I wrote a bunch of stuffs about Rick and Morty and Buddhism on facebook and I thought it's about time to gather all of them in one place. So let's begin.
If you have never heard of Rick and Morty, it is a very clever sci fi show with Rick having cosmic nihilism philosophy. It's seriously good because they do take the consequences of their messing with reality seriously, yet at the same time doesn't give it much meaning.
Go Google it and watch it now. At least one season of it.
Then watch these analysis of the philosophy of Rick and Morty:
After that, maybe you are influenced and brought into the message of nihilism and if you don't believe in rebirth, you might be seeing suicide in a nicer light.
The nihilism in this show arises from the philosophical belief of physicalism (everything is physics), there is nothing after death and there are infinite parallel universes, so there is not even uniqueness to take meaning in living.
So how would Buddhism react in the face of this? There are two possible ways.
First off we can say that Buddhism is opposed to nihilism philosophy.
For Rick Sanchez, his brand of nihilism sees no meaning in life, the universe and everything, and not even a self, very close to what Buddhism can see by realizing impermanence, suffering and non-self of all things. Just that unlike meditators who has psychic powers who can see the reality of rebirth and kamma, rick and most of the materialistic philosophical minded people doesn't believe in rebirth and kamma, leading them to conclude that there is no better thing than hedonism. With the concept of rebirth, meaning is not lost upon death. Also it doesn't matter that there exist an infinite number of other beings who is similar to you, you experience your own rebirth according to your own actions after death, not other people's rebirth. So meaning is no longer on uniqueness. Rather it becomes on long term seeing what's best for me in next rebirth.
Buddha had even a sort of an nihilist approach to rebirth, that even that is not worth having, so the whole aim of Buddhism is committing the ultimate suicide, of ending all future rebirth. Because indeed it is meaningless to remain in the cycle of rebirth only to suffer again and again and often not remembering it at all for. Which had been ongoing since infinite past. So people who can identify with nihilism can easily get the Buddhist motivation.
Also rebirth has evidence for it, researchers found kids who spontaneously remember their past lives and can find family members from their past lives who verify the details the kid gives of what are they like in their past life. Google it. Here's a video for some tip of the iceberg.
In MN 60, there is a safe bet teaching of which some is directed against the nihilistic view of the 10 wrong views:
1. there is nothing given,
2. Nothing offered,
3. Nothing sacrificed,
4. No mother,
5. No father,
6. No this world,
7. No world beyond,
8. No beings spontaneously reborn,
9. No effects of kammic action (moral causation),
10. No ascetic who can see these with direct knowledge.
Those who has these wrong views tend to indulge in the 10 unwholesome kamma actions,
1. Killing,
2. Stealing,
3. Sexual misconduct,
4. Lying,
5. Harsh speech,
6. Divisive speech,
7. Vain talk,
8. Coverteousness,
9. Ill will
10. Wrong views.
thinking that there is nothing wrong with them, inviting censure from this world and if they are wrong about rebirth, getting double whammy when they get reborn in the next world.
In Buddhism, we aim to realize emptiness in all things, hence not worth attaching to, the mind has disenchantment, thus disengage with the world and happily be still inside, we call this meditation. Having the right view (opposite of the 10 wrong views) about rebirth and kamma, or at least knowing how to meditate correctly, one would avoid the 10 unwholesome actions and engage in the 10 wholesome actions (the absence of the 10 unwholesome actions) can experience for oneself how to detached from the world and have bliss greater than sensual pleasures. The meaninglessness of the world (realizing suffering is the nature of the conditioned world) is not a cause for despair, but rather a means to let go of attachments, the root cause of all suffering. With the right view that there is rebirth as long as one has a sense of self, or conceit, a deep seated believe of the self, suicide is never an option. It is to train to be able to realize, not intellectually, but with wisdom that there is no such thing as a self in this world where everything is impermanent and hence unsatisfactory.
Then real happiness can be attained.
The second approach is to adapt and guide those into nihilism onto the true way to commit the ultimate suicide that is bringing about the end to all future rebirths. This is based on SN 12.61 where in the Buddha said for an uneducated (in the Dhamma) worldling, would be better off taking this body made up of the four primary elements to be their self, rather than the mind.
