週二(12/1)1.善的循環 2.日本「0葬」觀

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新埔捷運站1號出口 旁邊7-11巷子進入20公尺 看到夏朵美髮

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善的循環

(把愛傳下去)

Paying it forward is a third-party beneficiary concept that involves doing something good for someone in response to a good deed done on your behalf or a gift you received. When you pay it forward, however, you don't repay the person who did something nice for you. Instead, you do something nice for someone else. For example, if someone changes your tire while you are stranded on the highway, you might shovel your elderly neighbor's walkway after a snow has fallen.

The concept was popularized in modern times by a 2000 movie Pay It Forward, starring Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt. In this movie, a young boy, played by Haley Joel Osment, is given a school assignment that requires him to find some way to change the world. He develops the pay it forward concept, setting forth a chain reaction of good deeds.

One of the most important things that people should remember about this concept is that it should be done with a selfless spirit. This means that one person helps another without hoping for repayment or good deeds in return. In fact, there are some organizations that allow people to pay it forward anonymously, donating money or performing good deeds without hoping for recognition. As far as the receiver of the money, gift, or good deed is concerned, he or she is told only to do something good for someone else.

The concept has a firm foundation in history. Ben Franklin described it in a letter he wrote to Benjamin Webb in 1784, in which he wrote about his intention to help Webb by lending him some money. He did not want to be repaid directly, however. Instead, Franklin hoped that Webb would at some point meet an honest man in need of financial help and pass the money along to him.

Paying it forward doesn't have to mean giving a large some of money or expending a lot of effort. It could be as simple as holding the door for someone laden with bags or giving up a place in line to someone who appears in a rush. It could even mean spending a little cash on coffee for the person behind you in line at a coffee house. For those who have money they can afford to give, there are always people in need, but even the smallest, free gestures can make a difference.

Q:

What do you think the concept that “Paying it forward”?

Are You Willing to Help? How to do good deeds?

Are you willing to help strangers? How far would you go to help a stranger?

How to make the world a friendlier place?

Have you ever done something nice for others?

Have you ever done something Evil?

What are the benefits of helping others?

日本「0葬」觀

More Japanese Choosing Fertilizer as Burial Option

Have you thought about what you would like done with your body after you die?

Of course, it’s uncomfortable to contemplate your own death or the death of a loved one, but we’ve all got to go sometime. In Japan, the vast majority of people are cremated and their ashes interred at a family grave. While this is certainly more space-efficient than the Western practice of burying the casket, room in the plot does eventually run out. Then the family is faced with the expensive choice of either expanding the existing plot if possible or finding and purchasing a new one. Then there are all kinds of hidden costs, like construction and maintenance fees. It’s a lot to think about.

With these concerns in mind, a new style of internment has been gaining popularity even in traditional Japan. It’s called a forest cemetery.

As the name would suggest, in a forest cemetery you choose a tree instead of a headstone. One of the eight forest cemeteries currently in operation is located within Tokyo’s Kodairareien Cemetery. Magnolias, dogwoods, Japanese maples, summer camellias, and silk trees have been planted on the grounds, with communal burial areas located underneath. Ashes are buried directly in the soil so a person’s body can be quickly welcomed back into the ecosystem. It’s possible to reserve a spot for yourself or a bereaved family can also apply.

There are a lot of traditions in Japan that revolve around visiting grave, so the usual vases for flowers and incense have been placed at each grave site for visitors. Buddhists, Christians and other denominations are buried together without restriction.

This particular forest cemetery began taking reservations for its 500 available spots in July of this year and applications far exceeded their expectations. If you are curious, the interment of remains costs 134,000 yen (about US$1600) and just ashes costs 44,000 yen (about US$500). Unlike most other cemeteries in Japan, there are no ongoing maintenance fees, which may be part of the appeal of this type of burial.

According to their representative, an additional 10,700 slots will go on sale next year, and they also have plans to offer private rather than communal burial plots.

Not everyone is in love with the idea. In a country where many people live in massive apartment buildings, many still want a place of their own to be buried in, so they are highly resistant to the idea of a communal burial plot. But times are changing and the number of people who don’t have a family grave site are increasing. Many people also feel that rather than burying someone in a distant family grave where they might only be able to visit once a year, burying them close to home would be better.

