Where does human soul go after death? – Exploring customs, religious beliefs, and practices
LAST week, I discussed different religions and beliefs on the life after death. I narrated the beliefs and practices among Christians, Muslims, Buddhist and Hindus. The Hindus believe that the soul is tied in an endless loop of rebirths into this world. The Christians and Muslims believe that the soul goes to heaven or hell. The Buddhists believe that human consciousness is rebirthed until such attains a state of enlightenment. Rebirth in Buddhism can be as humans, animals, or beings in heavenly or hellish realms depending on the past deeds of the human. Finally, I discussed the African cultures generally. The unifying belief is that death is a gateway to the ancestral world from which the souls of the departed will continue to influence the lives of their descendants. This week, I intend to elaborate more on the beliefs and practices on life after death among the Yorubas, Egyptians and the Baha’is.
Beliefs and practices of Yoruba on life after death
The Yoruba believe that death is not the end to life, but a change of life. It is believed that the human soul (or Ori) comes from God (Olodumare) and that it returns to Him after death. Some believe that the return of the soul is premised on it having an appropriate funerary rite. In heaven, the soul may have a chance at immortality or reincarnation to any of its children. The Yoruba also believe that those who were evil while they were alive will experience divine judgement. To the Yoruba, not every dead person becomes an ancestor. For one to become an ancestor, the person must have living descendants. Also, children who die cannot become ancestors since they did not achieve parenthood. There is however the question on whether people who are not ancestors will achieve immortality? However, there is the belief that people who are not ancestors merely change environments in this world and continue to live in a new environment until they die at old age. These are known as Akudaaya.
There is however the belief that if all humans have souls and these souls survive after death and return to their Maker, then all souls will fulfil this requirement without exception. Consequently, all souls should achieve the status of immortality even if they do not qualify as ancestors. It is also believed that the souls of the departed appear to their beloved either in reality or in dreams in the form or characteristic that they assumed when they were still alive. This is a proof that they still exist, even if it is in a world that is different from the one they once lived in.
The Yoruba view about death is also further complicated by the Abiku (the child who keeps dying at infancy).The Abiku is believed to be caused by wicked spirits enter into the womb of pregnant women and are born only to die shortly after. It is believed that this child comes again and again hence marks are made on the body of the dead child. If the mark is seen on the body of the baby at the next birth, the child is deemed an Abiku. If it is true that the same child has come back, then the Abiku must have continued existence somewhere before returning to the same mother.
In summary, the Yoruba believe in life after death. The other question is the location of the heaven where the souls of the departed go to. Most ancient Yorubas answer this question by merely pointing to the sky. The knowledge of space and other planets and galaxies is of little concern to them on the location of heaven. Heaven is just above, covered by the cloud and that houses the Supreme Being and other spiritual beings, including the divinities and the ancestors.
The ancient egyptians and their belief in life after death
The ancient Egyptians believe that life on earth is a part of an eternal journey. The Egyptians believe that everyone is made up of three main parts: the body, the ba and the ka. The ba and the ka are spiritual elements that live inside the body. The ka is like a soul or life force. It is believed that it will leave the body and go to the underworld upon death. The ba on the other hand is the person’s personality which makes each individual unique. This goes to wait for the ka in the afterlife.
The ka enters into the underworld called the Duat. This is a dark and dangerous place where the dead will face many challenges. The god Anubis and other gods (especially those that the person served in life) will assist the ka to ward off the strange creatures and pass by the gatekeepers to reach the ‘Hall of Truth’. The Egyptians are also buried with a scroll called the ‘Book of the Dead’, which include prayers and instructions for passing the trials of the underworld. This journey is not easy. However, it is possible for everyone to make it if they had the help of the gods and the goddesses.
Once a person overcomes the dangers of the underworld, the person meets the god Osiris in the Hall of Truth. At this place, the person lists about forty-two crimes that they had not committed while alive. This is called the ‘Negative Confessions’. Once the confessions are made, the person’s heart will be weighed against a feather from Ma’at, the goddess of truth and justice. If the heart was lighter than the feather, meaning the person lived a virtuous life, they would be allowed to enter into eternal life called the ‘Field of Reeds’. However, if their heart was heavier than the feather due to the sins committed while alive, they would be eaten by the beast called Ammit and would cease to exist.
Any ka that makes it to the afterlife will be reunited with its ba and body in the afterlife, hence the need for the preservation of the body of the dead through mummification. It is believed that life in Field of Reeds is similar to what is obtainable while on earth. At the Field of Reeds, the dead will have families, houses, foods and all the favourite things they had while they were alive.
It is important to note that there are little variations in the account on Egyptian belief on life after death, depending on the different phases of the Egyptian kingdoms in history.
Life and death according to the Baha’is’ writings
The Baha’i faith is a monotheistic religion in Iran and parts of the Middle East. The Baha’is believe that life continues even after death. They believe that at conception, a soul comes into existence, becomes associated with the human body and grows towards God. However, upon death, life continues from a non-physical perspective in which the soul continues to aim towards divine perfection. This existence will continue without end. To the Baha’is, the soul is the same as the spirit. It is an emanation which is from God and is changeless and immortal.
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The Baha’is have no writing indicating reincarnation. The Baha’is described that if a human walked in the ways of God while alive, the soul of such a person will return to a glory that cannot be depicted by pen or described by tongue. It says likewise that the dead shall be reunited with their loved ones in the other world for eternity. Hence death is a messenger of joy since it is a portal into God’s grace and life. However, this only applies to believers in the Baha’i faith.
Life after death in confucianism
Confucianism is not a religion as many believe. Rather, it is a life philosophy. It provides a structure of ethical and philosophical foundations for social values, institutions and the society. Confucianism is a popular belief in China. It is premised on the importance of kindness, harmony and order above all. Consequently, it focuses more on social order and the community and focuses less on what happens when someone dies. It therefore places more premium on living in the present moment.
Confucianists do not act based on the expectations of a reward in heaven or a punishment in hell after death.
To be continued…
Rather, they consider life as meaningful if one acts ethically, pays respect to ancestors and make the most of what they have. what comes after is less important. Life is enough, no matter how short. No one has to worry about what comes next if they played their role in the society.
Also, to talk about death in Confucius is to disrupt the harmony of the society. Hence there is no clear path to the afterlife for adherents to Confucianism. Hence many adherents combine Confucianism on living on earth with other religions such as Buddhism on the afterlife.
