Originally Posted by
brocktonblockbust
İ am afraid and always have been since I was a lıttle kid---to thıinkof everythıng dısdappearıng--goıng black--and never ever returnıng agaın--all my experıuences and memorıes and words and actıons. To me thıs ıs terrıfyıng. I am not afraıd of Hell---I am afraıd of total nothıngness forevermore, forevermore, AND NOT TO KNOW.
Your fear is natural and shows that you truly value life. Whether you believe in Karma or that this life is all there is, you will merely be returning from where you came. Before you were here you had no knowledge of this place, if you did then your existence itself means nothing. You will just be returning to that state. It is easy to feel mournful for the loss of beauty and joy but a wise man in India once said that the meaning of life is suffering. To live is to desire and to desire is to suffer, for in this life all things are transitory and attachment to this is what causes us pain. That attachment will be broken and the pain will go.
As an atheist I see no contradiction between living my life with this in mind just as many who believe in reincarnation do. The problem comes as you so rightly point out when monotheistic religions arrive and introduce the concept of hell. A concept you have done well in dismissing. For me personally the fear is only that if this is all there is, I may not have taken full advantage of this wonderful chance and squandered time in pontificating and not experiencing, learning, creating, loving and and giving enough. The cowled ones scythe can never bring more fear than that which we create ourselves. Let it go and be at peace.
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