How does someone know when he/she has become an arhat?
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Originally posted by sofital:
Here is the proof for Theinngu Arahart
http://www.realenlightenment.org/bio/thein-photo/full/IMG_4267.jpg http://www.realenlightenment.org/bio/thein-photo/full/IMG_4264.jpg
Here is the proof for Mogok Arahart
http://www.dhammadownload.com/MogokSayadaw.htm
How do you understand it? How is the proof of body relics in Bodhisattva after they pass away?
Records of Mahayana and Vajrayana masters having Sharira/relics (highlighted):
A translated article from Fa Yu Bing Fen (Book 1), Jen Chen Buddhist Book Publisher
“Discussing about Shariras”
By Venerable Shen-Kai
The Sharira is truly a very amazing and miraculous object. Though it is a material substance, it can also be said to be immaterial. However, only the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, great Masters, saints and Bhikshus would have shariras. Some lay Buddhists who are great practitioners, both males and females, may also have shariras. Typically, after the practitioner passes away and is cremated, numerous colourful bead-like objects, known as shariras, would be retrieved from the ashes. It does not melt under high temperature, does not dissolve with high humidity, does not spoil under high pressure, and does not get destroyed over kalpas. Interestingly, not every Buddhist has shariras. Buddhists who do not practice, just as other people who do not believe in Buddhism, would not have shariras. There are plentiful religions in the world. Why is it that the religious leader, missionaries and believers do not have shariras? There are also practitioners from religions other than Buddhism, yet only people who practice the Dharma have shariras. Besides, one could also tell the level of practice through the number of shariras produced. Those with deeper level of practice would have more shariras, while those with a shallow level of practice would have fewer shariras. If one has practiced for countless lifetimes, the number of shariras one would have the beauty of its colour and luster and other miraculous occurrences would be even more incredible.
According to the records of the life story of Buddha, when Shakyamuni Buddha entered Nirvana, “At this moment, the golden coffin ascended to the height of seven “duo luo” trees, moved around in space, dissolved into the fire of Samadhi, instantaneously producing ashes and shariras appeared, like multi-coloured beads, bright and firm”. According to the explanations, there are as many as 84 “dou3” shariras. At that time, the shariras were divided amongst the 8 great Kings and other Buddha’s disciples. They built stupas to venerate the shariras. While the majority of the shariras were left in the human realm, some were kept in the Naga realm or Heaven realm. There was also Buddha’s great disciple, Venerable Ananda. When he entered Nirvana, his physical body levitated to the space, dissolved into fire and self-cremated. His shariras rained down from the sky upon the banks of the Ganges river. All these did not only happen in the ancient times. Even as recent as the great Buddhist leader – Master Tai-Hsu, when he passed away, there were more than 400 shariras. The Pure Land master – Venerable Yin Kwang, also produced a few hundred shariras when he passed away. There are also other innumerable great Masters and Teachers who had shariras. There was especially a Zhang Jia Rinpoche who passed away in Tai Pei in 1957; he had as many as 7000 to 8000 shariras. He even had the most precious Vajra gem and six-syllable mantra. The shariras could be as large as beans and as tiny as seeds. They were very colourful, but the white ones were especially remarkable. Other than these, there are also uncountable accounts of Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, lay male and female Buddhists who passed away with shariras.