If logistical issues aren’t enough to sway you, think about the atmosphere. Cemeteries are often seen as dim, spooky places, but a forest cemetery sounds like a nice place for a stroll on a sunny day. After all, ending up under softly swaying tree branches and eventually becoming a part of that tree itself doesn’t sound so bad, does it?

Q:

What do you think the concept that "be a tree; the natural burial option”?

What are the other burial options?

Have you thought about what you would like done with your body after you die?

What makes graveyards scary?

Can people predict time of death?

Do good people really go to heaven?

Where do bad people go when they die?

阿沙力地死 日本「0葬」觀

文：容乃加

新鮮文化 , 日本 , 天葬

聽說過「天葬」、「海葬」的人應該不少了，在日本現在興起「樹葬」、「零葬」的「處理死亡」新文化。日本社會面對死後喪事的心態和作法，轉變得越來越快。

「樹葬」是讓人的遺骨骨灰當作樹林的養分，真的回歸自然了。樹葬需要有一片樹林當「樹林墓地」，沒有個別的墳墓。2012年，東京都立小平靈園整備了「樹林墓地」，於2013年度募集遺骨，再以抽籤決定，結果需求將近中簽的10倍。

東京都立小平靈園的「樹林墓地」的作法，是在樹木之間埋入深約2公尺的圓筒作為骨灰筒，但是筒無底，讓骨灰撒進後可以被泥土吸收成為樹木的養分，經年後回歸大地。「樹林墓地」禁止一般人進入，親屬也不能直接到樹下燒香或合掌，因為是共用骨灰筒。有個共用的獻花台，可以獻花。

在東京以外的縣市，也能見到這樣共用「樹林墓地」整建起來了，除了政府之外就是宗教機構參與。這樣的樹葬費用大約13-30萬日幣。

2010年，提倡「不要喪禮」的書籍《不要葬儀》（葬式は、要らない）出版了，而且成為日本的暢銷書。在2014年1月，該書的作者島田裕巳又進一程，推出《０葬－－阿莎力地死去》（《0葬――あっさり死ぬ》，阿莎力意指爽快、決斷），倡議「阿沙力的死」，死後一了百了，喪禮、遺骨、墓園等等丈物，一概都拋了，都不要了，死後的遺骸也不要，骨灰交給葬儀社海葬了。《０葬》這本書一樣受到日本社會的青睞，連電視台也不時播放「零葬」、「零死」的採訪專輯節目。

有調查顯示，日本人中，五個就有一個接受「零葬」，才幾年間，「零葬」就已經深入日本人的腦中。經濟壓力帶來轉變是一大因素，人口密集也是一個因素。日本現有人口一億二千六百多萬，65歲以上的人口是14歲以下人口的2倍，超過百歲的人年近6萬人，而年中離世的也多達120萬人，在50年前的日本，年間死者數是70萬人左右。

日本都市人口稠密，火葬場和殯儀館都擁擠，墳地的情況更是緊張，神社墓園的墳墓都是一個挨一個，多餘插牌的空間都難見，以致在日本的喪事代價也很高，一個500萬日幣
也算平常。金錢好像主宰了人的生死，不過從另外一方面來說，它也有積極的意義，讓人進一步去思索、看透生死。

「一了百了」，不正是人死後功名利祿人情盡棄的寫照嗎？那麼，喪禮、遺骨、墓園等等對死後的人有意義嗎？這一生自己能作主的已經結束了，肉體皮囊都歸還了。人間已經有許多瀕死經驗和靈魂離體的真例看到了，這一生肉體死亡了，但是真正的生命、作主的元神還活著，造的業會帶著走，世世償還到完，積的德也會帶著，讓人來世或更多生享福。但是保留遺骨骨灰並不能增進自己未成就的功德，努力積德只能在生前，可能很多人也看到了。

現在有一部分日本人也不是沒錢辦喪事，卻是寧願將現金留給後代或配偶，不想把錢花在葬禮上。其實，後代看父母的喪禮是為了生者的「虛榮」，有這樣想法的大有人在。死，這一生名與利就是一了百了！情還能「留」嗎？！「阿沙力」殺到底吧！