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Almost everyone likes to think about what paradise looks like. It's nice to dream of an eternally blue sky, without storms, clouds, hail. About animals that you can pet at any time without fear that they will bite off your arm or leg. Much less often people think about hell.
What does hell look like?
Of course, there is no reliable information about him, just as there is no evidence that he really exists. All religions agree on only one thing - this is a terrible place that it would be better not to get into. There are different types of hell in different beliefs:
- In Christianity, hell is the place where sinners go. It is believed that there they are boiled in cauldrons of boiling tar and are constantly subjected to terrible torture. Some biblical sources say that after the Last Judgment, sincerely repentant sinners will be pardoned and accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven. All the rest will be swallowed up by hellfire. It is important not to confuse the concepts of "hell" and "gehenna fiery." The first is a permanent place, and the second is that which will swallow the earth, including hell, after the onset of the apocalypse.
- In Islam, not only sinners go to hell, but also unbelievers. Moreover, it is said that after the Day of Judgment, sinners will be forgiven, and those who did not accept the true faith during their lifetime will continue to writhe in hellish torment, drink boiling pus and wear clothes made of fire. Perhaps it is this hell that is truly frightening, since it does not leave the slightest hope of deliverance for a certain category of people.
- In Buddhism, hell is not a specific place, but rather the mental state of a person with negative karma. There he experiences various torments and sufferings due to his own perception. His soul will revolve in the whirlpool of sixteen circles of hell (eight cold and eight hot), like the wheel of samsara, until the karma is completely cleared, and he can again be reborn in a new body. The purer the soul, the faster it will be able to get back into the world and the higher its social status will be. People with highly polluted karma can only count on a subsequent incarnation in the body of an animal.
- In Taoism, hell is built on somewhat different principles, unlike most religions. In this belief, it is believed that a person has several types of souls: “subtle” and “coarse”. The first fall into the upper world, like a classical paradise, and the second into the lower, where hell is the so-called "yellow springs". They represent a world of shadows, joyless and dark, where not a single ray of light penetrates. In his description there is a certain similarity with the kingdom of Hades among the ancient Greeks. Chinese legends say that even mortals can travel to the yellow springs, although many dangers await them there.
- 9 circles of hell according to Dante. Has no relation to any religion, but the theory spread very quickly. The description of hell is that in each of the 9 circles there are people distributed according to the type of their sins. First of all, the division there occurs according to known mortal sins.
How does the soul go to hell?
The principle of getting the soul into the afterlife is not described in detail anywhere, but it can be imagined as follows: after death, a certain portal opens to hell or paradise, into which the soul is drawn. Then she gets exactly where she is destined, regardless of her desires.
The existence of life after death is in question. No one can say for sure whether places like heaven and hell exist in reality, in a parallel world, or elsewhere. But still, the benefits of these beliefs are undeniable. So, for example, there is a possibility that a person with criminal intentions will abandon their plans, afraid of falling into hell. And vice versa - will help others in the hope of a happy life in the afterlife.
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Instruction
Paradise is understood as eternal life. Whereas hell is a place where a person is doomed to torment. The concept of hell does not exist in all religions. This Naraka is one of the six spheres of being. The pain here is not eternal. After overcoming the results of bad karma, a person can be reborn and even reach nirvana. Although the Buddhist hell is considered not the most favorable place for rebirth. A Buddha or a bodhisattva can out of compassion relieve anyone from being there.
The torment is addressed to those who neglected the commandments and did not forgive insults to their neighbors. There is a long sin for which a person after death will be doomed to eternal torment in hell. And the pain will be endless. But this is not so much physical as moral torment. In Orthodox literature, there are several examples of divine revelations about the structure of hell and paradise. For example, "The passage of ordeals by St. Theodora of Tsaregrad". Here a detailed picture of torment is created. The terrible spiritual and physical trials through which the soul passes to the highest court, accompanied by two angels, are picturesquely depicted. Orthodoxy, unlike Catholicism, rejects the existence of purgatory, where the soul can be forgiven.
Islam interprets Hell as the place of residence of sinners not forgiven by Allah or those whom Allah has not forgiven. According to the Qur'an, hell is guarded by 19 formidable angels, led by an angel named Malik. A person can go to heaven or hell only after Judgment Day. For those who disbelieved, severe and cruel torment is prepared in hell. For example, a drink from boiling water, ice water torture, iron clubs, fire collars and much more.