Actually, one need not to have shariras only upon one’s Nirvana. For example, one of the greatest disciples of the Buddha – Mahakashyapa, his indestructible body sharira is presently concealed in the “ling2 jiu1 shan1”. He would await for the descent of the Maitreya Buddha, when he would appear in the Dharma assembly, benefit sentient beings and then enter into Nirvana. Other examples include the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva of the Jiu Hua Mountain in An Hui; Tang Dynasty 6th Zen Patriarch Hui Neng of Cao Xi; the Ming dynasty Great Master Han Shan; China’s Wu Jin Zang Bhikshuni etc, their body sharira are being venerated at Guang Dong in the ‘Nan Hua’ monastery. There is also a Venerable in Thailand who entered Nirvana in his middle age, but his body did not decay, it is situated at ‘Cheng Niang’ and the Thais venerate his Body Relic; it is also known that his hair is grew 5 times longer than when he was alive. In Taiwan Si Zhi Maitreya Monastery, the Ci Hang Bodhisattva non-decayed Body Relic was a breaking news, people from local and abroad pay homage to it; in Nan Hai Pu Tuo Mountain ‘Gu Fuo Dong’, there are many body relics of old monks who passed away for plenty of years. Regarding body relics/shariras, there are plenty of cases in different places and mountains in China. Those who follow and practice (xiu1 chi2) according to the Buddhadharma, not only bone marrows, even nails, blood, flesh and teeth, the entire body can become relics, just like there are lights and colours on [??]’s head. Venerable Jiu Mo Luo’s tongue did not burn in cremation, these are Sharira Gems.
Sharira can also be obtained through Gan3 Ying4 (induction/invocation), in our country (Taiwan) during the era of Dong Wu Sun Quan, after hearing that Venerable Fan Zeng Kang Zeng Kai said the merits of paying homage to shariras, thought of wanting to pay homage to shariras, therefore requested that Venerable to sincerely pray. After 49 days, he suddenly heard sounds coming from the empty bottle, and discovered ‘Gong-De-She-Li’ (merits sharira). After trying to hit it with a hammer on a metal zhuan, the sharira remains undamaged. During the Song dynasty, lay disciple Wang Ri Xi was carving a Pure Land scripture on the wooden plank and a sharira was carved out. Again in Song Dynasty, there was a lady who always recited Amitabha Sutra, in the sutra suddenly a lot of shariras appeared. During Xi Pu era, there was a monk called Hui Da, in [??], bowed and sincerely prayed for Buddha’s relic, suddenly the relic rolled out from the ground, it is now venerated at Ning Bo Ah Yu Wang monastery, is known to be the relic that Venerable Hui Da prayed for. Recently there is a General, once he was at Xi-An Xi-Jiao Monastery [??] stupa, he sincerely prayed and a huge brick fell out from the top of the stupa, and realized that two shariras are on top of it, therefore he renovated the stupa. In Hong Kong, Venerable Lan Mo went to India for Buddhist pilgrimage, in Buddha’s pre-enlightenment Bodhigaya; he met an old practitioner, called Guang Qing Shi. He was at Jia ? Great Stupa venerating Buddha’s relics for 3 years already, once he witnessed sharira dropping by itself from the top of the stupa, and it even gave him and another lay disciple 2 shariras; it was very colourful and lovely. During Ming Guo, Zheng Jue Sheng old lay disciple once venerated two of Living Buddha Ban Chan’s shariras; it automatically multiplied to 7 of them. When Mr Qu Lao passed away, his wife took 2 shariras and put onto his mouth. When his funeral was over, it was found that that 7 shariras remain at home. Later it was given to Li Zi Kuan old lay disciple who is at Taipei Shan Dao monastery for offering, but realized the sharira has multiplied to 10. In Tibetan Vajrayana Yellow Hat sect leader Lama Tsongkapa dropped a tooth in his latter years, his disciples treated it as a sharira and venerated it, shariras grew out from the tooth’s root canal. It was distributed among masses for veneration, after distributing it grew again, after growing it was distributed again. It was known that there is a Living Buddha, in the early years at China Mainland before his passing away, often there are disciples praying/requesting his sharira, he could at any time drop 2 shariras from his nostrils and gave them for veneration. It was also heard that there is a merchant, Da Pu Tuo and Bo Li Jia brothers, they used a jade box and carried back eight of Buddha’s hair strands (also Buddha’s sharira). They were robbed twice on their way by robbers, altogether they lost 4 strains. When they arrived back in Myanmar they asked the king to build a stupa for the veneration of the shariras, and when they opened the box, they found 8 strains like it originally was. There are many cases of multiplication of shariras among those who venerate the shariras; and because whenever there are hosting of Buddhism activity, often there are light-flower sharira.
