Ubomi Emva Kokufa—yintoni Abantu Abayikholelwayo?
“Ukuba uthe umfo wafa, wophila na?”—YOBHI 14:14.
1, 2. Abaninzi bazithuthuzela njani xa befelwe ngothandekayo?
KUMZI wabangcwabi kwiSixeko saseNew York, kuthe xhonkxosholo abahlobo nentsapho ngakwibhokisi yomngcwabo evulekileyo yenkwenkwe eneminyaka eli-17 ubudala eyayibulewe ngumhlaza. Intliziyo ilihlwili, unina wenza isimbonono esithi: “UTommy wonwabe ngakumbi ngoku. UThixo ebefuna uTommy aye kuye ezulwini.” Leyo yinkolelo emiliselwe engqondweni yakhe.
2 EJamnagar, eIndiya, kumgama oziikhilomitha ezingama-11 000 ukusuka apho, oyinkulu koonyana abathathu untumeka ukhuni kwiziko lokutshisa isidumbu sikayise. Njengoko kuvakala ukuqhuqhumba komlilo, intsapho yakwaBrahman yenza isikhungo solwimi lwesiSanskrit esithi: “Wanga umphefumlo wakho ongafiyo ungaqhubeka usenza umgudu wokuxhamla obona bomi bokwenene.”
3. Yiyiphi imibuzo ababekade bezibuza yona abantu kangangeminyaka?
3 Ilifu elimnyama lokufa lisigubungele sonke. (Roma 5:12) Kuyinto yemvelo ukuzibuza enoba ukufa kusisiphelo sayo yonke into kusini na. Etsalel’ ingqalelo kumjikelo wobomi bezityalo, uYobhi, umkhonzi othembekileyo wamandulo kaYehova uThixo, wathi: “Kukho ithemba emthini; ukuba uthe wagawulwa, wobuya uhlume, igatya lawo lingapheli.” Kuthekani ke ngabantu? UYobhi wabuza esithi: “Ukuba uthe umfo wafa, wophila na?” (Yobhi 14:7, 14) Sekuyiminyaka ngoku abantu bazo zonke iindidi bezibuza ukuba: Ngaba bukho ubomi emva kokufa? Ukuba bukho, hlobo luni lobomi? Yintoni abayikholelwayo abantu? Yaye ngoba?
Iimpendulo Zininzi, Umongo Uyafana
4. Yintoni abayikholelwayo abantu beenkonzo ezahlukahlukeneyo ngobomi emva kokufa?
4 Abaninzi abathi bangamaKristu bakholelwa ukuba emva kokufa, abantu baya ezulwini okanye esihogweni. Kwelinye icala, amaHindu akholelwa ukuba baphinda bazalwe ngokutsha. Kanti amaSilamsi wona akholelwa ukuba kuza kubakho umhla womgwebo emva kokufa, aya kuthi ngawo uAllah ahlole ubomi bomntu ngamnye aze amthumele eparadesi okanye esihogweni somlilo. Kwamanye amazwe, iinkolelo eziphathelele ukufa zingumxube obangel’ umdla wezithethe zabo bathi bangamaKristu nezasekuhlaleni. Ngokomzekelo, eSri Lanka amaBhuda namaKatolika azivula gengelele iingcango neefestile xa kukho ofayo entsatsheni yawo, aze ibhokisi yomngcwabo ayibeke ngohlobo lokuba iinyawo zomfi zijongise ngasemnyango. Akholelwa ukuba oku kwenza kube lula ukuba umoya, okanye umphefumlo, kamfi uphume. AmaKatolika namaProtestanti amaninzi aseNtshona Afrika, anesithethe sokugquma izipili xa kukho ofileyo ukuze kungabikho bani ukhangela esipilini aze abone umoya womfi. Kuthi ke emva kweentsuku ezingama-40, intsapho nabahlobo babhiyozele ukunyukela komphefumlo ezulwini.
