In 1999, the Miramax film company presented the comedy film Dogma to the general public. The plot of this picture is built around two fallen angels, Loki and Bartleby, expelled by God from paradise. And this couple lives on earth among people and dreams of forgiveness and return to the Garden of Eden. According to the plot, apostates find among various church dogmas a technical loophole that allows them to become sinless again. After that, one should immediately die - then they automatically go to heaven. And now the angels go into all seriousness in order to fulfill their dream. This comedy film touches on a question that worries many people, although not everyone can even admit to himself: âHow to get to heaven?â Today we will try to figure it out, despite the fact that this topic is, so to speak, in department of faith and religion. Today, science could not provide evidence of the existence of paradise, however, as well as evidence of its absence. Well, let's hit the road ...
What is a paradise?
We offer to start our research with an analysis of the concept itself. If you delve into this topic, you can see that paradise is paradise. And in every religion the vision of this place is completely different, each denomination describes it in its own way. For example, the main book of Christianity, the Bible, gives us the following information about it: this word refers to the Garden of Eden, which was home to Adam and Eve, the progenitors of mankind. The life of the first people in paradise was simple and carefree, they did not know any disease or death. Once they disobeyed God and succumbed to temptation. Immediate expulsion of people from paradise followed. According to the prophecies, the Garden of Eden will be restored, people will live in it again. The Bible claims that paradise was originally created on earth, so Christians believe that it will be restored there. Now only the righteous can get there, and even then only after death.
And what does the Qur'an say about paradise? In Islam, this is also a garden (Jannat), in which the righteous will live after the Day of Judgment. The Qur'an describes in detail this place, its levels and features.
In Judaism, everything is somewhat more confusing, however, after reading the Talmud, Midrash and the Zogar book, we can conclude that the paradise for the Jews is here and now, it was granted to them by Jehovah.
In general, each religion has its own idea of ââthe "cherished garden." One thing remains unchanged. No matter which object is considered, whether it be Buddhist Nirvana or Scandinavian Valhalla, paradise is perceived as a place where eternal bliss reigns bestowed upon the soul of a person after death. There probably is no point in delving into the beliefs of African or Australian natives - they are too alien to us, and therefore we confine ourselves to the largest religious denominations. And let's move on to the main topic of our article: "How to get to heaven?"
Christianity and Islam
With these religions, everything is more or less clear: lead a righteous way of life, that is, live according to God's commandments, and after death your soul will go to the "cherished garden." However, for those who do not want to limit their freedom and are looking for easier ways, there are so-called loopholes to avoid hellfire. True, there are some nuances here. A very striking example is jihad in Islam - zeal on the way to Allah. Recently, this concept has been associated with armed struggle and self-sacrifice, although it is much broader and is a struggle with one's social or spiritual vices. We will consider a particular case of jihad, namely suicide bombers, advertised by the media. World news feeds are full of reports of suicide bombings around the world. Who are they and why are they taking action? It is worth considering whether these people are doing a charitable deed or are they victims of behind-the-scenes manipulators who, in the struggle for power, do not hesitate to shed someone else's blood? After all, the actions of suicide bombers, as a rule, do not affect enemy soldiers, but civilians. So at least their actions can be called dubious, the murder of women and children is not a fight against vices, and you must not kill the main commandment of God. By the way, in Islam, killing is also not welcome, as in Christianity. On the other hand, history remembers the wars committed in the name of God: the Church blessed the crusaders, the Pope personally sent soldiers to their bloody campaign. So the actions of Islamic terrorists can be understood, but justified is impossible. Murder is murder, and no matter what purpose it is committed.
Incidentally, in Orthodox Christianity, military service is also considered a charitable deed, however, it concerns the protection of the Russian land from an external enemy. And in the distant past, and today, priests blessed the soldiers going on a campaign; There are many cases when ministers of the church themselves took up arms and went to war. It is difficult to say for sure whether the soldier who died in battle will go to heaven or not, whether all his sins will be written off him, or, conversely, pulled down into hellish flame. So this method can hardly be called a ticket to the Garden of Eden. Let's try to find other, more reliable methods.