There is no concept of hell in Judaism. According to this religion, a person cannot do anything so that in the future he will suffer endlessly. But in the view of Judaism, there is a paradise. This is the heavenly garden, which is located inside the seven heavenly spheres. In order to get into it, the soul needs to go through a certain spiritual path. The believer knows that for this he needs to keep his body and soul clean. After the end of the world, the soul and body of a person must unite. God will not be able to do this if it turns out that in life the Jew did not look after his body.
In Islamic tradition, it is generally accepted that paradise is something that a person cannot even imagine. Unimaginable bliss that must be earned by good deeds and thoughts. Christianity also encourages man not to seek heaven on earth or in heaven. According to Christian doctrine, everyone must find heaven in their own heart. To do this, throughout life, you need to try very hard to refrain from sinful thoughts and actions.
Mankind at all times believed in the existence of special worlds, where people go after their death. According to ancient beliefs, a good person goes to heaven at the end of his life, but the road to hell awaits a sinner. What kind of appearance these two special places have, no one can say. Therefore, it is not surprising that many people are interested in what heaven and hell look like. Roughly imagine these amazing worlds allow various photos and pictures that are placed in books and on the pages of Internet portals.
Paradise is the place where every person dreams of going when it is time to say goodbye to life. Adherents of different religions had their own ideas about him.
- Christianity. According to the Bible, it was in paradise that the first people, Adam and Eve, appeared. They lived here until they ate the forbidden fruit.
In Christianity, there are two concepts of paradise. It can be original or acquired. The first was the one where Adam and Eve ended up. No one is destined to get into it. The second paradise opens its gates for the souls that have left the earth.
Paradise is multi-layered. A separate tier is intended for a certain group of souls. Each of them can gradually rise to the top if it follows the laws of God.
- Islam. In this religion, paradise looks like a fruit-bearing garden, in which everything blooms and smells sweet. There is no place for sorrow and pain. Paradise is surrounded by walls of beautiful stones. There are honey and milk rivers. Men who get here receive the beautiful virgins promised to them, and women turn into charming houris. In a word, paradise in Islam is a beautiful world where wishes come true.
Paradise consists of hundreds of different levels, which are separated by high walls. They are located at a distance of one century from each other.
- Judaism. There are no sources in religion that give a complete or partial description of paradise. People do not receive a promise to stay in these parts forever after their death. It is believed that the righteous are resurrected after some time and gain eternal life on earth. But it is already changing its former appearance, becoming more perfect and harmonious.
Paradise in mythology
In ancient times, before the emergence of religions, people also believed in the existence of special worlds where the souls of people go. The following types of paradise were invented:
- Iry. Existed in Slavic mythology. He could be Snake and Bird. The first has the appearance of a huge pit, where all the reptiles crawl away with the onset of winter. In this paradise there is a huge stone that helps the snakes not to die. Birds fly away in the second autumn. In the spring, they return home with the pure souls of babies.
- Valhalla. References to paradise can be seen in Norse mythology. These regions are made for brave knights. They were lucky enough to live in a large palace with a dome made of transparent material. Every day they kill the same animal that feeds them with its meat. In the evenings, the knights are visited by young beauties who fulfill their every whim.
- Iaru. Belongs to Egyptian mythology. This paradise is under the control of Osiris. To get into it, the soul needs to survive the judgment. On the basis of the deeds committed during life, the question of whether a person is worthy of receiving the right to live in paradise or not is decided.
Both in religions and in mythology, people are encouraged to strive to get into paradise. After all, only there they will be able to approach the Creator of all living things.
Hell is the exact opposite of heaven. This includes people who have committed heinous acts during their lifetime. And now they have to pay for it in the most cruel way for all eternity.
All religions talk about hell in different ways.
- Christianity. In Hell, sinners and fallen angels experience eternal punishment. One of the concepts of religion says that once there were not only the souls of bad people, but also the righteous who did not deserve it. But they managed to ascend to Heaven thanks to Christ.
Not a single sinner is afraid of physical punishment in hell. Therefore, they are overtaken by moral punishment. And there is no end to this torment.
Hell is led by Lucifer, the deposed angel of light. It is he who acts as the executioner of people. By punishing others, he atones for his own sinful act.