1. there is nothing given,
2. Nothing offered,
3. Nothing sacrificed,
4. No mother,
5. No father,
6. No this world,
7. No world beyond,
8. No beings spontaneously reborn,
9. No effects of kammic action (moral causation),
10. No ascetic who can see these with direct knowledge.
Those who has these wrong views tend to indulge in the 10 unwholesome kamma actions,
1. Killing,
2. Stealing,
3. Sexual misconduct,
4. Lying,
5. Harsh speech,
6. Divisive speech,
7. Vain talk,
8. Coverteousness,
9. Ill will
10. Wrong views.
thinking that there is nothing wrong with them, inviting censure from this world and if they are wrong about rebirth, getting double whammy when they get reborn in the next world.
In Buddhism, we aim to realize emptiness in all things, hence not worth attaching to, the mind has disenchantment, thus disengage with the world and happily be still inside, we call this meditation. Having the right view (opposite of the 10 wrong views) about rebirth and kamma, or at least knowing how to meditate correctly, one would avoid the 10 unwholesome actions and engage in the 10 wholesome actions (the absence of the 10 unwholesome actions) can experience for oneself how to detached from the world and have bliss greater than sensual pleasures. The meaninglessness of the world (realizing suffering is the nature of the conditioned world) is not a cause for despair, but rather a means to let go of attachments, the root cause of all suffering. With the right view that there is rebirth as long as one has a sense of self, or conceit, a deep seated believe of the self, suicide is never an option. It is to train to be able to realize, not intellectually, but with wisdom that there is no such thing as a self in this world where everything is impermanent and hence unsatisfactory.
Then real happiness can be attained.
The second approach is to adapt and guide those into nihilism onto the true way to commit the ultimate suicide that is bringing about the end to all future rebirths. This is based on SN 12.61 where in the Buddha said for an uneducated (in the Dhamma) worldling, would be better off taking this body made up of the four primary elements to be their self, rather than the mind.
Why is that? This body made up of the four primary elements is seen to accumulate and disperse, to be taken up and laid to rest. That’s why, when it comes to this body, an uneducated ordinary person might become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed.
But when it comes to that which is called ‘mind’ or ‘sentience’ or ‘consciousness’, an uneducated ordinary person is unable to become disillusioned, dispassionate, or freed. Why is that? Because for a long time they’ve been attached to it, thought of it as their own, and mistaken it: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self.’ That’s why, when it comes to this mind, an uneducated ordinary person is unable to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed.
For Rick Sanchez, his brand of nihilism sees no meaning in life, the universe and everything, and not even a self, very close to what Buddhism can see by realizing impermanence, suffering and non-self of all things. Just that unlike meditators who has psychic powers who can see the reality of rebirth and kamma, rick and most of the materialistic philosophical minded people doesn't believe in rebirth and kamma, leading them to conclude that there is no better thing than hedonism. With the concept of rebirth, meaning is not lost upon death. Also it doesn't matter that there exist an infinite number of other beings who is similar to you, you experience your own rebirth according to your own actions after death, not other people's rebirth. So meaning is no longer on uniqueness. Rather it becomes on long term seeing what's best for me in next rebirth.
Buddha had even a sort of an nihilist approach to rebirth, that even that is not worth having, so the whole aim of Buddhism is committing the ultimate suicide, of ending all future rebirth. Because indeed it is meaningless to remain in the cycle of rebirth only to suffer again and again and often not remembering it at all for. Which had been ongoing since infinite past. So people who can identify with nihilism can easily get the Buddhist motivation.
Also rebirth has evidence for it, researchers found kids who spontaneously remember their past lives and can find family members from their past lives who verify the details the kid gives of what are they like in their past life. Google it. Here's a video for some tip of the iceberg.
Thus the rise and popularity of nihilism is a golden opportunity for Buddhism. Just introduce 3rd party evidence of rebirth (commonly known as reincarnation), then the nihilist worldview can shift into Buddhist worldview.
The way to end all rebirths is not suicide (please do not do it), the way is developing the noble 8 foldpath.