5. Yiyiphi eyona nkolelo evana ngayo inkoliso yeenkonzo?
5 Nakuba ezi nkqubo zahlukene, kuyabonakala ukuba ubuncinane likho eli khonkco lidibanisa inkoliso yeenkonzo. Zikholelwa ukuba kukho okuthile okungaphakathi emntwini—enoba zikubiza ngokuba ngumphefumlo, umoya, okanye umshologu—okungafiyo nokuqhubeka kuphila ngemva kokufa komzimba. Phantse zonke iinkonzo namahlelo eNgqobhoko akholelwa ekungafini komphefumlo. Le nkolelo ikwayimfundiso esemthethweni kwiinkonzo zamaYuda. Kanti ikwasiso nesiseko semfundiso yamaHindu yokuzalwa ngokutsha. AmaSilamsi nawo akholelwa ukuba umphefumlo uqhubeka uphila emva kokufa komzimba. ABemi Bomthonyama baseOstreliya, ama-Afrika akholelwa kwimimoya, amaShinto namaBhuda, bonke batshila ngesidanga esinye.
6. Bambi abaphengululi bayigqala njani imbono yokungafi komphefumlo?
6 Bakho ke kambe abo bakholelwa ukuba ukufa kuthetha ukuphela kobomi. Bayigqala njengengekho ngqiqweni ingcamango yokuba iimvakalelo kunye nengqondo yomntu ziyaqhubeka zikumphefumlo ongumoya ongabonakaliyo owahlukanisiweyo nomzimba. Umphengululi waseSpeyin wenkulungwane yama-20 uMiguel de Unamuno ubhala athi: “Ukukholelwa ekungafini komphefumlo kungumnqweno wokuba umphefumlo ungafi, kodwa lo mnqweno unamandla ngohlobo lokuba ude wayongamela ingqiqo.” Le nkolelo iye yabalasela nakubantu abadumileyo abanjengezithandi zobulumko uAristotle noEpicurus, nogqirha uHippocrates, isithandi sobulumko uDavid Hume waseSkotlani, umphengululi ongumArabhu uAverroës, nenkulumbuso yokuqala yaseIndiya emva kokufumana kwayo inkululeko, uJawaharlal Nehru.
7. Yiyiphi imibuzo ebalulekileyo esimele siyiqwalasele ngokuphathelele inkolelo yokungafi komphefumlo?
7 Njengoko sixinwe zezi ngcamango neenkolelo eziphikisanayo, simele sizibuze ukuba: Ngaba ngokwenene sinomphefumlo ongafiyo? Ukuba liyinyaniso elokuba umphefumlo uyafa, kwenzeka njani ukuba le mfundiso yobuxoki ibe ngundoqo kwiinkonzo ezininzi zanamhlanje? Yayivela phi kakade le ngcamango? Kubalulekile ukuba sifumane iimpendulo ezichanileyo nezanelisayo zale mibuzo kuba ikamva lethu lixhomekeke kuzo. (1 Korinte 15:19) Kodwa ke, masiqale ngokuhlolisisa imvelaphi yemfundiso yokungafi komphefumlo.
Imvelaphi Yale Mfundiso
8. Babe nayiphi indima uSocrates noPlato ekuhambiseleni phambili ingcamango yokungafi komphefumlo?
8 Izithandi zobulumko zamaGrike zenkulungwane yesihlanu ngaphambi kweXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo uSocrates noPlato bothulelw’ umnqwazi njengabokuqala ukuhambisela phambili inkolelo yokungafi komphefumlo. Kodwa, asingabo oonozala bale ngcamango. Kunoko, basuka nje bayiphucula baza bayenza imfundiso yentanda-bulumko, yaza ke yanomtsalane ngakumbi kwizifundiswa zomhla wabo nezaphila emva koko. Eneneni kwamandulo phayaa abalandeli bakaZoroaster basePersi naseYiputa babekholelwa ekungafini komphefumlo. Ngoko ke, nanku umbuzo ophakamayo, Ivela phi le mfundiso?