- Paganism. It just so happened that the adherents of this direction had no hell. It arose after the advent of the Christian faith. People believed only that after death the soul of a person goes to another world, in which all conditions are created for its further existence outside the earth.
Many writers liked to talk about hell in their works. This place is especially vividly described in Dante's book "The Divine Comedy". Whoever is familiar with it knows that hell in this interpretation has 9 circles. In the very center is its ruler Lucifer, imprisoned in eternal ice.
Aristotle had his own thoughts about the existence of hell, which he outlined in the Nicomachean Ethics. The great philosopher divided the mysterious world for sinners into several separate categories. In his opinion, hell looks like a funnel, the end of which rests on the center of the earth. Souls are placed in it in the following order:
- The beginning of hell is reserved for people who have not been able to know God.
- Below are the souls of gluttons, upon which rain and hail fall.
- Next is a place for misers and spendthrifts.
- Then come heretics, suicides and murderers.
The ninth circle is reserved for the worst criminals, including Brutus, Cassius and Judas. Lucifer personally punishes them for their misdeeds.
Each person has their own ideas about what hell and heaven should look like. The most interesting thing is that even those people who have never attached any importance to religion, towards the end of their lives, begin to think about exactly where their soul will go. They begin to rethink the actions committed earlier, make attempts to correct their sins. And all this in order to earn a place in paradise. After all, no one wants to be in a real hell, where the soul will have to spend eternity in torment.
Muhammad
Where does a suicide go after death?
While the souls of people who have died naturally experience relief and even joy, the souls of suicides, on the contrary, once in the next world, experience torment and suffering there. One specialist in the field of suicide said this about this: “If you part with life with a restless soul, then you will pass into that world with a restless soul.” A suicide lays hands on himself in order to “end everything”, but as it turns out, “beyond the line” everything is just beginning for them. Do they manage to get rid of life's problems, or do they, for their choice, get an eternal problem from which there is no way out? ?
Every year in Russia, 60,000 people take their own lives. In Christianity, it is believed that the soul of a suicide goes to hell. After all, suicide is a sin that can no longer be repented of.
This is also told by many people who have crossed the line of death and. According to many testimonies, suicides end up in the very center of hell, where the torment is the strongest. All testimonies describe hell as an unthinkable eternal torture of the soul, burning in a fire that is many times stronger than earthly flames, unbearable mockery of demons, a terrible stench, the cry of millions of sufferers and the absence of any hope and mercy.
Suicide stories
The testimonies of suicides who went to hell and got a second chance are impressive.
A man who loved his wife immensely committed suicide after her death. He hoped in this way to unite with her forever. But it turned out quite differently. When the doctors managed to resuscitate him, he said: “I ended up in a completely different place where she was ... It was some kind of terrible place ... And I immediately realized that I had made a huge mistake.”
Unable to bear the divorce, the woman shot herself in the heart. She felt her soul leave her body and a precipitous fall began.” I found myself in a place that was pure torment. My body was on fire,” she says. “I was no longer lonely, I was no longer depressed – I became loneliness, I became a depression, a tormented being of fear.”
This woman witnessed the unimaginable suffering of millions of people who no longer had any hope. They had something in common - their desire to shout to the inhabitants of the earth: "Do not come to this terrible place!". At that moment, the suicide realized that our life is not just entertainment, and we will have to be responsible for how we disposed of it. She discovered that the meaning of life is to live life so as not to end up in hell, from where she was literally pulled out by the hand of the Lord.
Some suicides who managed to be brought back to life said that after death they found themselves in some kind of dungeon and realized that they would have to stay here for a very long time. They came to understand that this was their punishment for violating the established law, according to which each person must endure a certain share of sorrows. By their own will, having thrown off the burden placed on them, they must bear even more.
The man said: “When I got there, I realized that two things were absolutely forbidden: to kill yourself and to kill another person. If I decided to commit suicide, it would mean to throw in the face of God the gift He has now given. To take the life of another person would be to violate God's plan for him.”
The general impression of resuscitators is that suicide is followed by a very severe punishment. Dr. Bruce Grayson, a psychiatrist at the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Connecticut, after extensive study of this issue, testifies that no one who has experienced temporary death wants to hasten the end of his life. Although that world is incomparably better than ours, life in the physical world has a very important preparatory significance. It is up to God to decide when a person is mature enough for eternity.
