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Re: Angkor Wat: Temple relief Heaven & Hell
In article <4kh0r7$e91@babbage.ece.uc.edu>, binkj000@goofy.zdv.uni-mainz.de (Jochen Bink) writes:
|> Hello!
|>
|> The ruins of Angkor were as fascinating to me as the friendliness of
|> the Cambodian people.
|>
|> Lately, as I showed the pictures of the reliefs at Angkor Wat I took a
|> friend asked me how it is that a Hindu temple has a depiction of
|> Heaven and Hell, when Hindu religion is based on the belief of
|> reincarnation, the eternal chakra. The only exit from this is samadhi,
|> which is something like oblivion. I was stumped for lack of an
|> explanation.
|>
|> Where does Heaven and Hell fit into Hinduism?
|>
|> Greetings,
|> --
|> Jochen Bink, Vogelsbergstr. 25, D-55129 Mainz, Germany
|> E-Mails: binkj000@goofy.zdv.uni-mainz.de (Modem)
|> bink@immufa.imm.uni-mainz.de
|> --
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I have the same doubt myself.
I believe that the concepts of Heaven and Hell are later additions to Hinduism.
Still,there are so many different sides to Hinduism.You can take the Puranic way,Heaven, Hell, and stuff.Meant for the common folk who don't have too much spiritual tendency.Probably Heaven and Hell are the most common ways of putting the fear of sin into
the Karmic cycle and stuff.
If you choose the spiritual path,these concepts are still only there to
guide you.The ultimate destination and it's achievement is all left to the individual.
Wow!That was good!!
--Adi.