Buddha's tooth relic has been increasing in size over the years
Above: one of the relics of Lama Tsongkapa
The author has been to different places in Taiwan, visited and venerated Buddha, Bodhisattvas, Saints, high monks and old practitioners of their shariras, at Jia Yi Seng saw Zang Ji Hua old lay disciple, because of his sincere praying and chanting Buddha, obtained light-flower sharira, at that time liked it a lot, therefore wished him when he pass away surely have sharira, and it turned out that a few years ago Zhang Lao in Taipei, fore-knew his death time, died/liberated without sickness during meditation. After cremation there are plenty of big and small shariras, there are sharira-tree and sharira-flower. Once also, visited Gao-Xiong-Shou mountain monastery Lamp-Burning puja, saw a lot of lamp-flower sharira. Once more than 10 years ago at Xi Yi, visited various Venerables recently arrived back from India who brought back many Buddha Shariras for veneration. They are shaped like small peanut-grains, I witnessed the colour was white, it was heard that white was good, some people saw golden-yellow or pale-yellow, some people saw sky-blue or green colour, some saw red or purple colour, some saw pearl colour, some saw jade colour, or coral; ???? colour, or if karma is heavy, some saw it as grey or black, or because of sudden sincere ?, or because of prostrations and sincere repentance, vowing to be virtuous, the sharira colour turned good; witnesses found it very mysterious. For example locally in the present generation, there is a Fa Xue Jia, Mr. Luo Jia Jie, believed in Buddhism, once he was at Ningbo Ah Yu Wang monastery, prayed and venerated BuddhaÂ’s shariras, at first it was black colour, and knew that he had heavy karmic obstructions, therefore he stayed at the monastery for 7 days 7 nights and kept praying and repenting. At the 7th day, he visited the sharira again; it turned totally into white colour, and was satisfied and left. Sharira in Buddhist disciplesÂ’ minds, it is a great power without pens or ink or words, yet is able to invoke people to avoid evil and lead them towards the virtuous path and seek the truth.
Above: sharira of the Buddha prior to Shakyamuni Buddha, Kassapa Buddha
Sharira is formed due to the practitioner’s life merits, due to love, compassion, joy and equanimity (the 4 immeasurable); wisdom; benefiting others and the world’s immense merits. It is difficult to obtain and rare, therefore it is said that shariras are immaterial, it is beyond-material. Jing Guang Ming Sutra states “Sharira is cultivated out of Precepts, Samadhi, Wisdom merits, it is difficult to obtain and is the highest blessing field." And also, “Persons of shariras, is due to the results of immense cultivation of Six Paramitas” Prajna sutra also says “Buddha’s body and She Li Luo (She-Li-Zhi/shariras) is obtained through practice of Prajna-paramita immense merits, it is venerated, revered, praised and respected by all Devas and Men.” Therefore people of the world should inspire the heart of veneration towards Buddha and Bodhisattva’s shariras; it will result in various blessings which are difficult to comprehend.
Due to the various ways of concrete proof, shariras are not necessarily made of hair, blood, or marrow, the colours are not of white, black or 3 types, if the Chinese translate it as “body bones” or or “ling2 bones”, “? bones”, it is unable to cover the sharira’s true essence and meaning. -
The more recent death of a Mahayana Master, Ven Hsuan Hua produced nearly ten thousand relics:
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Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
I do not think an Anagami or Arhat still have aversion to arising and passing. Only ordinary people have aversion to experiences, and an Arhat has completely eradicated such dualistic clinging.
Also, before an Arhat enters into Nirvana without mind or body, while still in Samsara, he is in Nirvana with mind and body. Since his mind is already in nirvana amidst samsara he does not fear samsara. In fact, he does not separate samsara with nirvana and clearly sees everything in the state of Nirvana.
