Questions to Master Deshimaru

Question

But do you think the soul lives on after death?

Answer

What do you think? That is a very complex problem, one that is creating difficulties for modern science. I cannot deny it, but I cannot believe it either. Science cannot find a soul in the brain or heart or in any other part of the body. And yet the action of our consciousness goes on. Our karma, our actions, the action of our karma continue. If you hit someone the action continues. When we think, the karma of that thought continues. When you turn off your television set the image disappears from the screen but it continues over the waves. It's the same. The world of now and the spiritual world are reversed, become opposite, but continue. It is a problem which is at once easy and hard. But if I explain it, you are likely to misunderstand. I do not believe that the soul goes up to heaven or down to hell. It cannot get out of the coffin to go anywhere. But the influence of consciousness goes on. There is the story of the master and the disciple who were going to a funeral. The disciple pointed to the coffin and said, "Is that living or not?" And the master answered, "I cannot answer, I say nothing!" The master was clever, neither negative nor positive. To think "I'll go to heaven and be with my family again" is imagination. But to answer "You're a fool to believe that" is no good either. It is better to say nothing. I have my own ideas, but if I make categories in regard to this matter what I say will be generalization, whereas in reality I should have to give a different answer to each person. The problem is a very deep one, touching upon the essence of religions. You must not make categories; the problem is different for each person.