9. Yintoni eyaphembelela izithethe zamandulo zaseYiputa, ezasePersi nezaseGrisi?
9 Incwadi ethi The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria ithi: “Mandulo, iYiputa, iPersi neGrisi zachatshazelwa lunqulo lwaseBhabhiloni.” Xa ithetha ngeenkolelo zonqulo zaseYiputa, le ncwadi ithi: “Ngenxa yonxibelelwano olwalukho ngaphambili phakathi kweYiputa neBhabhiloni, ngokutsho kwamacwecwe ase-El-Amarna, ngokuqinisekileyo ayemaninzi amathuba okuba unqulo lwaseYiputa losulelwe ziimbono nezithethe zaseBhabhiloni.”a Kukwanjalo nangezithethe zamandulo zamaPersi nezamaGrike.
10. Yayiyintoni imbono yamaBhabhiloni ngobomi emva kokufa?
10 Kodwa ngaba amaBhabhiloni amandulo ayekholelwa ekungafini komphefumlo? Ekuphenduleni, uNjingalwazi uMorris Jastrow, Omnci., weYunivesithi yasePennsylvania, eUnited States, wabhala wathi: “Abantu kunye neenkokeli zonqulo [lwamaBhabhiloni] abazange bayithakazelele ingcamango yokubhanga kobomi. Ekubeni singakwazi ukuphila singafi [kobu bomi], oko kusisiqinisekiso sokuba ukufa [ngokwembono yabo] kungumchankcatho oya kolunye uhlobo lobomi.” Ewe, amaBhabhiloni ayekholelwa ukuba kukho uhlobo oluthile lobomi emva kokufa. Oku ayekubonisa ngokufaka engcwabeni likamfi izinto aya kuzisebenzisa kweleMimoya.
11, 12. Emva koMkhukula, yavela phi imfundiso yokungafi komphefumlo?
11 Licacile elokuba, le mfundiso yokungafi komphefumlo yantshula kwiBhabhiloni yamandulo. Ngaba kuyasinceda ukwazi oko? Kakhulu, kuba ngokutsho kweBhayibhile, isixeko saseBhabheli, okanye iBhabhiloni, sasekwa nguNimrodi, umzukulwana kaNowa. Emva koMkhukula womhlaba wonke womhla kaNowa, bonke abantu babethetha ulwimi olunye yaye benonqulo olunye. UNimrodi wayenganelanga ‘kuchasana noYehova’ nje kuphela, kodwa yena nabalandeli bakhe babefuna ‘ukuzenzela igama.’ Kungoko uNimrodi waqalisa unqulo olwahlukileyo, ngokuthi azakhele isixeko nenqaba.—Genesis 10:1, 6, 8-10; 11:1-4, thelekisa iNW.
12 Kuthiwa uNimrodi wafa kabuhlungu. Ngokusengqiqweni ke ngoko, emva kokufa kwakhe, amaBhabhiloni amele ukuba atyekela ekubonakaliseni imbeko kuye njengomseki, nomakhi, nokumkani wokuqala wesixeko sawo. Ekubeni uthixo uMarduki (uMerodaki) wayegqalwa njengomseki weBhabhiloni yaye ookumkani abaliqela baseBhabhiloni bathiywa ngaye, bambi abaphengululi baye bagqiba kwelokuba uMarduki lo nguNimrodi owenziwe isithixo. (2 Kumkani 25:27; Isaya 39:1; Yeremiya 50:2) Ukuba kunjalo, ngoko ingcamango yokuba umntu unomphefumlo ongafiyo imele ukuba yayikho ngexesha lokufa kukaNimrodi. Neencwadi zembali zibonisa ukuba indawo eyavela kuyo imfundiso yokungafi komphefumlo emva koMkhukula, yiBhabheli, okanye iBhabhiloni.
