1. Dave Bareither Anne krippenstapel Steve Patterson

2. Greek and Buddhist views
Afterlife perspectives: compare and contrast. By Anne K.

3. Body disposal
Ancient Greek: Tying down, burning the body and putting a grave stone over it as a marker/memorial for the deceased. Remembrance, permanence and fear are paramount to the Greek attitude of death.
Buddhist: “Sky burial” the deceased is fed to birds. Some sects believe birds to be carriers of the soul. No marker/ graves. The belief of the body as an empty impermanent shell reflect this. The body and life in general is an impermanent illusion.

4. Realm of the dead
Ancient Greek: The underworld is a very real place with unchanging fate for all. (save for the exceptional/heroes) all for one deal for everyone.
Buddhism: more abstract place, conceptual place for your mind/soul. No actual domain that one proceeds to. Most believe that the soul waits another existence. (usually reincarnation)

5. Realm of the dead-cont.
Ancient Greek: Anthropomorphic characters like Hades, Thanatos and Charon.( Cerberus and Persephone too)
Buddhism: No one in particular. But the way one lived their life is the way one spends the afterlife, keeping good thoughts, practicing “inner peace“ (for a lack of better term) leads one to a better place, flipside, if one is filled with hate, then they have a “demon filled” afterlife. But it is not quite the same as the Heaven/Hell dichotomy.

6. Other interesting notes:
The idea that the soul is reincarnated was known in the Ancient Greek philosophy, but was unpopular in its religion.
Many ideas on death and the afterlife vary from region to region in Buddhism, no set or official doctrine on the subject, and much of it is influenced by local folk religions as well.

8. A Comparative Study of Greek and Islamic Views on the Afterlife

9. Comparative Study of Greek and Islamic View of Underworld/Jahannam
For most Greeks the afterlife was as real as life itself, the difference it holds to other beliefs is that there was little to look forward to once you got their
The afterlife for Islamic believers is separated into Jannah, which means “garden” (similar to paradise) and seven realms of hell, the most commonly used being, Jahannam, which means, “place of great depth” (similar in function to hell)

10. Greek/Roman and Islamic Terminology
Romans that eventually adopted the belief’s of Greeks referred to the Underworld as Orcus or, “the place that confines”
The obvious similarities
between these two
perceptions is that both
resemble a place that is
either geographically or
symbolically endless and
one from where you
cannot return
In the Koran the Underworld Is also referred to, although less frequently, as Hawiyah, meaning “abyss or bottomless place”

11. So… You’re Dead, Now What?
Particularly deserving
Greeks were subject to
the punishment of
Tartarus for more heinous
crimes. The Danaids were forced
to fill a basin of water that was
ever draining, Sisyphus pushing
his boulder up a hill, or Tantalus
being tantalized forever
Jahannam is a place of
torment for both non-
believers and
unstatisfactory believers,
the main form of
punishment being fire.
Punishment also included; denial
of light and water, scorching
wind, boiling water, and inhaling
black smoke

12. Similar Punishment for Similar Crime
The Greeks had various crimes or “sins” that were
considered taboos, and the same held true for Islamic
believers. The Greek crime of Xenia is portrayed in
Islam as refusing to feed the poor, or simply a lack of
hospitality. Hubris is also frowned upon in Islamic
beliefs. Special punishments were reserved for those
who ignored God or God’s resurrection. Also, to gain
economically through exploitation of others granted you
entrance into one of the seven realms of the Underworld.

13. Divisions of the Underworld
Greeks Believed
Hermes was the first line
of contact to the
underworld and he lead
the soul to Charon, who
ferried you to
Acheron, where most
souls resided. And of course
there was Tartarus, where
souls were punished for
eternity
Realms of Underworld
Jahannam (purgatory fire) –for Muslims
Lazā (flaming fire) – for Christians
Hutāma (raging fire) – for Jews
Sa’ïr (blazing fire) - Sabeaens
Saqar (scorching fire) – for the Magi
Jahïm (fierce fire) – for Idolaters
Hāwiyah (the abyss) – for Hypocrites

14. Can you ever get Out?
For Greeks the Underworld has somewhat of a revolving door where the living could visit and return and in addition, the dead could also be given power, ex. Minos and the Three Judges
Jahannam is considered a place of confinement where a sentence must be carried out. Many scholars believe that Jahannam eventually purifies men of evil, making, them fit for divine service. Similar in form to the position given to Minos, Aecus, ans Rhadamanthys

15. A Comparative Study of Greek and Islamic Views on the Afterlife

16. Comparative Study of Greek and Islamic View of Underworld/Jahannam
For most Greeks the afterlife was as real as life itself, the difference it holds to other beliefs is that there was little to look forward to once you got their
The afterlife for Islamic believers is separated into Jannah, which means “garden” (similar to paradise) and seven realms of hell, the most commonly used being, Jahannam, which means, “place of great depth” (similar in function to hell)

17. Greek/Roman and Islamic Terminology
Romans that eventually adopted the belief’s of Greeks referred to the Underworld as Orcus or, “the place that confines”
The obvious similarities
between these two
perceptions is that both
resemble a place that is
either geographically or
symbolically endless and
one from where you
cannot return
In the Koran the Underworld Is also referred to, although less frequently, as Hawiyah, meaning “abyss or bottomless place”

18. So… You’re Dead, Now What?
Particularly deserving
Greeks were subject to
the punishment of
Tartarus for more heinous
crimes. The Danaids were forced
to fill a basin of water that was
ever draining, Sisyphus pushing
his boulder up a hill, or Tantalus
being tantalized forever
Jahannam is a place of
torment for both non-
believers and
unstatisfactory believers,
the main form of
punishment being fire.
Punishment also included; denial
of light and water, scorching
wind, boiling water, and inhaling
black smoke

19. Similar Punishment for Similar Crime
The Greeks had various crimes or “sins” that were
considered taboos, and the same held true for Islamic
believers. The Greek crime of Xenia is portrayed in
Islam as refusing to feed the poor, or simply a lack of
hospitality. Hubris is also frowned upon in Islamic
beliefs. Special punishments were reserved for those
who ignored God or God’s resurrection. Also, to gain
economically through exploitation of others granted you
entrance into one of the seven realms of the Underworld.

20. Divisions of the Underworld
Greeks Believed
Hermes was the first line
of contact to the
underworld and he lead
the soul to Charon, who
ferried you to
Acheron, where most
souls resided. And of course
there was Tartarus, where
souls were punished for
eternity
Realms of Underworld
Jahannam (purgatory fire) –for Muslims
Lazā (flaming fire) – for Christians
Hutāma (raging fire) – for Jews
Sa’ïr (blazing fire) - Sabeaens
Saqar (scorching fire) – for the Magi
Jahïm (fierce fire) – for Idolaters
Hāwiyah (the abyss) – for Hypocrites

21. Can you ever get Out?
For Greeks the Underworld has somewhat of a revolving door where the living could visit and return and in addition, the dead could also be given power, ex. Minos and the Three Judges
Jahannam is considered a place of confinement where a sentence must be carried out. Many scholars believe that Jahannam eventually purifies men of evil, making, them fit for divine service. Similar in form to the position given to Minos, Aecus, ans Rhadamanthys