R i p

[kirolak]

Why do people say Rest in Peace when referring to someone who has dropped the body? I don't believe, from my experience, that there is much resting done (except at the very beginning after a very stressful life event?) I prefer to wish Good/ Joyful Continuance, or something similar. . . . the idea of resting seems to suppose that the body is the person, who is now in a state of somnolence forever. What do others say?

[Snowflower]

I used to think that the concept in the Baha'i Writings about the "rampant materialism" in western civilization had to do with the quest for more and more possessions, gadgets, high living, etc. Lately I have begun to understand that materialism might be those things, but is also the attachment to this existence, this life, this planet, and the complete rejection of the body's survival beyond the material body's death. So, yes, RIP seems to go along with the idea that we are permanently attached to the material body and the best we can hope for beyond death is a "peaceful," rest in that material grave rather than one marked by the horror of the idea that our Reality is buried six feet underground.

[Snowflower]

Something that sort of goes along with this idea is something Dannion Brinkley said in the last book he wrote, when describing the "blue-gray place" that is becoming so crowded that it is starting to spill back into this level of reality. He said that people get trapped there after death if they are so attached to this material existence that they cannot let go of it. There is nothing there but a sort of blue-gray space, and a bunch of people wandering around. Sounds very much like the Catholic description of purgatory - not quite hell, but not heaven either. He said that there are more and more people there since we have turned away from the spiritual kingdom and turned toward materialism more and more. And that it is reaching a breaking point wherein the folks in the blue-gray place are "pressing" against this level of reality and that as a result there are more and more ghost sightings. Interesting, eh?

[giovonni]

From my understanding it is a Roman Catholic thing (tradition) ...
Perhaps as an after thought prayer for the living hell cast upon them from the "Church" ...

Just joking ... Not ... ;)

[Jake]

Isaiah chapter 57 verse 2: " Those who walk uprightly enter peace; they find rest as they lie in death." (New International Version)

Analogous to an uprightly death, and a peaceful afterlife..
Jake.

[Billy]

The Catholic send off prayer goes like this.

Eternal rest grant unto him/her OH Lord
May your perpetual light shine upon him/her
rest in peace.

Amen.

I always took R.I.P to mean, that when you have carried out a hard days graft (LIFE) , then return home to rest.
You don't have to get up in morning to continue the 9-5 monotonous routine.

But i agree that life after death will be far to exciting to rest in peace. Loads more work to carry on with. :eyebrows:

[avid]

On an aside - my uncle insisted that my Aunt's 'aide-memoire' was "LET HER R.I.P." It was reconsidered at high levels in the Crematorium offices, and it is just now "R.I.P". Don't take life - or death - too seriously, as I have just discovered to my cost of health and happiness. Please see humour and enlightenment. I always remember my Father's daft sense of inappropriate humour, and it's his strength that is keeping me going now. We always laughed every day. His version of a mural was a 'Muriel', hor's d'ouvres were "Horses manouvers", there were no sombre Xmas carols or nursery rhymes - always the daft ones. Even Marks and Spencers were "Marks and Suspenders". At his sombre funeral, when the church was packed, the Rev Mary (redacted) was so kind, so my brother read this wee missive out (amongst much more - bless him):
"Mary had a little bear
to what she was so kind
and everywhere that Mary went
we saw her bear behind.."
God bless my wonderful father - who still lives on as a Malaprop in our minds.
Don't forget to laugh..; it's vital for our sanity!!!

[dianna]

From my understanding it is a Roman Catholic thing (tradition) ...
Perhaps as an after thought prayer for the living hell cast upon them from the "Church" ...

Just joking ... Not ... ;)

From what I was threatened with during my catholic school daze, I could have sworn it meant one was now going to "Reside In Purgatory" :rolleyes:

[Daozen]

Maybe Nosso Lar is true.

Montalk wrote some rly eye-popping pieces on the Catholic purgatory.

[Skyhaven]

Rise in process

[kirolak]

On an aside - my uncle insisted that my Aunt's 'aide-memoire' was "LET HER R.I.P." It was reconsidered at high levels in the Crematorium offices, and it is just now "R.I.P". Don't take life - or death - too seriously, as I have just discovered to my cost of health and happiness. Please see humour and enlightenment. I always remember my Father's daft sense of inappropriate humour, and it's his strength that is keeping me going now. We always laughed every day. His version of a mural was a 'Muriel', hor's d'ouvres were "Horses manouvers", there were no sombre Xmas carols or nursery rhymes - always the daft ones. Even Marks and Spencers were "Marks and Suspenders". At his sombre funeral, when the church was packed, the Rev Mary (redacted) was so kind, so my brother read this wee missive out (amongst much more - bless him):
"Mary had a little bear
to what she was so kind
and everywhere that Mary went
we saw her bear behind.."
God bless my wonderful father - who still lives on as a Malaprop in our minds.
Don't forget to laugh..; it's vital for our sanity!!!