Indulgence
How do people go to heaven? In the first half of the 13th century, Hugo Saint-Shersky in his writings developed the Theological substantiation of indulgence, recognized one hundred years later by Pope Clement VI. Many sinners of that time perked up, because they had a great chance to get rid of their sins, which stood in the way of eternal bliss. What is meant by this concept? Indulgence is a liberation from temporary punishment for committed sins in which a person has already repented, and the guilt for them has already been forgiven in the sacrament of confession. It can be either partial or complete. The believer can receive indulgence for himself or for the deceased. According to Catholic teaching, complete forgiveness is possible only if specific requirements are met: confession, communion, you should definitely pray in the Popeâs intention, and also perform certain actions (witness of faith, ministry of mercy, pilgrimage, etc.). Later, the Church compiled a list of âsuper-good deedsâ that allowed the provision of indulgences.
In the Middle Ages, the practice of issuing forgiveness often led to significant abuses, which can be characterized by the modern concept of âcorruptionâ. The shaggy hydra entangled the Catholic priests so much that it served as an impetus for the Reformation movement. As a result, Pope Pius V in 1567 "covers the shop" and prohibits the issuance of forgiveness for any financial calculations. The modern procedure for their provision is regulated by the document "Guide to Indulgences", which was released in 1968 and supplemented in 1999. Those who ask the question: âHow to go to heaven?â Should understand that this method can work only if you are on your deathbed (so you do not have time to sin again). Although a person often manages to make unforgivable mistakes in his dying state.
The Sacrament of Baptism
How to get to heaven? The sacrament of baptism can help with this . The fact is that, according to Christian doctrine, during this rite, the human soul is freed from all sins. True, the bulk of this method is not suitable, because a person can go through it only once, and in most cases, parents baptize their children in infancy. Twice the rite was held only by representatives of the royal dynasty, and then only at the coronation. So, if you are already baptized and do not belong to the royal family, then this method is not for you. Otherwise, you have a chance to get rid of all your sins, but just do not fall into all the grave and finally do what you will later be ashamed to tell your grandchildren. By the way, some representatives of Judaism prefer to adopt Christianity at an advanced age. So, just in case, because - according to their faith - heaven is here on Earth, and what will happen after death? So you can insure yourself, and at the end of your earthly existence, go over to another camp and secure yourself eternal bliss in the Christian paradise. But, as you see, this path is available only to the elite.
Egyptian, Tibetan and Mesoamerican Books of the Dead
How does the soul go to heaven? Few people know, but for this there are exact instructions that serve as a guide for the deceased in the afterlife. A lot of people have heard about them, more than one film about these treatises was shot in Hollywood, and yet, almost no one is familiar with their content. But in ancient times they were studied with great zeal by both noble people and servants. In fact, from the perspective of a modern person, âThe Book of the Deadâ resembles a computer game such as a quest. It step by step describes all the actions of the deceased, indicates who is waiting for him at one or another level of the afterlife, and what needs to be given to the ministers of the underworld. The yellow press is replete with interviews of survivors of clinical death. People who have seen heaven and hell talk about their feelings and feelings about this. But few people know that the research of these visions, conducted by R. Moody, showed the colossal coincidence of such narratives with that described by the âBooks of the Dead,â or rather, those parts of them that are devoted to the initial moments of posthumous existence. However, all âreturneesâ reach a certain stage, the so-called âpoint of no return,â and they cannot say anything about the future path. But the ancient texts say, and in great detail. And the question immediately arises: how did the ancient civilizations that lived on different continents knew about this? After all, the contents of the texts are almost identical, there are slight differences in details, names, but the essence remains the same. Either it can be assumed that all the âBooks of the Deadâ are copied from one, more ancient, source, or it is the knowledge given to people by the gods, and everything that is written there is true. After all, people who âsaw paradiseâ (survived clinical death) say the same thing, although most of them have never read these manuscripts.
