Death, And The Afterlife In The Jataka Tales

Death, and the afterlife is a discussion that many have debated, and one 's upbringing plays an intricate part in what we believe about death, and what comes after. The Jataka Tales and Ecclesiastes are contrasting in ways such as The Jataka tales teaches growth during multiple lifetimes using different stories to demonstrate how Buddha strives towards enlightenment. The teacher in Ecclesiastes goes into great detail describing how he gained knowledge, wisdom, and enjoyed every pleasure imaginable, yet he was still not satisfied (Ecclesiastes 4.9). Jataka and Ecclesiastes both teach that there is life after death, that greed, and worldly treasures are meaningless, and the simple act of kindness, and serving others can bring one the peace that escapes us when meditating on death and the afterlife. Written in the third century BCE, Ecclesiastes still provides great examples that resonate today beginning with the first chapter. Imagine

However, the teacher was still not satisfied, saying all is vanity, "a chasing after the wind, there is nothing to be gained under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 4.9). Self-interest can lead to self-destruction especially when it is hurting others. Living in a capitalistic society this is something often seen and sadly many are immune to the pain they cause others, for example in September of 2011 the GOP presidential debate, CNN moderator Wolf Blitzer presented a hypothetical question about whether an uninsured 30-year-old working man in a coma should be treated. Congressman Ron Paul responded with “what he should do is whatever he wants to do and assume responsibility for himself, that 's what freedom is about. The follow up question was “are you saying that society should just let him die?” To which the crowd shouted