Does anyone have an experience of visions of the future?

[himalayanspirit]

Just interested for the sake of it.

Has anyone ever had visions of the future in meditation? I would like to know what lies ahead for humanity. I know monks are usually not allowed to discuss such stuff with the others. But if anyone is willing, it would be good.

Thank you.

[Nosta]

My simple opinions on this:
1) First, the question about buddhism prophecies is still in debat here:
viewtopic.php?f=77&t=5084


2) I think that monks are not allowed to speak about miracles, supernatural powers, etc because that would make people more interested on stuff that wont make them reach Nirvana and would put buddhism in a less believable position, i suppose.

3) I had a few visions but about very specific things, things that would happen exactly on the next day...mundane stuff but unpredicatble things...

4) I suppose that only very advanced buddhist monks may be able to see the future and even so i dont think that they may see the Apocalypse or something like, except if they are REALLY advanced

[PadmaVonSamba]

having "visions of the future" is essentially the meditator's mind developing of pubic hair. It's really cool, it develops naturally in time, don't get too obsessed with it, and don't go showing it off to everybody you meet.


One of the things that dharma study and practice does is to give one a clearer understanding of what motivates people, and this can give one greater insight into human behavior both pertaining to individuals as well as to societal groups. And then this insight becomes relatively extraordinary, meaning that there is nothing unexplainable about it, but others regard it as remarkable. But that's just the development of wisdom.

Then again, there are "abilities" that develop, but they operate on a very subtle level, much the same way that dreams do. And then the accurate interpretations of these perceptions becomes crucial, and it becomes very distracting. My understanding is that these sorts of things are mainly distracting if the meditator thinks "oh, I must be getting enlightened" or whatever, and they mistake these minor acquisitions (which can in fact lead to problems if indulged) for actual insight, or development. They think they are getting somewhere, making huge progress or whatever.
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[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

When I was in late primary school and early high school (ages 10-14?), I had very strong "deja vu" moments.

In some circumstances I knew what was going to happen as it began to unfold (and even what I was going to do in response, physically or mentally) before it transpired. Usually these 'known paths' lasted for 10-15 seconds at most. Sometimes I would also remember the cognition of it being a deva ju moment.

There was nothing particularly useful or practical in any of this, except that I managed to pull off a couple of cool pre-emptive sporting moves, being confident about what was about to transpire and preparing for it.

There was certainly nothing "prophetic" about any of it, although I do remember watching "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" at the cinema upon release and 'remembering' parts of it.

I don't think I can do any of this any longer.

Maitri,
Retro.

[kirtu]

Doesn't everybody at some point? Only not in meditation - sometimes during sleep.

Now if we could only get rid of that ignorance, hatred, greed, jealousy, and grasping stuff ....

[Sönam]

the very near futur ... all the time. Most of the time I know what will happen in the short term, or what one will say or who will knock at the door, or who is calling when the telephone rings, and so on ... and it increases as far as certitude about increases (no doubt process)

Sönam

[himalayanspirit]

Thanks everyone.

Sonam,

Could you share something about events that are about to happen that you had visions of?
Like related to economies of the world, doom and gloom... lol

In the Tang dynasty there was a book of prophecy written in 60 pages called "Tu bei Tu". It is pretty famous in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau etc and is considered Chinese equivalent of Nostradamus. Each page contains one picture and one poem, pages are arranged according to what chronology of time. I guess the book is based on I Ching but not sure.

Does anyone know about it?

Recently, I am getting a "bad feeling". About sadness and tragedy that is going to descend to humanity.

[kirtu]

Recently, I am getting a "bad feeling". About sadness and tragedy that is going to descend to humanity.

You mean like the river of blood of the 20th century or more than the usual tragedy of the past 2000 years?

Kirt

[Sönam]

Thanks everyone.

Sonam,

Could you share something about events that are about to happen that you had visions of?
Like related to economies of the world, doom and gloom... lol

no, as I said it touches only the short term knowledge ... and I certainly built no concept about.

[GesarMukpo]

Yes I see into the future all the time.

I see in my future that someone will flame me for sasying I can see in the future.

[gnegirl]

Yes I see into the future all the time.

I see in my future that someone will flame me for sasying I can see in the future.

(was the best one could do on short notice.... no flamy smily available)

[Dechen Norbu]

Greetings,

When I was in late primary school and early high school (ages 10-14?), I had very strong "deja vu" moments.

In some circumstances I knew what was going to happen as it began to unfold (and even what I was going to do in response, physically or mentally) before it transpired. Usually these 'known paths' lasted for 10-15 seconds at most. Sometimes I would also remember the cognition of it being a deva ju moment.

There was nothing particularly useful or practical in any of this, except that I managed to pull off a couple of cool pre-emptive sporting moves, being confident about what was about to transpire and preparing for it.