Beverly - said how happy she was to be alive. When she was still a child, she endured a lot of grief from her abusive parents, who bullied her every day. Already in adulthood, she could not talk about her childhood without excitement. Once, at the age of seven, driven to despair by her parents, she threw herself head down and smashed her head on the cement. When she was in a state of clinical death, her soul saw familiar children surrounding her lifeless body.
Suddenly, a bright light shone around Beverly, from which an unknown voice told her: “You made a mistake. Your life is not yours and you need to come back.” To this Beverly objected: “But no one loves me and no one wants to take care of me.” “It is true,” said the voice, “and in the future no one will care for you. So learn to take care of yourself." After these words, Beverly saw snow and dry wood around her. But then something warm came from somewhere, the snow began to melt, and the dry branches of the tree were covered with leaves and ripe apples. Approaching the tree, she began to pick apples and eat them with pleasure. Then she realized that both in nature and in every life there are periods of winter and summer, which form a single whole in the plan of the Creator. When Beverly came to her senses, she began to relate to life in a new way. As an adult, she married a good man, had children and was happy.
Returned after clinical death
“In this wonderful place there were bright colors, but not like on earth, but absolutely indescribable. There were people there, happy people... whole groups of people. Some of them have studied. In the distance, I saw a city filled with brightly shining buildings. Happy people, everything around was shining, fountains… I think it was a city of light, in which beautiful music sounded. I was told that if I went there, I would not be able to go back ... and that the decision was mine.”
A student-programmer in Costa Rica died during the operation, visited and returned to the body - in the morgue. Graciela H. told her story. Her case has not been verified by independent experts.
During the operation. I saw the doctors hastily working with me. … They were excited. They took vital signs of my body, performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Then they began to slowly leave the room. I couldn't understand why they acted like that.
There was silence around. I decided to get up. Only my doctor stood in the same place, looking at my body. I moved closer and stood next to him. I felt that he was sad, and his soul ached. I remember that I touched his shoulder, then he left... My body began to rise, picked up by a strange force. It was wonderful, my body was getting lighter and lighter. Walking through the roof of the operating room, I realized that I could move anywhere.
I ended up in a place where there were bright clouds, a room or space. … There was light around me, very bright, which filled my body with energy and my heart with happiness.
I looked at my hands, they were the same shape as human hands, but their fabric was different. This cloth was a white gas mixed with a white, silvery, pearly glow around my body.
I was wonderful. I didn't have a mirror to look at my face, but I felt that my face was beautiful. I saw that my arms and legs were wrapped in a simple, white, long robe of light. … My voice was the voice of a teenager, with the tone of a child's voice… Suddenly, a light approached me, brighter than my body. … This light blinded me.
I heard a very pleasant voice: "You can't stay here."
I spoke to the light in his language telepathically, he also spoke telepathically.
Since I cried, because I did not want to return, he lifted me up. … All this time, I felt the calm that emanated from the light, giving me strength. I felt love and energy. Nothing in this world can compare with that love and energy...
I heard: “You were sent here by mistake, by someone else's mistake. You must return. … To come here, you have to do a lot of things… Try to help some people.”
In the morgue. When I came to my senses, I opened my eyes, there were metal doors around me, people on metal tables, one body lay on top of another. I recognized this place: I was in the morgue. I felt ice on my eyelashes, my body was cold. There were no other sensations. … I couldn’t even move my neck or speak.
I wanted to sleep... Two or three hours later I heard voices and opened my eyes again. I saw two nurses. I knew I needed to meet the eyes of one of them. I barely had the strength to blink, but I blinked. It took a lot of energy. One of the nurses looked at me in fear, saying to his comrade: “Look, look. She moves her eyes! Laughing, he said, “Let's get out of here. It's a creepy place." I screamed to myself: “Please don’t leave!”.
I didn't close my eyes until the doctors came. I heard someone say, “Who did this? Who sent this patient to the morgue?” The doctors were angry. I closed my eyes, only to make sure that I was far from this place. I didn't wake up for three or four days. At times I fell asleep for a long time. … I couldn't speak. On the fifth day, I began to move my arms and legs. The doctors explained to me that I was sent to the morgue by mistake. … They helped me learn to walk again.
One thing I learned is that we don't have time for bad deeds, we should only do good deeds for our own good...on the other side. It's like in a bank: how much you invest, so much you get in the end.
Descriptions of the state after clinical death
“The soul is not part of one specific body and can be in one body, then in another” (Giordano Bruno).
