https://unsplash.com/photos/j3R9C-Xqe1w 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.

Burmese Pāḷi I have made a list of the most basic Pāḷi terms which will help you in your Theravāda Buddhist Readings and listening to Dhamma Talks. I could have added more, but there are already 165+ terms. I have decided to sort the words in alphabetical order so I would not have to decide which were the most important. Grouping the words would have also given me the same dilemma. If you learn 10 words per day, it should not take long to master. You will likely know many of these terms already.

Ajahn Mun dark Did Ajahn Mun say the Buddha congratulated him on the night he attained arahant? His biography books says it for sure. Venerable Ācariya Mun Būridatta Thera is one of the most revered forest masters of the 20th century. He is the root guru of both the Dhammayut and Ajahn Chah monasteries. He popularized the monastic practice of living under an umbrella in the forest and his relentless energy is fascinating and inspiring. Although I quote controversial words from the book written about him, I still find his “way of life” inspiring. It is also not proven 100% that these are really the words of Ajahn Mun. On the other hand, I don’t believe his biographer would lie or is lying.

This video clip below came my way and I would hate to say that not only is this guy is correct right near the end of his talk, but he is expressing the same thoughts as the Buddha and myself…well, at least the last part. This link will skip over to 3 minutes 38 seconds. Remainder running time is about 2 minutes. NOTE: There is more I say below after this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CceQISThDYQ#t=3m38s