There was certainly nothing "prophetic" about any of it, although I do remember watching "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" at the cinema upon release and 'remembering' parts of it.

I don't think I can do any of this any longer.

Maitri,
Retro.

I had very similar experiences. Detail like similar. The most impressive I can remember was when I knew in advance (just as it was going to happen), who the coach would select to participate in a certain handball match. Funny enough is that I could never recall when I had gained such information, meaning, it was not like I had a dream about it or anything. Suddenly, I just knew what was going to happen for let's say 1 to 5 minutes. Whom I was going to find in a certain spot, their gestures, what they going to say or do, the color of the car that would pass and stop to leave a passenger, the teacher that would miss the class, the sort of meal I'd get and other useless stuff like that. This went from happening several times a week to happening a few times a year.
Such experiences do still occur on rare occasions. They are still useless!
But it is funny because I never saw someone describing exactly the sort of thing I experienced (with the exception of my brother who experienced the same).

[xabir]

Yes, but not meditation visions but dreams. I have them very often nowadays. But I don't know why - I am not clairvoyant in the waking sense, and I don't develope siddhis, etc. They just happen and are very interesting. It happens often now that sometimes I will tell my friends about some of my dreams (because I think it is going to occur), and that thing happens just right after I told him. Dreams used to take longer to manifest for me, nowadays it takes just 1 or 2 days.

Today before I woke up, I dreamt of this big explosion at a nuclear plant, and this happened: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14883521

Usually my dreams are about events in my life, though.

But for long term dreams... don't know... dreamt of some apocolyptic event, but I hope nothing like that happens. I think my dharma dreams are more meaningful though - I had plenty of dreams that hint and indicate things about my practice that I immediately and intuitively understand, even within the dream itself. I think they might be messages from Buddhas or bodhisattvas, I mean who knows.

My Mahayana teacher once said that he foresaw (I think this is in his meditation) an asteroid impacting on earth, causing mass casualties. Hope that doesn't happen either.

I think these things are interesting, but not to get too attached to them - better to focus on the present.

[nirmal]

The pair of negatives no-coming - no going, can be used to be meditated upon to gain insight into simultaneity.If one meditates on these, one can gain freedom from the limitations of time for all the three times are in the same entity in sunyata.Truth is to be found in the fourth dimension beyond space and time and if we would know it, we must free ourselves from the limitations.Time after all is quite relative - today is the yesterday of tomorrow and is also the tomorrow of yesterday.In sunyata meditation, yesterday has no going and tomorrow has no coming. The three times all become the same and besides knowing well the present,one may easily have foresight into the future or cause the events of the distant past to be remembered in the present.Lord Buddha often did this. He can make the future into the past and the past into the future.These are the possibilities of our own meditations.
Buddha told us to investigate and not to take his teachings for granted.This is not taught in any sutra or by any Buddha.Please reflect on his teachings during meditation.Open the Buddhist window through investigation and you would not want to miss a single day of meditation.Just sharing.

[AdmiralJim]

This may sound harsh. But big deal, animals have clairvoyant abilities and they are still stupid . Much better to sit on your meditation cushion rather than indulging your mind when it decides to have a bit of fun.

[nirmal]

This may sound harsh. But big deal, animals have clairvoyant abilities and they are still stupid . Much better to sit on your meditation cushion rather than indulging your mind when it decides to have a bit of fun.

This may sound harsh too. But big deal,you use marbles to count your prostrations while I use my mind.Much better to do prostrations using your mind rather than indulging in little playthings such as marbles to have a bit of fun.

Would we be contributing to Buddhism if we go on like this?
Please keep using your marbles but allow me to use my mind.Both are not wrong.

[catmoon]

Let us move forward a couple of centuries and take a look around.

As we contemplate the smoking, radioactive rubble of a world civilisation, we ask ourselves, how could Buddhists do this? What went wrong? And we start looking for answers in the wreckage.

Ah here is a house with a wall or two standing. And in a corner we see a shrine. Several water bowls remain in place before a small statue of a robed figure smiling sweetly in meditation. Some books are scattered about, and we see some familiar titles, but- what's this? A small battered booklet, dampened by rain and a bit moldy around the edges. Emblazoned in gold print are the words


Ronnamadonna Sadhana


Prayers to guarantee prosperity, happiness and the good life.

Read Pray Receive

[himalayanspirit]

Xabir,


What was the timeline in which the Asteroid would impact Earth according to your Teacher?

[catmoon]

Xabir,


What was the timeline in which the Asteroid would impact Earth according to your Teacher?

Well, let's see now that would work out to about.... um 'scuse me I need to run down to the basement now!

[PadmaVonSamba]

I haven't had any visions of the future lately but I expect to have one soon! (ha ha ha)
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