It reminds me Steve Jobs' "death is the engine of life." thanks for sharing.
Yes, the infatuation with heaven as a post-mortem place of existence provided much comfort to people, especially in times of high death rates and short life spans. However, it also denies the present world and the impact we have on it. There is a place for the transcendance, but the ideas of "Going to heaven after you die" is not something that has yielded much good in our world, but separates the divine from the present.
Did not know about this Muslim community in Vietnam. Very interesting.
And the statement about violence being our way to deal with "differences that are fictions" definitely reminds me of the Allmuseri tribe in 'Middle Passage,' the National Book Award winning novel by Charles Johnson. That is exactly what they believe--that war and slavery grow out of our refusing to accept that we are not different.
Thanks for the Middle Passage reference! Those who are more attuned to the earth often perceive the world as non-dualistic.
"somehow the thought of some kind of otherworldly afterlife lessens the appreciation of this world, not holding it as a precious gift but a disposable commodity." thanks for this reminder, Phuc. Much needed in my own life right now. It reminds me Steve Jobs' "death is the engine of life." thanks for sharing.
Yes, the infatuation with heaven as a post-mortem place of existence provided much comfort to people, especially in times of high death rates and short life spans. However, it also denies the present world and the impact we have on it. There is a place for the transcendance, but the ideas of "Going to heaven after you die" is not something that has yielded much good in our world, but separates the divine from the present.