Ancient knowledge and equipment of the deceased
In ancient Egypt, priests prepared and trained the citizens of their country for a posthumous life. How so? During life, a person studied âmagic tricks and formulasâ that helped the soul overcome obstacles and defeat monsters. Relatives always put objects that he would need in the afterlife to the grave of a deceased. For example, you should definitely leave two coins - this is a fee to the boatman for transportation across the river of death. People who "saw paradise" often mention that they met dead friends, good friends or relatives who helped them with advice. And this is easily explained by the fact that the modern person does not know anything about the afterlife, because at school they do not say anything about this, you will not receive similar information at institutes. In the church, priests will also do little to help you. What remains? This is where people close to you appear who are not indifferent to your fate.
Judgment of the gods
Practically in all religions it is said that a person awaits a person after death, at which all the good and evil deeds of the defendant will be compared, weighed, based on which his future fate will be decided. Such a court is also mentioned in the Books of the Dead. A soul wandering in the underworld, having passed all the trials, at the end of the path meets with the supreme King and Judge Osiris, sitting on the throne. A person should turn to him with a certain ritual phrase in which he lists how he lived and whether he followed the commandments of God throughout his life. According to the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the soul, after turning to Osiris, had to make excuses for every sin before the other 42 gods responsible for certain sins. However, no words of the deceased could save him. The main god placed a feather on one scale, which is a symbol of the goddess Maat (truth, justice, world order, truth), and on the second - the heart of the defendant. If it outweighed the pen, it meant that it was full of sins. And such a man was devoured by the monster Amahit.
If the balance remained in balance, or the heart was lighter than a pen, then the soul was expected to meet with relatives and friends, as well as "eternal bliss." People who have seen heaven and hell have never described the judgment of the gods, and this is understandable, because it is beyond the "point of no return", therefore one can only guess about the reliability of this information. But we should not forget that most religious denominations speak of such an âeventâ.
What are people doing in paradise?
Oddly enough, but few people think about it. According to the Bible, Adam (the first person in paradise) lived in the Garden of Eden and did not know any worries, he was not familiar with illnesses, physical labor, he didnât even need to use clothes, so the climatic conditions there were quite comfortable. That's all, nothing more is known about his stay in this place. But this description of the paradise of the earth, and as for heaven, so even less is known about it. The Scandinavian Valhalla and Islamic Jannat promise the righteous eternal bliss, they will be surrounded by full-breasted beauties, and the wine will be poured into their goblets, the Koran tells us that forever young boys with cups will fill the goblets. The righteous will be saved from the torment of a hangover, they will have everything in order with masculine power. Here is such an idyll, however, the status of boys and full-breasted beauties is incomprehensible. Who are they? Deserving of paradise or exiled here as a punishment for past sins? Somehow it is not entirely clear.
Slaves of the gods
About a completely different idyll is narrated by the Book of the Dead. In accordance with these ancient treatises, âeternal blissâ comes down to the fact that there are no crop failures, and, accordingly, famine and wars. People in paradise, as in life, continue to work for the good of the gods. That is, man is a slave. This is evidenced by the books of both the Meso-American Indians and the ancient Egyptians, and, of course, the Tibetan manuscript. But among the ancient Sumerians, the ideal picture of the afterlife looks much darker. Having crossed to the other side, the soul of the deceased passes through seven gates and enters a huge room, in which there is neither drink nor food, but only muddy water and clay. Here the main afterlife torment begins. The only relief for her may be regular sacrifices, which will be carried out by living relatives. If the deceased was a lonely person or loved ones treated him badly and do not want to perform the rite, then the fate awaits the soul: it leaves the dungeon and roams the world in the form of a hungry spirit and harms everyone it meets. This is the idea of ââthe afterlife was among the ancient Sumerians, but the beginning of their works also coincides with the "Books of the Dead." Unfortunately, people âwho were in paradiseâ are not able to open the veil over what is behind the âpoint of no returnâ. Not able to do this and representatives of major religious denominations.
