Simple: in a human body, you are going to mainly recall human experiences. To use an analogy, it is a well-known phenomena that things people do when they are intoxicated are often forgotten until they are intoxicated again.
Question: Reincarnation with years of break
Re: Question: Reencarnation with years of break
Re: Question: Reencarnation with years of break
If so, then I think that may account for ghost sightings that people report; as in ghosts from the 1800's and whatnot appearing in recent times.
Now kind of irrelevant to the Bardo-lasting-years phenomena—but still related—I had a friend whose uncle was an staunch atheist and "science" guy, and shortly after his father passed away—as in a couple days—he and his sister and maybe one other person, were sitting on the back porch one day, and his recently-deceased father visited them (or his 'astral' or mental body), and the said uncle who didn't believe in such things was so freaked out that he went in his room and wouldn't come out for like a full 24 hours or longer.
Last edited by Sādhaka on Fri Feb 03, 2023 6:36 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Question: Reencarnation with years of break
This.
Relatedly, if we sort through all of the images, thoughts etc. regularly going through the flow of the mind stream there are all kinds of weird, difficult to characterize things. Precisely because context of everything is based on the present lifetime for most of us, people usually assume these thoughts are just nonsense.
When I examine these sorts of experiences from a multiple lifetimes Buddhist POV, they take on a greater sense of coherence. So in fact, it’s likely many people are walking around with memories from all kinds of places, but the strong context of this lifetime and body creates a sort of tunnel vision where they are mostly Ignored.
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Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs
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Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when you are scared
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Re: Question: Reencarnation with years of break
When you are dead, why hurry?
EMPTIFUL.
An inward outlook produces outward insight.
An inward outlook produces outward insight.
Re: Question: Reencarnation with years of break
The "Scripture on the Ten Kings" is the main source for the idea of the "middle existence" (aka "Bardo") taking up to three years to complete.
Stephen Teiser has literally "written the book" on this subject. But he also has a shorter article on the subject that is freely available for download:
http://ccsdb.ncl.edu.tw/ccs/image/001256722_0621.pdf
Another valuable source of information on the "Ten Kings" is a very recent post at Dale Quarrington's blog: https://koreantempleguide.com/. While his blog is primarily devoted to Korean Buddhism, this particular post (link below) is highly relevant to anyone interested in East Asian Buddhism generally:
https://koreantempleguide.com/siwang-th ... rworld-시왕/
"there's no one here. there's only you and me." leonard cohen
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Re: Question: Reencarnation with years of break
Yes, I am referring to the Pruden English translation. "Bhadanta" whom Vasubandhu quotes as the source of this knowledge is the writer (or writers) of Vibhasha or the Abhidharma Mahāvibhāṣa Śāstra. (I hope I have understood it correctly.)curtstein wrote: ↑Fri Feb 03, 2023 3:47 pmWow! That is extremely interesting. I have recently been reading a lot about East Asian Buddhist thinking/practices regarding the intermediate state. In East Asia it is commonly believed that the first 49 days (the "seven seven") are subsequently followed by three more intermediate steps: 100 days after death, 1 year after death, and then a final stage that ends at least two years but probably no more than 3 years after death. This idea is associated with the "apocryphal" Scripture on the Ten Kings (in which there is one Judge/King for each of the first 7 groups of seven days, and then an additional Judge/King for the three subsequent periods, adding up to 10 - all of them acting under the supervision of Dizang/Ksitigarbha). It's fascinating (at least to me) to see an Indian source (Vasubandhu no less) who states that there is "no fixed time", thus leaving the door open at least a crack for legitimizing (or at least not completely ruling out) the 10 Kings model for the intermediate state.Aemilius wrote: ↑Sun Jan 29, 2023 9:31 am By chance I came across an answer to your original question, it is in AbhidharmakosaBhasyam of Vasubandhu. There are about 20 pages concerning the intermediate state beginning at p. 382 in vol. II. It is interesting material. There are four different opinions concerning the length of the intermediate state. According to the commentators of ABK, Vasubandhu prefers the answer he has put first which is: " How long does an intermediate being exits? There is no fixed rule, says the Bhadanta". (Two of the other opinions are: 7 days, and 7 weeks.)
In your page numbering are you referring to the Pruden English translation?
I recently read a great book on Pure Land Buddhism by Master Sheng Yeng where he sticks to the 49 day time frame, but states more than once that the first seven days are the most important.