Hahaha! Reminds me of an old friend's story - his mom died, & at her funeral a Priest droned on & on about "Our dear Maria" ; when the mourners filed past the open coffin, they were surprised to see the corpse some some unknown man. The mourners fell about laughing, in keeping with his mom's well known sense of humour, much to the astonishment of the Priest.. . .

[giovonni]

Maybe Nosso Lar is true.

Montalk wrote some rly eye-popping pieces on the Catholic purgatory.

Nosso Lar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nosso_Lar)

great book and excellent film adaption ...

Nosso Lar - Our Home: The Astral City :thumb:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjgiHi0QtpM

[Grizz Griswold]

I like this from A Course In Miracles

Rest in peace is a blessing for the living, not the dead, because rest comes from waking, not from sleeping.
Sleep is no more a form of death than death is a form of unconsciousness. Complete unconsciousness is impossible.
You can rest in peace only because you are awake.

Namaste

barry

[DeDukshyn]

Who knows why .. maybe started as a religious thing. The effect is it reinforces the emphasis on the concept that "reality" is the physical moreso, and the spiritual less ... if that is from religious sources, that may be telling .... ;)

[Pris]

Why do people say Rest in Peace when referring to someone who has dropped the body? I don't believe, from my experience, that there is much resting done (except at the very beginning after a very stressful life event?) I prefer to wish Good/ Joyful Continuance, or something similar. . . . the idea of resting seems to suppose that the body is the person, who is now in a state of somnolence forever. What do others say?

I completely agree with you on this one. My impression is there's a huge party going on when you get to the 'other side'. If a party isn't your thing, then off to another galaxy and/or universe to explore, white light tunnel traps to avoid... that sort of thing! Seems like we'll be busy, busy, busy! ;)

[rgray222]

A much more apt description of someone who has expired or passed away is.............................."he or she is gone". I always smile a bit when I hear that because it accurately describes someone whose soul or essence has moved onto the next phase of their life.

[Ahnung-quay]

I think this phrase comes from the Christian belief that the dead are sleeping until the return of Christ who will raise them up. The sleeping or resting phase will be as the "blink of an eye". If the dead person has lived a good life adhering to the commandments of Christ and church, their souls will be allowed to rest. If they have not, their souls are sent to purgatory where they await damnation in Hell before finally being committed to the lake of fire. Purgatory is not a place of rest.

I like the Native American view that the dead person has simply "walked on". After a four day wake period, the person's essence comes to the lodge of the Great Spirit.

[Jake]

Ha! When I leave this physical body for the final time,, I may just look back at my physical body and say 'rest in peace',,, for it has been a good friend to me over the years... :) I am liking the American Indian approach,, (though I am biased! :))

Love to you all
Jake.

[Pris]

I like the Native American view that the dead person has simply "walked on". After a four day wake period, the person's essence comes to the lodge of the Great Spirit.

The lodge of the Great Spirit better not be that tunnel (trap) with the light at the end of it. :suspicious:

[joeecho]

From what I was threatened with during my catholic school daze, I could have sworn it meant one was now going to "Reside In Purgatory" :rolleyes:

Every so often you read something like Dianna's post and laugh followed by....hmmmmm

At some point I must have received a RSVP to an RIP and accepted it! ;)

Is it really beyond the realm of possibility that what we are going through is a form of sleep-dream/ purgatory of sorts?

It is a great cosmic joke to fear something that is already happening/ happened. It would be like having a terrible fear of being put in prison and then finding out later that you had been in one all along.

Or as a thinking rational being of having a fear of going mad/ dementia/ amnesia etc. to only find out later that while you were fearing this, you had experienced it all along.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIaN9Koa9oM

RIP everyone and have fun while you're at it! :)

[eb219]

Well think I'll just put 'brb' on the headstone. lol

[joeecho]

Well think I'll just put 'brb' on the headstone. lol

E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKUOB8MN4Kc

[joeecho]

"I no longer fear death for I am already living it."

--JoeEcho

P.s. RSVP to my RIP (tickets are going fast ;) )


“I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.” ― Mark Twain