Rebirth

[Music]

Let's say rebirth is true, don't want to argue. Let's just assume that for convenience. Wouldn't that mean each person is on a different level? What I mean is, some people might have taken many births in conducive environments where practicing dharma could have been easier. So in this life, such ppl may find it easy to meditate, practice self control etc.

I, otoh, find it hard to meditate or practice self control or even basic ethical guidelines. Does this hint at many births as a materialist in the past? Is that why i find it hard? Again, this thread assumes rebirth to be true, else this discussion wouldn't be possible.

[Malcolm]

Wouldn't that mean each person is on a different level?

Yes.

[Indrajala]

Let's say rebirth is true, don't want to argue. Let's just assume that for convenience. Wouldn't that mean each person is on a different level? What I mean is, some people might have taken many births in conducive environments where practicing dharma could have been easier. So in this life, such ppl may find it easy to meditate, practice self control etc.

The expression "roots" is often used in relation to having cultivated some virtues or abilities in past lives which carry over to the present life. For some people conviction and dedication is only natural while for others they remain sceptical and uncommitted throughout life even though they might practice.

This is why laying down the roots for future lives is so important. Cultivate merit, but also virtuous qualities and abilities. Invest in your future life, so to speak.

[Kaji]

You may consider reciting the names of certain Buddha (e.g. Amitaabha Tathaagata) or Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. The recitation can be a means of meditative practice. If you can believe in the Pure Land practice, being reborn to the Pure Land would be a more-than-excellent outcome, especially if you cannot accomplish much in meditative practice. Even if you cannot attain the above results, there are tremendous benefits just by reciting their names with sincerity and faith. Now if you cannot even gather your sincerity and faith, reciting their names can nevertheless improve your affinity with them. Yes, if you cannot free yourself from samsara this life, you would still have made great progress in this life in order to give yourself a head start in the next life.

[David N. Snyder]

Is that why i find it hard?

You are from India and you are here, your karma can't be all that bad.

I remember a sign after landing at New Delhi:

Welcome to India
Your karma brought you here

[bunny]

I have had lots & lots & lots & lots & lots (you get the idea) of lifetimes and I remember a lot of them

Huseng: It is very interesting that you mention "roots". When I was in my mid-twenties and I had overcome and acknowledged bad experiences in my life I asked my patron god why it happened to me. He showed me a place, where my records where held and opened up a book for me. In it, it had details of my goals and lessons that I wish to learn during this lifetime. Even though the book had writing in it past this point I wasn't allowed to view the remainder of the book.

[futerko]

Let's say rebirth is true...

I think it's important to qualify what kind of truth we are talking about here. Just as the flash and bang produced by a firework going off, so rebirth is part of the causal process and as such belongs to the category of relative rather than absolute truths.

As a consequence, one may achieve in one lifetime what one has failed to acheive in countless lifetimes previously. Aspergers may make it difficult for you to sit and meditate, however it may also be an opportunity to gain insight.

I would recommend looking into walking meditation - here is a link to some basic instructions http://www.yogateacher.com/text/meditat ... lking.html where he references the book "Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life" By Thich Nhat Hanh as further reading.

[Ikkyu]

I have had lots & lots & lots & lots & lots (you get the idea) of lifetimes and I remember a lot of them

Huseng: It is very interesting that you mention "roots". When I was in my mid-twenties and I had overcome and acknowledged bad experiences in my life I asked my patron god why it happened to me. He showed me a place, where my records where held and opened up a book for me. In it, it had details of my goals and lessons that I wish to learn during this lifetime. Even though the book had writing in it past this point I wasn't allowed to view the remainder of the book.

So a god showed up at your apartment or something and handed you a book? I don't mean to be rude but I find this sort of dubious.

[Kaji]

I have had lots & lots & lots & lots & lots (you get the idea) of lifetimes and I remember a lot of them

Huseng: It is very interesting that you mention "roots". When I was in my mid-twenties and I had overcome and acknowledged bad experiences in my life I asked my patron god why it happened to me. He showed me a place, where my records where held and opened up a book for me. In it, it had details of my goals and lessons that I wish to learn during this lifetime. Even though the book had writing in it past this point I wasn't allowed to view the remainder of the book.

So a god showed up at your apartment or something and handed you a book? I don't mean to be rude but I find this sort of dubious.

Yet I have no way to prove him/her wrong. Not sure if you do (if you do and it is approprite, please share). I am not saying what Bunny wrote is absolutely true, as I cannot prove it either. I am simply saying I cannot prove it true or false. In any case, I cannot afford the karma that might be brought upon me for insulting a holy being.