Pater Dee about religions
In Russia there are many religious areas of the so-called pagan direction. One of these is the Old Russian Church of the Orthodox Inglean Old Believers, the leader of which is A. Khinevich. In one of his video speeches, Pater Diy recalls the assignment received from his mentor teacher. The essence of his âmissionâ was as follows: find out from representatives of the main religious denominations what they know about hell and heaven. As a result of such surveys, Hinevich learns that Christian, Islamic, Jewish worshipers have comprehensive information about hell. They can name all his levels, dangers, ordeals awaiting the sinner, almost by name list all the monsters who will meet with a lost soul, and so on, so forth, so forth ... However, absolutely all the ministers with whom he had the chance to communicate have amazingly little knowledge. about paradise. They have only superficial information about the place of eternal bliss. Why is that? Hinevich himself draws the following conclusion: they say that they serve, they know ... We will not be so categorical in our judgments, and leave this to the reader. In this case, it would be appropriate to recall the words of the classic, the genius M. A. Bulgakov. In the novel âThe Master and Margarita,â he puts into Wolandâs mouth the phrase that there are many theories regarding the afterlife. There is one among them, according to which everyone will be given according to his faith ...
Is there enough space?
Various informational resources often discuss topics related to the Garden of Eden. People are interested in various questions. And how can I get there, and how many people are in paradise and much more. A couple of years ago, the whole world was in a fever: everyone was waiting for the "end of the world", which was supposed to come in December 2012. In this regard, many predicted that the very âJudgment Dayâ was about to come, when God descended to the earth and punished all sinners, and granted the righteous eternal bliss. And here the fun begins. And how many people will go to heaven? Is there enough room for everyone? Or will everything happen, as in the plans of globalists who want to leave the âgolden billionâ on the planet? These and similar questions haunted many, making it difficult to sleep at night. However, 2013 came, the "end of the world" did not come, and the expectation of "Doomsday" remained. Increasingly, Jehovah's Witnesses, evangelists, etc., turn to passers-by with a call to repent and let God into their souls, because soon everything will end, and everyone must make their choice before it is too late.
Heaven on earth
According to the Bible, the Garden of Eden was on Earth, and many theologians are confident that in the future it will also be restored to our planet. However, a reasonable person may ask: why wait for the doomsday, maybe you can build a paradise on your own? Ask any fisherman who met the sunrise with a fishing rod in his hands somewhere on a quiet lake: where is paradise? He will answer with confidence that he is on Earth, here and now. Maybe you should not sit in a stuffy apartment? Try to go out into the forest, on a river or in the mountains, wander in silence, listen to the birds singing, look for mushrooms, berries - and, quite possibly, you will discover this âeternal blissâ during your lifetime. However, a person is so arranged that he always awaits a miracle ... Like, some kind uncle will appear and solve all his problems - he will wean the sluts to throw garbage past the ballot box, rude people - to swear, louts - to park in the wrong place, corrupt people - to take bribes and so on Further. A man sits and waits, and life passes by, it canât be returned ... Muslims have a parable called âThe Last Man Who Entered Paradiseâ. She perfectly conveys the essence of human nature, which always remains dissatisfied with the true state of things. A person always remains unsatisfied, even if he receives what he dreams about. I wonder if he will be happy in paradise, or maybe some time will pass - and he will begin to be weighed down by âeternal blissâ, will he want something more? After all, Adam and Eve also could not resist the temptations. It would be worth considering ...
"Terraria": how to get to paradise
In the end, this issue will have to be covered, although it is difficult to attach to the topic of the article. Terraria is a computer game of the sandbox genre in the style of a 2D format. It features customizable characters, a dynamic change of time of day, randomly generated worlds, the possibility of landscape deformation, as well as a crafting system. Many gamers puzzle, asking a similar question: âTerrariaâ: how to get to heaven? âThe fact is that in this project there are several biomes:â Jungle â,â Ocean â,â Ground World â,â Dungeon â,â Underworld â ", Etc. ... In theory, there should be a" Paradise ", but it canât be found. It is especially difficult for beginners. This is the biome that is torn from the logical chain. Although experienced players claim that it exists. To get there, you need to craft the wings of the harpy and the realm of power. You can get the necessary components near the âSoaring Islandsâ. These are land areas floating in the air. Their appearance is not much different from the ground surface: here there are the same trees, deposits of resources that are on the ground, and only a lonely-standing temple with a chest inside stands out from the rest of the landscape. Harpies will surely appear nearby, dropping the feathers we need so much, and other monsters. Be on the alert!
That is where we end our journey. Let us hope that the reader will find his way to "eternal bliss."