Do Buddhists believe in hell

Answer 1

Buddhists do not believe in hell, or rulers of hell, in the sense that you seem to mean. The problem arises in translation from the languages of Buddhist texts into English, where the word "hell" is used to describe a state of being that cannot easily be expressed in English.

Taken in the context of actual Buddhist beliefs, the question cannot be answered, because it assumes things about Buddhism that are not correct.
Do buddhists believe in hell? Yes, definitely.

Do they believe in damnation? If you believe that spending countless aeons in hell is damnation, then the answer is yes. However genuine repentance will allow you to change, the only hassle is that genuinely 'bad' people would rather suffer than see the error of their ways!

Answer:

There is no equivalent of heaven or hell in Buddhism. There is no equivalent to god(s) either, so no one to send you to either or save you from either. The closest to heaven si Nirvana which is a cessation of the existence as a separate being, the closest to hell is a lifetime spent in a less than desirable re-birth.

Answer 2

I think, he is already there.

It is because two simple reasons:

1) He does not know God or believe in God.

2) He led many people away from God, though his teaching are tender and great, it is not good enough for people to come to know God. It merely bring self focus.

I do respect him and his teaching but sad that he is in hell:(

Answer 3

No, they believe in reincarnation.

Answer:

There are a multitude of worlds/universes to be reborn into, not just this one. Some are pretty unpleasant and would pass as a fair representation of most religions' hell. Fortunately the processes of death and rebirth are at work on individuals in these locations as well and the next cycle of existence may well see a person reborn to a more pleasant realm.

What is missing is the concept of hell as punishment for breaking a divine rule or commandment. The problems result from one's own behaviours and the recovery is similarly in one's own control.

Answer 4

It is always somewhat presumptuous for the living to make pronouncements about an afterlife to which we have not yet gone, however, I am going to go out on a limb here and assure you that God is not nearly so narrow minded as to be obsessed with people's specific religious affiliation, as compared to the actual moral quality of their lives. So the answer is no. Buddhists do not automatically go to hell.

Answer 5

if they are buddhists when they die, yes. The Bible is very clear on this issue. if u know a non-christian, convert them at all costs. hell is NOT something to be taken lightly.

Answer 6

no