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Warning: This is a long but clear and interesting religious post on what happens after death according to Classical Theravāda Buddhism.

Key Points:

• The Fully Enlightened do not take a rebirth after death.
• Immediate rebirth takes place after the death moment for all other beings.
• Kamma is what determines your next birth.
• Lifetime and Momentary suffering.
• Be careful what you wish for.
• There is no such thing as a guaranteed intermediate stage (Bardo Plane).
• There is no such thing as Near Death Experiences.

It is very rare to read or hear Buddhist talks in English about what happens after death because topics on the “after life” encroach into the category of Religion. Most Western Buddhists, including monks, only wish to explore the “here and now”, general psychology and philosophy which is included in Buddhism. However, that limited subject matter makes one an Atheist who likes some Buddhist teachings rather than a Theravāda Buddhist who likes the sum of the Buddhist teachings. Today we will put the “ism” back into Buddhism. The material spoken about in this article is usually complex and terse. Usually you don’t get to this type of material until you have memorized many lists and pivot tables. I have taken these complex readings and put it into clear and digestible format. I hope you find this interesting and useful. Although this article is long, it is really a shortcut to learning the basics of what happens after death.

A little while ago, I was asked what was the most important lesson learned and what was the most important thing that I taught.  The answer spans two different videos and they are listed below:

The first video gives a very technical answer, yet in very simple English that everyone can understand.  However those who are into the deepest Dhamma and Abhidhamma will still appreciate what is said and how it is said.