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"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Sarvē mānavāḥ svatantrāḥ samutpannāḥ vartantē api ca, gauravadr̥śā adhikāradr̥śā ca samānāḥ ēva vartantē. Ētē sarvē cētanā-tarka-śaktibhyāṁ susampannāḥ santi. Api ca, sarvē’pi bandhutva-bhāvanayā parasparaṁ vyavaharantu."
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1. (in english and sanskrit)
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Sarvē mānavāḥ svatantrāḥ samutpannāḥ vartantē api ca, gauravadr̥śā adhikāradr̥śā ca samānāḥ ēva vartantē. Ētē sarvē cētanā-tarka-śaktibhyāṁ susampannāḥ santi. Api ca, sarvē’pi bandhutva-bhāvanayā parasparaṁ vyavaharantu."
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1. (in english and sanskrit)
Re: Question: Reencarnation with years of break
In the Pali Suttas it at times says things like how one day and night in a deva realm might be many human years, which would be the opposite of what you're saying. On the other hand, it's said that Asanga went to Tushita to learn from Maitreya and was there for some 50 experiential years but it would be only a brief time here. If we were to take Asanga's story at face value it might seem quite reasonable that one may have had a lifetime as a deva but it only took some years here.Aemilius wrote: ↑Mon Jul 25, 2022 8:56 am In the books of Ian Stevenson there are cases in which the period between lives is several years. In the buddhist view the persons have probably been born as devas. Why not, for heavens sake!? The times passes differently in the deva realms; five, eight or nine human years is a much longer time in the deva realms.
“Whoever wants to find the wisdom beyond intellect without praying to his guru is like someone waiting for the sun to shine in a cave facing the north. He will never realize appearances and his mind to be one.”
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Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Re: Question: Reencarnation with years of break
Many interesting ideas here! Thanks for answering, all of you.
Re: Question: Reencarnation with years of break
You are right that there are obvious contractions. Not sure which version is correct. It seems from my readings of reincarnation where people can remember their past lives, reincarnation happened many years after passing on. Not sure what do people do in between reincarnation as humans again. It is the mystery of reincarnation.ThreeVows wrote: ↑Mon Feb 06, 2023 7:04 pmIn the Pali Suttas it at times says things like how one day and night in a deva realm might be many human years, which would be the opposite of what you're saying. On the other hand, it's said that Asanga went to Tushita to learn from Maitreya and was there for some 50 experiential years but it would be only a brief time here. If we were to take Asanga's story at face value it might seem quite reasonable that one may have had a lifetime as a deva but it only took some years here.Aemilius wrote: ↑Mon Jul 25, 2022 8:56 am In the books of Ian Stevenson there are cases in which the period between lives is several years. In the buddhist view the persons have probably been born as devas. Why not, for heavens sake!? The times passes differently in the deva realms; five, eight or nine human years is a much longer time in the deva realms.
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Re: Question: Reincarnation with years of break
There’s no ‘self’ that takes rebirth.
So, it’s not as though you die and you could be waiting around in some dimensional universe months or years until you get reborn.
The causes and conditions for a stream of consciousness either arise due to conditions or they don’t.
It’s like the conditions for weather to occur. A place that once saw rain in a regular basis might be in a drought. It’s not as though there is some rain cloud in some bardo somewhere. When the conditions are right, the water that was once a river will become a cloud and will turn into rain.
Maybe for 99% of the people, the conditions for rebirth occur in around 49 days. But it’s not a solid rule, because everybody has a different mind stream.
Mod note, November 2023:
There is a similar thread still alive, therfore this one can be shut down.
https://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?t=40828
So, it’s not as though you die and you could be waiting around in some dimensional universe months or years until you get reborn.
The causes and conditions for a stream of consciousness either arise due to conditions or they don’t.
It’s like the conditions for weather to occur. A place that once saw rain in a regular basis might be in a drought. It’s not as though there is some rain cloud in some bardo somewhere. When the conditions are right, the water that was once a river will become a cloud and will turn into rain.
Maybe for 99% of the people, the conditions for rebirth occur in around 49 days. But it’s not a solid rule, because everybody has a different mind stream.
Mod note, November 2023:
There is a similar thread still alive, therfore this one can be shut down.
https://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?t=40828
EMPTIFUL.
An inward outlook produces outward insight.
An inward outlook produces outward insight.