Rapper Okyeame Kwame, in his latest Sunday Reflections, pondered over the different heavens of various religious backgrounds across the world.
According to the musician, there are many kinds of heaven, adding that, people can create their own heavens on earth before they await the afterlife.
He explained that though people come from different backgrounds and death is the only inevitable way to see heaven, the “unseen atmosphere” can be experienced right here on earth and not only when one dies.
Read his full piece below:
Sunday Reflections: Which heaven are you going to?
Most dominant cultures and religions have their own idea of what heaven is. Some of them share similarities, others deviate from each other completely.
When I say heaven, I do not mean the atmospheric space above the earth. I mean the afterlife, a place or realm that people live happily after their physical death.
THE CHRISTIAN HEAVEN: A place for the saints where immortals live joyfully without sin forever.
THE PARADISE: A beautiful garden where humans live with animals in peace without sin, death and diseases on earth.
JANNAH: (Paradise or garden) is the final abode of the righteous and the Islamic believers, The Garden of Eden, where Adam and Hawa dwelt.
SVARGA LOKA: Is a set of heavenly worlds located on and above Mt. Meru where the righteous live in paradise before their next incarnation.
NNSAMANDO: “Nnsa” meaning perpetual, “man” meaning nation, “do” meaning place or on. Nnsamando (immortals) is the opposite of “Adasamma” (mortals) meaning the children of limited days. Ancestors embark on a peaceful journey without any trouble.
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VIKING VALHALLA: Is a majestic, enormous hall located in Asgard, ruled over by the God Odin. In Valhalla, the dead warriors join the masses of those who have died in combat to drink and make merry with Odin.
There are many other concepts of what heaven is supposed to be depending on beliefs and traditions etc.
The interesting thing is that, one must physically die.
By the way, quantum physics sorts of agree with the concept of afterlife… “If life is considered to be an energy force, it can neither be created nor destroyed”, it can only change it shape and form.
One thing that we need to observe closely is that we are all not going to heaven in another person’s culture unless you are a believer in their religion.
I am not here to say heaven exists or it doesn’t, because there is only one way to find out.. Through death and I have never died before. However, if it’s true it could be a fun place.
Okyeame Kwame
One thing that is constant in most cultures is that the prerequisite to acquire visa to heaven are usually two.
(1) To believe in that culture/religion and (2) to do something good for humanity.
My question is; if we all want to live happily in a society without evil, why don’t we invest in understanding our true nature? Why don’t we all stop hurting people?; stop being greedy; stop killing animals; stop cutting trees; stop poisoning waters and hurting nature?
This will instantly create the paradise that we seek before even waiting to die to find out whether it is real or not.
MY QUESTIONS:
1. Is man capable of creating our paradise here on earth?
2. How do you know your “heaven” is the only heaven?
3. Which of these heavens are you going to?