“I was in a car accident and from that moment I lost the sense of time and the sense of physical reality in relation to my body. My essence, or my Self, seemed to come out of my body ... it looked like some kind of charge, but it felt like something real. It was small in volume and was perceived as a ball with fuzzy boundaries. It looked like it had a shell... and it felt very light...
The most amazing experience I had was the moment when my essence stopped over my physical body, as if deciding whether to leave it or return back. It seemed that the passage of time had changed. At the beginning of the accident and after it, everything happened incredibly quickly, but at the moment of the accident itself, when my essence was sort of over my body and the car flew over the embankment, it all seemed to happen for quite a long time before the car fell to the ground. I watched what was happening, as if from the outside, without tying myself to the physical body and existed only in my mind.
Over the thousands of years that human civilization has passed in its development, a huge number of all kinds of beliefs and religions have existed on Earth. Surprisingly, but true - and in all of them in one form or another there was an idea of life after death. In different cultures, the forms of life after death can vary greatly, but the fundamental idea underlying them remains the same: death is not the absolute end of human existence, but life
Life after death. Paradise
In Christianity, there are two different ideas about Heaven. The first reflects the theological and metaphysical concept of heaven as a realm in which angelic orders and saints enjoy the presence of God, contemplating His being. The symbolism associated with this concept combines the Hebrew image of the kingdom with the ancient Greek ideas of concentric celestial spheres and the spiritual path. Ideas about paradise or the Garden of Love are based on the myth of the Golden Age and on the image of the Garden of Eden. And here the symbolism includes a certain geographical location, elements of virgin nature, golden walls and roads paved with emeralds.
The ancient word "paradis" (paradise), borrowed by the Jews from the Persians and originally designating the gardens of the Achaemenid kings, expressed a common dream: a charming garden where blissful life would continue forever. "Paradise" in the understanding of the Pharisees (and Jesus) should represent the blessed life of the resurrected "saints" in Jerusalem (Matthew 5:35) during the time of the eternal reign of the Messiah.
In the Middle Ages, the Kingdom of Heaven was seen as a radiant sphere in which souls move freely, not burdened by the need for food, nor by sexual desires, nor by emotions, but exclusively occupied with praising the Lord and their improvement. “For when they are raised from the dead, they will neither marry nor give in marriage, but will be like angels in heaven” (Mark 12:25)
Islam recognizes the existence of paradise (jannat), where the righteous will receive retribution after death.
The Qur'an describes paradise as follows: “For the God-fearing there is a place of salvation - orchards and vineyards, and full-breasted peers, and a full goblet. They will hear neither chatter there, nor accusations of lies... In the gardens of grace - a crowd of the first and a few of the last, on embroidered beds, leaning on them against each other. Eternally young boys go around them with bowls, vessels and goblets from a flowing source - they do not suffer from headaches and weakening ... among the lotus, devoid of thorns, and talha, hung with fruits, and an outstretched shadow, and flowing water, and abundant fruits, not exhausted and not forbidden, and carpets spread out, We created them by creation and made them virgins, loving husbands, contemporaries ... ”(Quran, 78:31-35; 56:12-19; 28-37)
In paradise, according to Islamic teachings, righteous men will live with their houris - black-eyed full-breasted virgins, restoring virginity every morning.
Much later than the formation of Islam as a doctrine, some Muslim theologians professing Sufism began to believe, contrary to traditional Islam, that the image of the houris in paradise is an allegory.
The righteous will be dressed in green silk, satin, brocade and gold and lie on carpets with green pillows in special tents of gigantic size, made of yahont, pearls and other stones (Quran, 18:31; Tirmizi, Jannat 23, 2565). Young men in green robes with silver adornments will serve the righteous (Quran, 76:19-21; 56:17).
It is also said that the inhabitants of Paradise will drink the wine of Paradise, which will not intoxicate (Quran, 56:19). There will be no natural stool in paradise - everything will come out of people through a special sweat, like musk, from the surface of the skin (Muslim, Jannat 18, 3835; Abu Daud, Sunnat, 23, 4741).
Buddhist paradise is not something unified, but is divided into a kind of branches.
