The next life, together
- LTO
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The next life, together
When I first met the my wife 18 or so years ago, before we were together as a couple, and we talked about what she wanted to do in life, what would make her happy, in an unusually candid moment she said something to the effect that this life was not for her, she was just trying to get through as a good person, that she was looking to the next life for happiness and doing what she wanted in this world.
She takes the ‘next life’ stuff fairly seriously. Her talk of it, rare as it is, is not poetic or metaphorical, but how it is.
Though we never spoke of it again, this conversation stuck with me, and kind of disturbed me. Not the religious aspects of it (which I don’t share but don’t judge either), but that there seemed such hopelessness and resignation in it – that one’s hope for happiness could only be found in a new life after this one, and that this life was limited to only doing one’s duty in anticipation the next.
18 years and two kids later, last night, after a good evening, my wife, who is not given to expressions of strong emotion or romantic speech, said out of nowhere, “I love you. We can’t lose each other, after, after we die. If you go first, please wait. I will find you, and be first, and we will be together. If I go before, I will wait, and still find you, and be your wife and we will do this all again.”
I thought of that old conversation, but now happiness in the next life to be found not in the end of this one but in repeating it.
And it did my heart good.
(If the mods feel this post might be better suited somewhere else, please feel free to move it. I had no idea where to put it.)
She takes the ‘next life’ stuff fairly seriously. Her talk of it, rare as it is, is not poetic or metaphorical, but how it is.
Though we never spoke of it again, this conversation stuck with me, and kind of disturbed me. Not the religious aspects of it (which I don’t share but don’t judge either), but that there seemed such hopelessness and resignation in it – that one’s hope for happiness could only be found in a new life after this one, and that this life was limited to only doing one’s duty in anticipation the next.
18 years and two kids later, last night, after a good evening, my wife, who is not given to expressions of strong emotion or romantic speech, said out of nowhere, “I love you. We can’t lose each other, after, after we die. If you go first, please wait. I will find you, and be first, and we will be together. If I go before, I will wait, and still find you, and be your wife and we will do this all again.”
I thought of that old conversation, but now happiness in the next life to be found not in the end of this one but in repeating it.
And it did my heart good.
(If the mods feel this post might be better suited somewhere else, please feel free to move it. I had no idea where to put it.)
"From resignation to happiness"
Good one LTO, and your post is perfectly right where it is.
Good one LTO, and your post is perfectly right where it is.
- Jacked Camry
- Is the World Outside still there ?
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Yes, my wife talks about the same thing. Except that it's her opinion that we should switch for the next one and she'll be the husband and I'll be the wife. Seems she thinks I have it easier than her. Perhaps she's right - I've not agreed to the switch after all.
Two Lovers/Soulmates in a past Life Meet Once Again in the Current Life
http://www.srokyerng.com/news/articles/3688.aspx
http://www.srokyerng.com/news/articles/3688.aspx
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On my understanding of this existence that is certainly a possibility what your wife requests but not a probability. Once we leave here, we'll remember all our memories, not just what we learned this life. Then we may choose to enter again, wiped clean to take the journey again. Or remain on the other side where we may already have a family and life.LTO wrote:
18 years and two kids later, last night, after a good evening, my wife, who is not given to expressions of strong emotion or romantic speech, said out of nowhere, “I love you. We can’t lose each other, after, after we die. If you go first, please wait. I will find you, and be first, and we will be together. If I go before, I will wait, and still find you, and be your wife and we will do this all again.”
- Lucky Lucan
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Very sweet expressions. However, much as I love many people, I'm a bit too cynical for that kind of stuff. Life is great, do the best you can - don't expect anything else.
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
Existence of "Next life" is a core Buddhism thing, with the emphasize that you earn the type of Next life based on your behavior in current life towards your fellow human (and other) beings.
Same, same a little bit with Christianity, though without it specifying what the next life consists of (other then heaven/hell) and being pretty cruel sometimes about what is acceptable/required in current life.
Islam is a whole different kind of sport: To earn a pretty unspecified "heaven", you need to be very Muslim-religious and actively spreading out (even with violence) the religion.
(1-2 Centuries ago, Christianity did have the same approach, though those religion crusades faded with increased current well-being of the general Christian population).
Have a "happy" Next life
Same, same a little bit with Christianity, though without it specifying what the next life consists of (other then heaven/hell) and being pretty cruel sometimes about what is acceptable/required in current life.
Islam is a whole different kind of sport: To earn a pretty unspecified "heaven", you need to be very Muslim-religious and actively spreading out (even with violence) the religion.
(1-2 Centuries ago, Christianity did have the same approach, though those religion crusades faded with increased current well-being of the general Christian population).
Have a "happy" Next life
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Dude, LTO, sounds like you best wait for her after you die.Gin&Tonic wrote:On my understanding of this existence that is certainly a possibility what your wife requests but not a probability. Once we leave here, we'll remember all our memories, not just what we learned this life. Then we may choose to enter again, wiped clean to take the journey again. Or remain on the other side where we may already have a family and life.LTO wrote:
18 years and two kids later, last night, after a good evening, my wife, who is not given to expressions of strong emotion or romantic speech, said out of nowhere, “I love you. We can’t lose each other, after, after we die. If you go first, please wait. I will find you, and be first, and we will be together. If I go before, I will wait, and still find you, and be your wife and we will do this all again.”
Anyone who doesn't like Capitalism is a pathetic loser. God bless the USA and no place else.
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I've been meaning to start a flippant thread asking whether Khmer women view marrying older white men as a lifetime commitment. I mean, when an expat in Phnom Penh in his late 40's marries a local woman in her early twenties, she has to realize that they're not going to "grow old together." There's a good chance she'll be a single widow in her 40's or 50's. Are they obsessed with the idea of being financially taken care if after the husband inevitably dies and having a well thought out transition plan for when that occurs? I would be.
Last edited by gavinmac on Tue Jun 02, 2015 5:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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My belief is that we never die. We may have been born (Not here) but we will not die. Our life on earth is merely one chapter of a book and it's not the first chapter. On the other plane we retain all our memories but whilst here we only remember what happens here.DetroitMuscle wrote:Dude, LTO, sounds like you best wait for her after you die.Gin&Tonic wrote:On my understanding of this existence that is certainly a possibility what your wife requests but not a probability. Once we leave here, we'll remember all our memories, not just what we learned this life. Then we may choose to enter again, wiped clean to take the journey again. Or remain on the other side where we may already have a family and life.LTO wrote:
18 years and two kids later, last night, after a good evening, my wife, who is not given to expressions of strong emotion or romantic speech, said out of nowhere, “I love you. We can’t lose each other, after, after we die. If you go first, please wait. I will find you, and be first, and we will be together. If I go before, I will wait, and still find you, and be your wife and we will do this all again.”
Whether we are here for education, punishment, entertainment or whatever will never be known whilst here but once back on the other side all will be known.
My "religion" is very unconventional but it makes sense to me, has a scientific basis and causes little to no conflict with other world religions. If you want further insights, by pm only.
The Gin&Tonic approach ?Gin&Tonic wrote:My belief is that we never die. We may have been born (Not here) but we will not die.
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It's a real shame that many interesting and well-meant threads get derailed quickly into personal insults and abuse.
On topic, many people appear to be living on the "next life" dynamic but giving shit to others in this life.
On topic, many people appear to be living on the "next life" dynamic but giving shit to others in this life.
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