13. Yasasazeka njani imfundiso yokungafi komphefumlo emhlabeni wonke, yaye waba yintoni umphumo?
13 IBhayibhile ikwabonisa nokuba uThixo wawatshitshisa amalinge okwakhiwa kwenqaba eBhabheli ngokuthi adubadube ulwimi lwabo. Bathe bakungavani ngentetho, bayeka ukwakha baza bachithachitheka “ehlabathini lonke.” (Genesis 11:5-9) Simele sikhumbule ukuba nakuba intetho yabo bakhi benqaba yatshintshwayo, zona iingcinga neengcamango zabo zazingatshintshanga. Ngoko, bahamba bezityala ezi ngcamango zabo zonqulo naphi na apho babesiya khona. Kungale ndlela ke ezathi iimfundiso zonqulo zaseBhabhiloni—kuquka naleyo yokungafi komphefumlo—zasasazeka emhlabeni wonke zaza zaba sisiseko seenkonzo eziphambili ehlabathini. Ngoko ke kwavela ubukhosi behlabathi bonqulo lobuxoki, obubizwa ngokufanelekileyo eBhayibhileni ngokuba ‘yiBhabhiloni Enkulu, unina wamahenyukazi nowezinto ezilizothe zomhlaba.’—ISityhilelo 17:5.
Ubukhosi Behlabathi Bonqulo Lobuxoki Bunwenwela NgaseMpuma
14. Iinkolelo zonqulo lwamaBhabhiloni zasasazeka njani kummandla omkhulu waseIndiya?
14 Bambi ababhali-mbali bathi kwiminyaka engaphezu kwama-3 500 eyadlulayo, ama-Aryan asemntla ntshona awayegwangqa ngebala afudukela kwiNtlambo i-Indus, ngoku ekummandla wePakistan neIndiya. Ukusuka apho asasazeka aya kutsho kummandla ojikeleze uMlambo iGanges nangaphaya kwaseIndiya. Ezinye iingcali zithi iingcamango zonqulo zaba bantu zazisekelwe kwiimfundiso zaseIran nezaseBhabhiloni yamandulo. Emva koko, ezo ngcamango zonqulo zazala ubuHindu.
15. Ingcamango yokungafi komphefumlo iye yabuphembelela njani ubuHindu banamhlanje?
15 EIndiya ingcamango yokungafi komphefumlo yaba yimfundiso yokuzalwa ngokutsha. Iinkcuba-buchopho zamaHindu, zizamana nobungendawo nokubandezeleka okwakugqugqise kuye wonk’ ubani, zagqiba kwelokuba ziyile umthetho obizwa ngokuba yiKarma, olawula izenzo zomntu nemiphumo yazo. Zathi zakuvanga lo mthetho kunye nenkolelo yokungafi komphefumlo, kwaphuma imfundiso yokuzalwa ngokutsha, eyayisithi ngamnye uvuzwa ngokwemisebenzi yakhe kubomi bakhe obulandelayo. Usukelo lwabathembekileyo kukufikelela imoksha, oko kukuthi ukukhululeka kumjikelo wokuzalwa ngokutsha nokubuyela koko kubizwa ngokuba bobona bomi bokwenene, okanye iNirvana. Ekuhambeni kweenkulungwane, ubuHindu banda, kunye nale mfundiso yabo yokuzalwa ngokutsha. Yaye namhlanje iyeyona mfundiso ingundoqo kubuHindu.
16. Yiyiphi inkolelo engokuphila kweleMimoya eyaphembelela iingcamango noqheliselo lonqulo lwenkoliso yabemi baseMpuma Asia?
16 KubuHindu kwavela ezinye iinkonzo, njengobuBhuda, ubuJain nobuSikh. Nazo zibambelele kwinkolelo yokuzalwa ngokutsha. Kanti ke, njengoko ubuBhuda baya bungenelela kwelaseMpuma Asia—eTshayina, eKorea, eJapan nakwezinye iindawo—baziphembelela kanobom izithethe nonqulo lwaloo mmandla uphela. Oku kwabangela ukuba kubekho iinkonzo ezinengxubevange yeenkolelo zonqulo, ezazidibanisa ubuBhuda, nokusebenzelana nemimoya, nokunqulwa kwezinyanya. Ezona zibe nempembelelo kuzo bubuTao, ubuConfucius nobuShinto. Ngaloo ndlela inkolelo yokuba umntu uqhubeka ephila emva kokufa komzimba iye yabalasela kwiingcamango nakuqheliselo lonqulo phantse kuwo wonke loo mmandla.
