FROM LESLEE

In my opinion:

It's the basic difference between traditional Eastern and Western perspectives about God, the universe, the divine.

Generally, in Western religious perspective, you reap what you sow, and an almighty being delivers reward or punishment accord to his/its will. And in the end, if you've been obedient, you live with God in Heaven. If you've been disobedient, you burn in hell. No second chances.

Generally in Eastern religious perspective, the universe is unfolding an established plan. Your path was set before you were born. You may choose to flow with the path or not, but if you don't, there is discomfort. You will return again and again to learn all that life has to teach you. It is endless.

Both require surrender to attain happiness.

In Western, you surrender your will to the will of God.
In Eastern, you surrender your ego to the will of God.

It may seem a distinction without a difference, but in practice, it is enormous.

RESPONSE

Hmmm...

In Western, God has the plan and completes it. Those who jump on board the plan can reap help and strength in this life of discomfort, pain, disease, and death, and heaven after death. If you don't jump on board, you'll reap lots more discomfort and pain in this life, and after death, hell.

In Eastern, the universe has the plan and never completes it, but just eternally unfolds it. Those who jump on board the plan can reap a lesson from this life of discomfort, pain, disease, and death, but will not remember the lesson. After death, you get to live an endless series of lives filled with discomfort, pain, disease, and death to learn more lessons that you won't remember. If you don't jump on board, you'll reap lots more discomfort and pain in this life, and after death, you get to live and endless series of lives filled with discomfort, pain, disease, and death to learn more lessons that you won't remember.

In my opinion, I think there could be no worse hell for the Western god to inflict than the Eastern religious perspective.

I'm glad not to believe in either perspective, but in Christ.