The western paradise is the happy land of Sukhawati. It is located immeasurably far from our world, and only those born in the lotus live in it - bodhisattvas of the highest level. They live there indefinitely, enjoying peace and boundless happiness among the fertile land, life-giving waters surrounding the wonderful palaces of the inhabitants of paradise, built of gold, silver, and precious stones. There are no natural disasters in Sukhavati, and the souls living there are not afraid of the inhabitants of other areas of samsara - predatory animals, warlike asuras or deadly pretas.
The eastern paradise of Abhirati or the country of "Delights", created by the dhyani-buddha Akshobhya. In it, as in Sukhavati, only those born in the lotus, who have acquired spiritual perfection, bodhisattvas, live.
In the southwest is the paradise country of the wizard and sorcerer Padmasambhava.
And in the north is Shambhala.
In heaven is the paradise Tushita, its name means "satisfied, joyful." This is one of the areas where the gods live. It is located above the top of Mount Sumeru - the center of the world. Extinguishes the garden of joy and the world of desires and passions. In paradise Tushita reincarnated souls who observed the five commandments: do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not lie, do not drink alcohol - as well as nurtured by good deeds and meditation immeasurable states of consciousness: a loving heart, compassion, impartiality - in other words, those qualities which constitute the essence of the awakened mind. In this heavenly world, the souls of bodhisattvas are reborn. The Buddha of the future, before his descent to earth, resides in a heavenly paradise.
Indian mythology is full of colorful descriptions of paradise places. According to the ancient Vedic tradition, Yama, the leader of the dead, ruled in the realm of light located in the outer sky. The stay there of all the dead heroes was painless and carefree. They enjoyed music, sexual fulfillment, and sensual pleasures. In Hinduism, transcendental myths are areas of beauty and joy, inhabited by various deities. Access here was acquired by an appropriate way of life and the correct performance of rituals.
The ancient Greeks believed that after death, souls end up on the Isles of the Blessed and the Champs Elysees, located on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, on the edge of the earth. There is a wonderful climate, there is no rain, snow or strong wind, and the fertile soil gives birth three times a year to fruits that are sweet like honey. The Orphics, who believed that salvation consisted in liberation from matter and earthly fetters, considered the Champs Elysees as a place of joy and rest for pure spirits. At first, these fields rested in the underworld, filled with strange radiance, and then in the upper regions of the sky.
In fact, in ancient Greek mythology there is also an analogue of paradise - Elysium (not to be confused with Olympus - the abode of the gods), the country of the blessed, outlandish overseas islands. There are no worries and sorrows, there is sun, sea and water. But only the souls of outstanding heroes of antiquity and especially righteous people get there, whose life is “approved” by the judges of the underworld of Hades.
The Aztecs had three different paradises where souls went after death. The first and lowest of them was Tlalocan - a country of water and fog, a place of abundance, blessing and peace. The happiness experienced there was very similar to earthly. The dead sang songs, played leapfrog and caught butterflies. Trees were bent under the weight of fruits, maize, pumpkin, green peppers, tomatoes, beans and flowers grew abundantly on the ground. The second paradise, Tlillan-Tlapallan was a paradise for the initiates, the followers of Quetzalcoatl - the god-king, symbolizing the resurrection. This paradise was characterized as a land of incorporeality, intended for those who have learned to live outside their physical body and are not attached to it. The highest paradise was Tonatiuhikan or the House of the Sun. Apparently, people who have reached full enlightenment lived here. The privileged, chosen as daily companions of the Sun, lived lives of enjoyment.
Valhalla (Valhalla) in German-Scandinavian mythology is a heavenly chamber in Asgard for those who fell in battle, a paradise for valiant warriors.
Odin rules Valhalla. He selects half of the soldiers who fell in battle, and the Valkyries deliver them to the chamber. The other half of the fallen goes to Folkwang ("People's Field") to the goddess Freya.
According to legend, Valhalla is a giant hall with a roof of gilded shields, which are supported by spears. This hall has 540 doors and 800 warriors will come out through each at the call of the god Heimdallad for the last battle of Ragnarok. The warriors who live in Valhalla are called einherii. Every day in the morning they put on armor and fight to the death, and after that they rise and sit down at the common table to feast. They eat the meat of the boar Sehrimnir, who is slaughtered every day and every day he is resurrected. Einheria drink honey, which is milked by the goat Heidrun, standing in Valhalla and chewing the leaves of the World Tree Yggdrasil. And at night, beautiful maidens come and please the warriors until the morning.