Kuthekani NgobuYuda, INgqobhoko NobuSilamsi?
17. Ayekholelwa entwenini amaYuda amandulo ngokuphathelele ubomi emva kokufa?
17 Yintoni abayikholelwayo abantu beenkonzo zobuYuda, ezeNgqobhoko nezobuSilamsi ngobomi emva kokufa? Eyona indala kwezi nkonzo bubuYuda. Babakho kwisithuba seminyaka engama-4 000 eyadlulayo ngexesha lika-Abraham—kude kudala ngaphambi kokuba uSocrates noPlato baphucule ingcamango yokungafi komphefumlo. AmaYuda amandulo ayekholelwa kuvuko lwabafileyo, kungekhona ekungafini komntu. (Mateyu 22:31, 32; Hebhere 11:19) Ngoko ke, imfundiso yokungafi komphefumlo yangena njani kubuYuda? Imbali iyaphendula.
18, 19. Imfundiso yokungafi komphefumlo yangenelela njani kubuYuda?
18 Ngowama-332 B.C.E., uAleksandire Omkhulu woyisa uMbindi Mpuma, kuquka iYerusalem. Ekubeni abo bangena ezihlangwini zika-Aleksandire baqhubeka nephulo lakhe lokusasaza izithethe zamaGrike, ngoko zaxubana ezi zithethe zibini—esamaGrike nesamaYuda. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, amaYuda aqhelana neengcamango zamaGrike, amanye ada aba zizithandi zobulumko.
19 Esinye sezo zithandi zobulumko zamaYuda yayinguPhilo waseAlexandria, wenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo. Wayemhlonela uPlato waza wenza imizamo yokucacisa ubuYuda ngokwentanda-bulumko yobuGrike, ngaloo ndlela ehlahl’ indlela yeenkcuba-buchopho zamaYuda zexesha elizayo. ITalmud—eyingxelo ebhaliweyo yemithetho eyadluliselwa ngomlomo ngoorabhi—nayo iphenjelelwe ziingcamango zamaGrike. IEncyclopaedia Judaica ithi: “Oorabhi beTalmud babekholelwa ekuqhubekeni komphefumlo uphila emva kokufa.” Mvanje iincwadi ezingeenkolelo zobuYuda, njengeCabala, zide zifundise ngokuzalwa ngokutsha. Ngaloo ndlela, intanda-bulumko yamaGrike yavula ikroba lokuba ingcamango yokungafi komphefumlo inyebelezele kubuYuda. Yangena njani ke le mfundiso kwiNgqobhoko?
20, 21. (a) Yayiyintoni imbono yamaKristu okuqala ngentanda-bulumko kaPlato, okanye yamaGrike? (b) Yintoni eyakhokelela ekuxubaneni kweengcamango zikaPlato neemfundiso zobuKristu?
20 UbuKristu bokwenene baqalwa nguYesu Kristu. Ngokuphathelele uYesu, uMiguel de Unamuno, ocatshulwe ngaphambilana, wabhala wathi: “Wayekholelwa ekuvusweni komzimba, okuyimfundiso yobuYuda, kungekhona ekungafini komphefumlo, okuyimfundiso [yamaGrike] kaPlato.” Waqukumbela ngelithi: “Ukungafi komphefumlo . . . kuyimfundiso yentanda-bulumko yobuhedeni.” Ngoko ke, sinokusibona isizathu sokuba umpostile uPawulos wawalumkisa ngokungqongqo amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala “ngentanda-bulumko nenkohliso elambathayo ngokwesithethe sabantu, ngokwezinto eziziziqalelo zehlabathi yaye kungekhona ngokukaKristu.”—Kolose 2:8.