What is Nirvana? Nirvana really not a "void" as opposed to phenomena we perceive or the arising and ceasing. It is also not a place or a mental state. Nirvana is simply the absence of the illusion of duality, of "self" versus "world", of the afflictions such as dualistic attraction, aversion, or ignorance. That is why an Arhat can continue living as long as the conditions for his mind and body is still present. Nirvana is not annihilation of a "self", it is simply the absence of conditions for the experience of suffering. In the case of remainderless nirvana (after death of an Arhat), it is the absence of conditions for further birth of the body and mind. This suffering is due to dualistic relationship with phenomena, and once that illusion is seen he is freed from all sufferings and realises the Unborn. What is most important is the Insight, as Buddha explains to Bahiya:
In the seen, there is only the seen,
in the heard, there is only the heard,
in the sensed, there is only the sensed,
in the cognized, there is only the cognized.
Thus you should see that
indeed there is no thing here;
this, Bahiya, is how you should train yourself.
Since, Bahiya, there is for you
in the seen, only the seen,
in the heard, only the heard,
in the sensed, only the sensed,
in the cognized, only the cognized,
and you see that there is no thing here,
you will therefore see that
indeed there is no thing there.
As you see that there is no thing there,
you will see that
you are therefore located neither in the world of this,
nor in the world of that,
nor in any place
betwixt the two.
This alone is the end of suffering.” (ud. 1.10)An Anagami has also overcome the coarse attraction (desire) and aversion (or hatred) with arising and passing, but the subtler illusion of duality and afflictions remain.
When the illusion of "you" verses "arising and phenomena" ends, it is seen that in hearing it is simply Sound heard, there is no Hearer and the sound is not I nor mine nor is it "heard by me". It simply arise and pass by itself, and so since there is no "you" "clinging" to "sound", there is no experience of suffering. It only becomes suffering if there is the illusion of a "me" hearing the "sound" -- then "I" become annoyed by the "noise" and try to block off the sound (which is due to the illusion that there is a "me" who is separated from the "sound"). When duality is seen through, dualistic attraction and aversion towards arising and passing ends... suffering ends.
http://www.snowlionpub.com/pages/N64_8.html
Nirvana With and Without "Remainder"
Nirvana is neither a place nor a mental state. It is a fact about us. A nirvana is the absence of afflictions in someone whose cultivation of wisdom has resulted in the destruction of ignorance, desire, hatred, etc. That mere absence is the nirvana.
On that, all Buddhist schools agree. However, they disagree over the use of the term "remainder" used in conjunction with nirvana. Other than Prasangika, it is said that after a person attains nirvana, he or she subsequently can be said to have a "nirvana with remainder," the "remainder" being the body and mind. Death cuts the remainder. However, the nirvana without remainder is a single moment, occurring just at the time of death but not after. After death there is no person to whom the nirvana can belong!
Hinayana schools do not recognize any existence after death for an Arhat. The Mahayana schools do, and all except Asanga's say that Arhats manifest in different forms, no longer helplessly reborn according to karma, and continue to cultivate wisdom and merit until they have become Buddhas. Because Asanga and his followers say that there are Arhats who do not go on to Buddhahood, they must explain that those Arhats are born in the pure lands of Buddhas and abide there forever in meditative absorption.
The Prasangika school uses the term "remainder" in a completely different manner. For them, "remainder" has to do with whether or not to an Arhat things still appear to have true existence. To explain this, we have to recall what was said previously about the obstructions to liberation and obstructions to omniscience. What prevents our liberation is our conceptions of inherent existence. Things appear to us as though they exist from their own side, independently, and we assent to this appearance by conceiving of them in this way. Meditation that analyzes the way things exist will destroy this false conception, and we can be liberated from it and from the samsara it causes.
However, because of the way we have been conditioned, which in Buddhism is a process without beginning, things still appear to exist inherently. The liberated person is someone who no longer assents to this appearance, who is always doubtful of the evidence of the senses and resists conceiving of them in the wrong way. He or she is like someone who wears sunglasses, well aware that the green tint pervading all visible objects is just the effect of the lenses. It takes a very long time for the appearance of inherent existence itself to fade. Those "taints" of appearances are the obstructions to omniscience.
