Ingabe Kukhona Ukuphila Ngemva Kokufa?
EMINYAKENI engaba ngu-3 500 edlule, inzalamizi uJobe yabuza: “Uma umuntu efa, uyakubuye aphile na?” (Jobe 14:14) Lo mbuzo usunezinkulungwane zeminyaka udida isintu. Emlandweni wonke, abantu kuyo yonke imiphakathi baye bazindla ngale ndaba futhi bavela nezinkolelo ezihlukahlukene.
AmaKristu amaningi okuzisholo akholelwa ukuthi kunezulu nesihogo. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, amaHindu anenkolelo yokuphindukuzalwa. Ekhuluma ngombono wamaSulumane, u-Emir Muawiyah, ongumsizi esikhungweni esithile senkolo samaSulumane, uthi: “Sikholelwa ukuthi kuyoba nosuku lokwahlulela ngemva kokufa, lapho uyokuma phambi kukaNkulunkulu, u-Allah, kube njengokungena enkantolo nje.” Ngokwenkolelo yamaSulumane, u-Allah uyobe esehlaziya inkambo yokuphila komuntu ngamunye abese emthumela epharadesi noma esihogweni somlilo.
ESri Lanka, amaBuddha namaKatolika ashiya iminyango namafasitela kuvuleké gengelezi uma kushoniwe ekhaya. Kukhanyiswa isibani, ibhokisi likamufi libekwe izinyawo zakhe zibheke ngasemnyango ongaphambili. Kukholelwa ukuthi lokhu kwenza ukuba umoya kamufi uphume kalula.
NgokukaRonald M. Berndt wase-University of Western Australia, aboMdabu base-Australia bakholelwa ukuthi “abantu banomoya ongafi.” Ezinye izizwe zase-Afrika zikholelwa ukuthi ngemva kokufa, abantukazana baba yizipoki, kanti abantu abavelele baba amadlozi ayohlonishwa futhi athathwe njengabaholi bomphakathi abangabonakali.
Kwamanye amazwe, izinkolelo eziphathelene nesimo sabafileyo ziyingxubevange yamasiko endawo nobuKristu bokuzisholo. Ngokwesibonelo, kumaKatolika namaProthestani amaningi eNtshonalanga Afrika, kuyisiko ukumboza izibuko lapho kushoniwe ukuze kungabikho muntu obheka isibuko abone umoya kamufi.
Zihlukahlukene ngempela izindlela abantu abawuphendula ngazo umbuzo othi, ‘Kwenzekani kithi lapho sifa?’ Nokho, umbono oyisisekelo kulezi zimpendulo ezihlukahlukene ukuthi: Kunokuthile ngaphakathi kumuntu okungafi, okuqhubekayo kuphila ngemva kokufa kwakhe. Abanye abantu bakholelwa ukuthi lokho “okuthile” umoya. Ngokwesibonelo, ezingxenyeni ezithile ze-Afrika ne-Asia nakuzo zonke izindawo zasePolynesia, eMelanesia naseMicronesia kuyiPacific, abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi ngumoya ongafi—hhayi umphefumulo. Eqinisweni, izilimi ezithile azinalo negama elithi “umphefumulo.”
Ingabe umuntu ophilayo unawo umoya? Ingabe lowo moya uyaphuma ngempela emzimbeni ekufeni? Uma kunjalo, kwenzekani kuwo? Futhi kunaliphi ithemba ngabafileyo? Le mibuzo akufanele ishalazelwe. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi siyini isizinda sakho ngokwamasiko noma ngokwenkolo, ukufa kuyinto okumelwe sibhekane nayo. Ngakho izimpikiswano ziyakuthinta kakhulu. Sikukhuthaza ukuba uyihlole le ndaba.