이슬람과 불교의 죽음이해에 대한 비교연구: 꾸란과 숫타니파타를 중심으로

Abstract

World religions teach us how to encounter death and to deal with it. Both Islam and Buddhism draw religious maps of imagination by which their believers can overcome the anger of death and endure the uncertainty in the future. Suicide is a sin to Islam and it is the nonviolent cessation of self which can be justified in Buddhism. This paper will examine the idea of death in Islam and Buddhism by analyzing the Qur'an and Suttanipatta from the perspective of phenomenology of religion. Islamic idea of death is based on Sharia law,mainly the Qur'an and Hadith. Buddhist idea of death comes from the early Buddhist scriptures like Suttanipatta and Dhammapada. First, Muslims regard death as Allah's plan. Since Allah gives all human beings different spans of life, people cannot complain about His plan. Therefore, Muslims should pray to Allah while they are living in this world. After death, people will be divided into two groups for heaven and hell according to their good actions. The quick burial of body in Islamic funeral indicates that Muslims believe in the physical resurrection of the dead on the Day of Judgment. Second, Buddhists regard death as the limitation of humanity. A form of new life starts after the death within the permanent circle of birth and death. In Buddhism, the eternal life is thought as a curse to be overcome. In order to reach the stage of liberation, People should learn Buddha's teaching and practice His wisdom through study and meditation. Buddhism denies the concept of self, so the true self seeks for the peace of mind beyond this life. Like Hinduism, the creation funeral is popular among the Buddhists. In conclusion, both Islam and Buddhism have different ideas of death. Islam emphasizes Allah's judgment after death, while Buddhism points out the great liberation beyond the circle of life and death. They both suggests us the paradigm shift from ego-centrism to Reality-centrism. In spite of huge gaps between monotheistic Islam and atheistic Buddhism, they share the common value of peace and nonviolence with each other.