Editing SG33SHS-T (section)

=== 11. The Immortality of the Soul Is Based on a Dualistic Concept of Spirit and Flesh ===

Next is the issue of the immortality of the soul. The belief that a soul with an individual consciousness exists even after death is no longer a problem for those who deny the afterlife. And yet some believers accept the idea that Christ was born from the Virgin Mary, was killed, and ascended to heaven in bodily form on the third day. Is it not a problem to believe that when a person dies their soul takes on some other form—like a balloon, perhaps—and escapes?

Upon consideration, the philosophical basis of the belief in the immortality of the soul originates from ancient people perceiving the body and soul as dualistic entities where the body is mortal and the soul is immortal. As long as belief in God remains, this is not an implausible concept. Faith in the actual existence of God has become a foundation for traditional religions. Feuerbach stated, “Faith in God is nothing other than faith in immortality, and conversely, faith in immortality is faith in God.”<ref>Seno’o quotes here from the writings of Ludwig Feuerbach, who was a crucial link between Hegel and Marx. Ludwig Feuerbach, ''The Essence of Christianity'', pt. 1, ch. 13: “The Mystery of Faith”; originally published as ''Das Wesen des Christentums'' (1841). For an English translation, see [https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/feuerbach/works/essence/ec13.htm “Chapter XIII. The Mystery of Faith—The Mystery of Miracle,” Marxist Internet Archive], accessed September 18, 2024.</ref> This statement holds true. Believing in the existence of a divine being, such as an imperceptible personal God or Buddha, inevitably affirms the continuation of the soul after bodily death. Additionally, the belief in the immortality of the soul should eventually eliminate any doubts regarding the existence of spiritual deities such as God or Buddha. Therefore, these two concepts are interdependent and have established what might be called heavenly transcendentalism, giving rise to the idea of the immortality of the soul. However, as discussed in the previous chapter, if Buddhism is fundamentally atheistic, these concepts are clearly negated. Therefore, the question arises: How did the concept of the immortality of the soul, which is based on the dualism of spirit and flesh, originate? It is necessary to first examine this question.