21 Yangena nini yaye njani ke le “mfundiso yentanda-bulumko yobuhedeni” kwiNgqobhoko? IThe New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Ukususela phakathi kwinkulungwane yesibini yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo amaKristu awayeqeqeshwe ngokwentanda-bulumko yamaGrike akubona kufanelekile ukukholelwa kuyo, phofu esenzela ukuba yamkeleke kwizifundiswa nokuze aguqule abahedeni abafundileyo. Intanda-bulumko awayekholiswa kakhulu yiyo yekaPlato.” Ezimbini kwezo zithandi zobulumko zokuqala ezaba nempembelelo enkulu kwiimfundiso zeNgqobhoko yayinguOrigen waseAlexandria noAugustine waseHippo. Bobabini babephenjelelwe kakhulu ziingcamango zikaPlato yaye baba negalelo elikhulu ekutofeleni ezo ngcamango kwiimfundiso zobuKristu.
22. Imfundiso yokungafi komphefumlo iye yabalasela njani kubuSilamsi?
22 Ngoxa ingcamango yokungafi komphefumlo kubuYuda nakwiNgqobhoko iyimpembelelo kaPlato, yabakho kubuSilamsi kwasekuqaleni. IKoran, incwadi engcwele yamaSilamsi, ifundisa ukuba umntu unomphefumlo oqhubeka uphila emva kokufa. Ithi umphefumlo uphelela kubomi basemyezweni oyiparadesi ezulwini okanye kwisohlwayo sesihogo somlilo. Oku akuthethi kuthi abaphengululi bama-Arabhu abazamanga ukuxuba iimfundiso zamaSilamsi kunye nentanda-bulumko yobuGrike. Eneneni, ama-Arabhu aphenjelelwa ukusa kumkhamo othile ngumsebenzi ka-Aristotle. Noko ke, amaSilamsi asakholelwa ekungafini komphefumlo.
23. Yiyiphi imibuzo ebalulekileyo ephathelele ubomi emva kokufa eza kuphendulwa kwinqaku elilandelayo?
23 Kucacile ukuba, iinkonzo ehlabathini lonke zineenkolelo eziphixanis’ ingqondo ngobomi beleMimoya, ezisekelwe kwimfundiso yokungafi komphefumlo. Yaye ezo nkolelo zichaphazele, zalawula zaza zakhobokisa amawaka ezigidi zabantu. Oku kusenza siphakamise umbuzo wokuba: Kungenzeka na ukuba siyazi inyaniso ngoko kwenzekayo xa sisifa? Ngaba bukho ubomi emva kokufa? Ithini iBhayibhile ngako oku? Oku siza kukuxubusha kwinqaku elilandelayo.
[Imibhalo esemazantsi]
a IEl-Amarna ngamabhodlo esixeko saseYiputa esiyiAkhetaton, ekuthiwa sakhiwa ngenkulungwane ye-14 B.C.E.
Ngaba Unokuchaza?
◻ Isekelwe entwenini inkolelo yeenkonzo ezininzi yobomi emva kokufa?
◻ Imbali neBhayibhile zibonisa njani ukuba imfundiso yokungafi komphefumlo yavela eBhabhiloni?
◻ Zichatshazelwa njani iinkonzo zaseMpuma yinkolelo yaseBhabhiloni yokungafi komphefumlo?
◻ Imfundiso yokungafi komphefumlo ingene njani kubuYuda, kwiNgqobhoko nakubuSilamsi?
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 12, 13]
Ukoyisa kuka-Aleksandire Omkhulu kwakhokelela ekuxubaneni kwezithethe zamaGrike nezamaYuda
UAugustine wazama ukuxuba intanda-bulumko kaPlato nobuKristu
[Inkcazelo]
Alexander: Musei Capitolini, Roma; Augustine: From the book Great Men and Famous Women