Life after death. Hell
Hell as such does not exist in all world religions. There is a certain concept of the afterlife, where some are a little worse, others are a little better, and to each according to his deeds. Hell as a place of punishment for sinners became a popular topic in connection with the spread of Christianity. Of course, hell exists in Buddhism (Naraka), Mayan beliefs (Xibalba), among the Scandinavians (Helheim), but nowhere, apart from Christianity, has such significance been attached to it, nowhere has it been drawn so brightly, colorfully, spectacularly. However, Christianity is always better than other religions, skillfully showing a beautiful picture - in order to attract or intimidate.
According to Christian teaching, after the fall of the forefathers, the souls of all the dead, including the Old Testament righteous, fell into hell. The souls of Righteous Simeon the God-Receiver and John the Baptist, beheaded by King Herod, preached speedy and universal deliverance in hell. After his suffering and death on the cross, Christ with his human soul descended into the most remote depths of hell, destroyed hell and brought out of it the souls of all the righteous into the Kingdom of God (paradise), as well as those souls of sinners who accepted the sermon about the coming salvation. And now, the souls of the dead saints (pious Christians) go to heaven.
But often, with their sins, living people repel God from themselves - they themselves create a living hell in their souls, and after death, the souls no longer have the opportunity to change their state, which will continue to progress in eternity. The posthumous and final fate of the souls of dead non-Christians is unknown to those living today - it completely depends on the will of God, if He considers that the deceased lived according to his conscience, and that his soul is ready to glorify Christ, then it can be accepted into heavenly abodes.
The Savior emphasizes that the determining criterion for Him will be the presence (among the “lambs”) of works of mercy (helping the needy, to whom He ranks Himself), or the absence of these works (among the “goats”) (Matt. 25:31-46) . God will make the final decision at the Last Judgment, after which not only the souls of sinners, but also their resurrected material bodies will be tormented in hell. Christ pointed out that the greatest torment in hell will befall those who knew His commandments, but did not fulfill them, and those who did not forgive offenses against their neighbors. The most difficult torment in hell will not be physical, but moral, the voice of conscience, a kind of unnatural state when a sinful soul cannot endure the presence of God, but even without God it is completely unbearable. In hell, demons (fallen angels) will also suffer, who will be even more bound after the Last Judgment.
According to the teachings of Islam, on the Day of Judgment all people will be resurrected, and judgment will take place on them, and people will be divided into 2 groups - the inhabitants of hell and the inhabitants of paradise. Hell in Islam is the eternal refuge of the infidels (“kafirs” - those who did not follow the divine religion) and created shirk. The Almighty will not forgive anyone for only one sin - polytheism (“shirk” - Arabic), shirk refers to the worship of anyone other than the Most High One God (“Allah” - Arabic), giving him partners, likening someone to Allah, etc. The Almighty will forgive all other sins or not according to His Wisdom and Mercy. Hell in Islam is called Jahannam (Arabic).
Buddhism has its "hellish" features. In particular, hells in Buddhism are not one, but as many as sixteen - eight hot and eight cold. Moreover, sometimes, by necessity, additional hells appear and occasionally arise. And all of them, unlike analogues in other religions, are only temporary shelters for sinful souls.
Depending on the degree of earthly sins, the deceased falls into the hell predestined for him. For example, in the hot Sanghata-naraka, crushing hell. Here the sinners are ground into bloody crumbling rocks. Or in the cold Mahapadma-naraka, where it is so cold that the body and internal organs become stiff and crack. Or in Tapana-naraka, where the victims are pierced with red-hot spears. In essence, the multiple hells of Buddhism are somewhat reminiscent of the classic Christian circles of hell. The number of years that must be served in each hell for full redemption and a new rebirth is clearly specified. For example, for the mentioned Sanghata-naraka this number is 10368x1010 years. In general, a lot, frankly. Infernal dungeons in Buddhism are located under the mythological continent of Jambudvipa and are located, like a truncated cone, in eight layers, each with one cold and one hot hell. The lower hell is, the more terrible it is, and the longer you will have to suffer in it.
