This religion makes my grandma stay with my abusive grandpa. Help me understand why.

Pic is my lovely grandma and our shrine. We were praying to our ancestors and the moon goddess before the lunar new year :).

I am a granddaughter of devout Buddhist grandparents. I was raised mostly non-Buddhist - went to Catholic school and parents aren’t religious. I was starting to get back on Buddhism because I love the teachings, until recently.

I just found out, that 3 months ago, my grandpa punched and strangled my grandma. He chose a quiet time and locked the bedroom door. Had no one heard my grandma’s screams, who knows how she’d be today.

I confronted my grandma about the idea of divorce (without bringing up the incident). She said that, once married, one has to stay with their spouse til death. Otherwise they’ll meet each other again in the next life, and she doesn’t want that. She also said that she got grandpa as her spouse because of accumulated bad karma from her past life.

I don’t understand why this religion is basically telling her to “stick it out”. I’m getting “suffer now, for a brighter next life.” Why is that? Why is it that my lovely grandma has to suffer for 80% of her life? She cooks, cleans, and does everything for grandpa. One look at a man and grandpa goes batshit jealous and brings grandma to the brink of death. She says she’s content with her life, but I don’t know that for sure.

It doesn’t help that they’ll be going on a trip just them with no other family member looking out for grandma…

Help me understand why this lovely religion is causing my grandma suffering. I think it’s a wonderful religion with amazing teachings, but this incident has me wary. Thank you.

Pic is my lovely grandma and our shrine. We were praying to our ancestors and the moon goddess before the lunar new year :).

I am a granddaughter of devout Buddhist grandparents. I was raised mostly non-Buddhist - went to Catholic school and parents aren’t religious. I was starting to get back on Buddhism because I love the teachings, until recently.

I just found out, that 3 months ago, my grandpa punched and strangled my grandma. He chose a quiet time and locked the bedroom door. Had no one heard my grandma’s screams, who knows how she’d be today.

I confronted my grandma about the idea of divorce (without bringing up the incident). She said that, once married, one has to stay with their spouse til death. Otherwise they’ll meet each other again in the next life, and she doesn’t want that. She also said that she got grandpa as her spouse because of accumulated bad karma from her past life.

I don’t understand why this religion is basically telling her to “stick it out”. I’m getting “suffer now, for a brighter next life.” Why is that? Why is it that my lovely grandma has to suffer for 80% of her life? She cooks, cleans, and does everything for grandpa. One look at a man and grandpa goes batshit jealous and brings grandma to the brink of death. She says she’s content with her life, but I don’t know that for sure.

It doesn’t help that they’ll be going on a trip just them with no other family member looking out for grandma…

Help me understand why this lovely religion is causing my grandma suffering. I think it’s a wonderful religion with amazing teachings, but this incident has me wary. Thank you.