[bunny]

Ikkyu; Kaji: No they didn't show up at my home and hand me a physical book, sorry I forgot that not everyone knows me that well here. Forgive me. My patron god had arranged to meet on the astral plane and it was on the astral plane that they showed me this book. We went to a place called The Hall of Records (Full name is: "The Akashic Hall of Records" ). Since then I have been going there on and off to pour over past lifes to give me an insight if I need assistance in this lifetime. I have been going to the astral plane since birth and I can be on the astral plane and on this plane at the same time.

[Music]

I remember a sign after landing at New Delhi:

Welcome to India
Your karma brought you here

And all this time, I thought it was Lufthansa.

[Indrajala]

I will politely remind everyone here this is the Exploring Buddhism forum.

If you want to discuss non-Buddhist concepts like patron gods on the Astral Plane, please do it in the forum.

[oushi]

I, otoh, find it hard to meditate or practice self control or even basic ethical guidelines. Does this hint at many births as a materialist in the past? Is that why i find it hard?

Actually, there are higher teachings that see deliberate meditation as misleading, self control as going against the current, and ethical guidelines as useless. So, this may as well be your last incarnation, but I wouldn't play the game of foretelling.

[bunny]

Apologies Huseng and all. Forgive me.

[undefineable]

My understanding is that "The Akashic Hall of Records" is a belief from my mum's religion, known as Theosophy or (in its 'folk' form) 'New Age', and founded by a cosmopolitan Russian (Helena Petrovna Blavatsky) in 1875, although I glean that this particular 'faith' spreads partly by not mentioning its own roots.

Bunny, I'm sure plenty of people have told you that you could just have been dreaming, but some on this forum have been known to get a little uptight about such beliefs, maybe partly because they've just ditched materialism and aren't sure how much further to 'roll'. Buddhists, after all, have been known to have 'visions' too.

[catmoon]

okay this thread is persistently off topic.

Moved to the lounge without animosity. Thread is neither closed nor condemned.

[bunny]

undefineable: The Hall of Records has been around as long as people have walked this beautiful planet of ours. It has gone under different names and it has been represented in popular fiction as well. In Lord of the Rings when they visit that place (sorry memory fails me of the name), and you see towers and towers of books and a waterfall that is the Hall of Records. Well part of it anyway. Also in Dr Who when they visited The Library, that too is part of the Hall of Records (apart from the beings in the shadows that attack people).

I have walked & been on the astral plane as long as I have been alive on this mortal plane during this current lifetime. I have also visited other planes as well. For this this is normal and no I wasn't dreaming. I do know the difference between dreaming and being on other planes.

[undefineable]

no I wasn't dreaming. I do know the difference between dreaming and _ _

Well -again- I'm sure this is where ppl pull the psychotic hallucination bunny out of the hat . Again, no offense to you - My thinking is that by replying here I'm sparing you some rather more hostile replies, particularly from members who've also made a point of 'attacking' Buddhist doctrines.

4 Catmoon: *Note 2 self - Remember 2 read thread title b4 posting*

[bunny]

Well -again- I'm sure this is where ppl pull the psychotic hallucination bunny out of the hat . Again, no offense to you - My thinking is that by replying here I'm sparing you some rather more hostile replies, particularly from members who've also made a point of 'attacking' Buddhist doctrines.

*looks at undefineable confused* I'm sorry your reply has left me confused and lost. I was not aware that I was 'attacking' Buddhist doctrines? I came here seeking help and guidance about Buddhism because I am considering starting a new extension of my path.

If it is best I leave the forum, then I will leave gracefully and with respect.

[undefineable]

Well -again- I'm sure this is where ppl pull the psychotic hallucination bunny out of the hat . Again, no offense to you - My thinking is that by replying here I'm sparing you some rather more hostile replies, particularly from members who've also made a point of 'attacking' Buddhist doctrines.

*looks at undefineable confused* I'm sorry your reply has left me confused and lost. I was not aware that I was 'attacking' Buddhist doctrines? I came here seeking help and guidance about Buddhism because I am considering starting a new extension of my path.

Please re-read my last post after you've put the phrases I wrote together into their sentences - I've checked what I wrote for possible alternative meanings (which I always seem to end up with), but can't find any. I'm not patronising you, since in my experience, few outside academia (an unenviable field which isn't my own) have the ability to read in sentences rather than separate phrases.

When I wrote 'attacking' I was referring to materialists who've come here with a missionary spirit (inspired by "New Atheism" I'd suggest) to argue for the inconceivability (or atleast unlikelihood) of rebirth and superhuman beings. Both materialism and Theosophy are far from being ideal entry-points to Buddhism, but I wish you all the best if you're up for the challenge

However, getting back to the OP, I think there's a Buddhist scripture that says it's easier to appraoch the Buddhist teachings if one is an eternalist (e.g. Theosophist) than if one is a Nihilist (e.g. materialist), even though Buddhism is said to form a 'middle path' between those two extremes.