From this perspective, then, an Arhat experiences a nirvana with remainder most of the time, since most of the time things appear falsely. But then, when does a nirvana without remainder occur? It occurs only when that person is meditating on emptiness because at that time only emptiness appears to the mind. For nonBuddhas, it is impossible for both emptiness and other things to appear to the mind simultaneously. (Another way of putting this is to say that the two truths cannot appear simultaneously to a non-Buddha's mind.)
So, both Prasangikas and others could identify an Arhat's usual state, the time when he or she is not absorbed in meditation on emptiness, as a nirvana with remainder, but they would mean very different things by it. Prasangikas would mean that things falsely appear to the mind; others would mean that the Arhat is alive. Similarly, both Prasangikas and others would identify the nirvana of an Arhat at the time of death as being a nirvana without remainder but they would mean something different by it. Prasangikas would mean that at that time there is no false appearance to the mind (because, for a short time, only a vacuity appears to the mind), whereas others would mean that the body and mind are abandoned.
Other than the purpose of again pressing home their contention about the empty nature of things, why do Prasanigikas change this terminology? Jamyang Shayba here gives two arguments. First, it makes no sense to say that there is any person who experiences a nirvana without remainder if that means that the aggregates are abandoned. There is no person once the aggregates are destroyed. Second, the language that suggests that Arhats "extinguish" their aggregates really just refers to their emptiness. Like all things, our bodies and minds are "primordially extinguished" into emptiness because they are, and always have been, empty of inherent existence.
Thanks for your spending time to reply.
From your statement,
I do not think an Anagami or Arhat still have aversion to arising and passing. Only ordinary people have aversion to experiences, and an Arhat has completely eradicated such dualistic clinging.
I did not say Arahart have aversion to arising and passing. I say Anagami person has aversion to arising and passing of fine particles level.We cannot use term aversion or harted for the arising and perishing of fine particles.As you said , the subtler illusion of duality and afflictions remain in fine particles level.
I am pleased you describe the following Dhamma becasue Theinngu Arhart told us the same thing in the audio clip his fourth enlighenment experience. Thanks.
as Buddha explains to Bahiya:
In the seen, there is only the seen,
in the heard, there is only the heard,
in the sensed, there is only the sensed,
in the cognized, there is only the cognized.
Thus you should see that
indeed there is no thing here;
this, Bahiya, is how you should train yourself.
Since, Bahiya, there is for you
in the seen, only the seen,
in the heard, only the heard,
in the sensed, only the sensed,
in the cognized, only the cognized,
and you see that there is no thing here,
you will therefore see that
indeed there is no thing there.
As you see that there is no thing there,
you will see that
you are therefore located neither in the world of this,
nor in the world of that,
nor in any place
betwixt the two.
This alone is the end of suffering.” (ud. 1.10) -
Thanks for sharing.I have one doubt why don't have hair relics.
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Originally posted by sofital:
Thanks for sharing.I have one doubt why don't have hair relics.
Also have... but not mentioned in the article. The article only shows only what the author (my master) have personally visited and seen or witnessed. There are many other cases.
For example a quick result from google serach I was able to find a few examples here --
http://www.detongling.org/ingredients/ingredients.htm
- Hair relic of Lama Yeshe
http://www.tersar.org/stupa.html
9. Guru Rinpoche’s hair relic
14. Hair relic of Karma Tekchen Dorje
51. Hair relic of Dakini Machik Labdron
54. Yeshe Tsogyal’s hair relic from the Drigung inner collection -
Thanks for information.........
All these masters who remain the relics tell you about their vow to birth or return to Samsara before they pass away in their biography?
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Originally posted by sofital:
Thanks for information.........
All these masters who remain the relics tell you about their vow to birth or return to Samsara before they pass away in their biography?
Yes generally all Mahayana masters have made Bodhisattva vows. Many or all of these lamas and rinpoches return as Tulkus.
