numii.net

All religions offer carrots. Most creeds offer
the Eternal Life carrot, but Buddhism, oddly
enough, offers the ultimate carrot, that of no
return, no rebirth in any world, hell, or
heavenly realm. Why offer such unsavory
treat as reward, and why I call it a carrot?
All afterlife promises are conceptual carrots
to help live the good life. Of course, many
will doubt this even when believing there
is no separate anything. Yet, not returning,
is soteriologically, a very effective carrot
because if you have given up surviving in
any form, if you don’t care even to know that
existence exist, then there is total freedom,
liberation in this life, and no reason to hurt,
or be hurt. And after death? Well, death will
take care of itself.