TARTARUS, in Greek mythology, the space located in the very depths of space, below Hades. Tartarus is as far from Hades as the earth is from heaven. If you throw a copper anvil from heaven to earth, then it would reach the earth in nine days. She would need the same amount to fly from the earth to Tartarus. In Tartar lie the roots of the earth and the sea, all ends and beginnings. It is surrounded by a copper wall, and the night surrounds it in three rows. Tartarus is the home of Nikta (goddess of the Night). Even the gods fear the great abyss of Tartarus. The titans defeated by Zeus were thrown into Tartarus. There they languish behind the brass door guarded by the hundred-handed. The gods of a new generation live on Olympus - the children of the overthrown titans; in Tartarus - the gods of the past generation, the fathers of the winners. Tartarus is the lower sky (as opposed to Olympus - the upper sky). Later, Tartarus was rethought as the most remote place of Hades, where blasphemers and impudent heroes - Aload, Pirithous, Ixion, Salmoneus, Sisyphus, Tityos, Tantalus - are punished.
Torment of the dead in Hades:. Basically, they are boredom and spiritual suffering. Particularly distinguished sinners receive specific punishments, sometimes even physical ones. One can recall Sisyphus, doomed day after day to do meaningless work, pushing a heavy stone to the top of the mountain, which breaks every second a second before the end of the work. King Sipil Tantalus is doomed in Hades to eternal torments of hunger and thirst. He stands up to his neck in the water under the spreading crowns of trees weighed down with fruits, but he cannot drink, because the water leaves, as soon as he bends down, and bite off the fruit, because the branches rise when he stretches his hand to them. And a snake is assigned to the giant Titius, devouring his liver every day, which grows anew during the night. In principle, these martyrs live in Hades more fun than others. At least they have something to do.
Hell in the Aztec tradition was called Mictlan. It was headed by the cruel and evil (like almost all other Aztec gods) god Mictlantecuhtli. Sinners, regardless of position, had to go through nine circles of hell in order to achieve enlightenment and be reborn again. Among other things, it is worth adding that a certain river flows near Mictlan, guarded by a yellow dog.
The Scandinavians believed that there were nine worlds in total, one of them, the middle one, is Midgard - our Earth. The dead are divided into two categories - heroes and everyone else. There are no other principles, no sinners and righteous people. We will talk about the heroes separately, while the rest have only one way: if you die - get a ticket to hell, Helheim. Helheim itself is only a part of a larger world, Niflheim, one of the first worlds that gave rise to our native Midgard. It is cold and uncomfortable in Niflheim, eternal ice and fog reign there, and its most unpleasant part, Helheim itself, is headed by the goddess Hel, the daughter of the cunning Loki.
Helheim is unusually similar to the well-known Greek Hades. Unless in the latter the ruler is male. It is easy to draw analogies. You can cross the river Styx on the boat of Charon to Hades, and cross the river Gyol to Helheim. True, a bridge was built across the latter, vigilantly guarded by the giantess Modgud and the four-eyed dog Garm. Guess what name Garm bears in ancient Greek mythology. That's right, Cerberus.
There are some differences in Helheim. First, its inhabitants constantly suffer not only from boredom, but also from cold, hunger and disease. Secondly, no one can return from Helheim - neither man nor god. The only one who has been there and returned is Odin's messenger, Hermod.
Egyptian mythology, unlike Scandinavian and ancient Greek, includes a description of paradise. But there is no hell as such. The god Osiris rules over the entire afterlife of the Duat, who was meanly killed by his brother Seth, and then resurrected by his son Horus. Osiris is not a match for the rest of the rulers of the afterlife: he is quite kind and peaceful, and is considered the god of rebirth, not death. Yes, and power over the Duat passed to Osiris from Anubis, that is, some kind of change of government took place already in those days.
Egypt in those distant times was a truly legal state. The first thing the deceased did not fall into the cauldrons of hell and not into paradise, but to a fair trial. Before reaching the court, the soul of the deceased had to go through a series of trials, avoid many traps, and answer various questions to the guards. Having passed all this, he appeared before a host of Egyptian gods, headed by Osiris. Further, on special scales, the weight of the heart of the deceased and Truth (in the form of a statuette of the goddess Maat) was compared. If a person lived his life righteously, the heart and Truth weighed the same, and the deceased received the right to go to the fields of Ialu, that is, to paradise. A sinner of an average hand had the opportunity to justify himself before the divine court, but a serious violator of higher laws could not get into paradise in any way. Where did he go? Nowhere. His soul was eaten by the monster Amat, a lion with a crocodile head, and absolute emptiness set in, which seemed to the Egyptians worse than any hell. By the way, Amat sometimes appeared in a triple guise - a hippo was added to the crocodile head.
