--- Ong Yong Peng <yongpeng.ong@...> skrev:

> As for the term 'purgatory', Nina, I understand that
> in Catholic
> theology hell and purgatory have different meanings.
> However, I am
> treating them as equivalents. Also, in Buddhism, any
> hell is
> purgatory.

I don't think that is correct. "Purgatorium" comes
from "purgare", which means "purify". In the Buddhist
view of samsara, there is no guarantee whatsoever that
incredible suffering will make you pure. It will use
up a lot of akusalavipaka, true, but it will also give
you a lot of opportunities to make new akusalakamma.
Suffering can very easily give birth to hatred, which
gives birth to new suffering, and so on and so forth
in a vicious circle.

The Catholic view of purgatory is described at
<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12575a.htm>. Since
this word, unlike "hell", is almost only used within a
Roman Catholic framework, and since the concept is
highly controversial even among Christians (neither
Orthodox nor Protestant churches accept it), I think
it should preferably not be used in a Buddhist
connection, to avoid misunderstandings.

Gunnar