Questions about the planes of existences and rebirth
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I have a few questions that I hope you guys can help me with.
Refering to the Q & A thread:
http://www.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=98028&page=2
"Only those marked with the 32 Major Marks and 81 Minor Marks are considered "Buddhas". "
- What are Major Marks and Minor Marks? Is there any reason for those numbers 32 and 81? What do they represent?
- Is the Buddha Omnipotent?
- What is the difference between a Buddha who is still alive physically on Earth, and one who has passed on? Are there any Buddhas alive now?Maha Brahma
The explanation is very interesting. Here are my questions regarding the above:
The Buddha has directly seen the origins of Maha Brahma and understands what it requires to be reborn in his world. In the Brahmajala Sutta (DN 1) the Buddha describes how a supposed Creator God came to believe himself omnipotent and how others came to rely on his sovereignty. His description was based, not on speculation or hearsay, but on his own direct knowledge. The Buddha explains that when our world system disintegrates, as it regularly does after extremely long periods of time, the lower sixteen planes are all destroyed. Beings disappear from all planes below the seventeenth, the plane of the Abhassara gods. Whatever beings cannot be born on the seventeenth or a higher brahma plane then must take birth on the lower planes in other remote world systems.
Eventually the world starts to re-form. Then a solitary being passes away from the Abhassara plane and takes rebirth on the plane of Maha Brahma. A palace created by his kamma awaits him there: "There he dwells, mind-made, feeding on rapture, self-luminous, moving through the air, abiding in glory. And he continues thus for a long, long time." After ages pass, he becomes lonely and longs for other beings to join him. It just so happens that shortly after the brahma starts craving for company, other beings from the Abhassara plane, who have exhausted their lifespans there, pass away and are reborn in the palace of Brahma, in companionship with him.
Because these beings seemed to arise in accordance with the first brahma's wish, he becomes convinced that he is the almighty God: "I am the Great Brahma, the Vanquisher... the Lord, the Maker and Creator, the Supreme Being." The other brahmas, seeing that he was already present when they took birth in his world, accept his claim and revere him as their creator.
- Is the Abhassara plane = 17th plane? Maha Brahma plane = 16th plane? How many planes are there? Why would a 17th plane entity be reborn into a lower plane?
- You mentioned "other remote world systems". How many other world systems are there? Are they running in parallel to our "system"? Are there currently any lifeforms in other world systems? Is this "world system" = our universe as we know it?
- Is Maha Brahma = the first brahma born in the Maha Brahma plane? What is the lifespan of the 'Creator God'?
- My understanding on this is that the Buddha is trying to explain the origin of the Creator God (may I say Christian God? Note that I am not trying to start some dispute of Buddhism vs Christianity). Is this explanation coming directly from the Buddha himself?
- You mention that the other brahmas started being reborn in the first brahma's world. Since they are all brahmas, they would have similar abilities, why would they believe that the first brahma is the Creator and Supreme Being just because they were born later? For e.g. Humans born later would have similar abilities of older humans, and will never admit that the older is a Supreme Creator. Why would brahmas accept the idea that an entity of the same plane is superior just because he is the first born? Are there any other abilities to set him aside from the rest?
- Is the Maha Brahma aware of the existance of the higher planes and its inhabitants?
- Would the Maha Brahma be totally and truely convinced that he is the Supreme Creator? As you have mentioned, if he cannot create life, how can he convince others or even himself that he is the Supreme Creator? Can he create the lower planes? If not, he should be aware of the fact that his powers are limited, and that he is not a Creator.
Sorry for so many questions. In fact, I have some more rebirth/reincarnation questions, but I think I'd leave it till later.
Thanks for your time.
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Originally posted by Poopie-Head:
32 Major Marks are:
I have a few questions that I hope you guys can help me with.
Refering to the Q & A thread:
http://www.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=98028&page=2
"Only those marked with the 32 Major Marks and 81 Minor Marks are considered "Buddhas". "
- What are Major Marks and Minor Marks? Is there any reason for those numbers 32 and 81? What do they represent?
(01) protuberance on the head,
(02) hair of the head is blue-black and curling from left to right,
(03) even and broad forehead,
(04) white tuft of hair between the eyebrows,
(05) blue eyes,
(06) forty teeth,
(07) even and orderly teeth,
(0
teeth close together,
(09) white teeth,
(10) ability of tasting any food as the best,
(11) jaw like a lion's,
(12) long and thin tongue,
(13) voice like Brahma's,
(14) well-framed shoulders,
(15) seven prominent parts (i.e. both hands, both feet, both shoulders, and the back),
(16) both shoulders well filled out,
(17) fine, golden skin,
(1 arms reaching the knees when standing upright,
(19) majestic upper part of the body like a lion's,
(20) body like a Nyagrodha tree in circumference,
(21) a hair growing from each pore,
(22) hair growing upwards and its point bending towards the right,
(23) male organ hidden in the foreskin,
(24) well-rounded thighs,
(25) unprotuberant ankle-bone,
(26) soft and tender hands and feet,
(27) hands and feet with webs between fingers and toes,
(2 long fingers,
(29) soles bearing the mark of a thousand-spoked wheel,
(30) both feet standing firm,
(31) long and broad heels, and
(32) calves like the shanks of the king of black antelopes.
80 Minor Signs are:
(01) copper-colored nails,
(02) soft and glossy nails,
(03) highly curved nails,
(04) round fingers,
(05) tapering fingers,
(06) strong fingers,
(07) hidden veins,
(0 veins without knots,
(09) unexposed ankles,
(10) both feet identical,
(11) steps like a lion's,
(12) steps like an elephant's,
(13) steps like a swan's,
(14) steps like a bull's,
(15) turning the head clockwise to look back,
(16) beautiful manner of walking,
(17) upright walking,
(1 well-framed limbs,
(19) immaculate limbs,
(20) well-balanced limbs,
(21) clean limbs,
(22) soft limbs,
(23) strong limbs,
(24) complete male organ,
(25) broad, elegant and round limbs,
(26) walking with an even step,
(27) delicate limbs,
(2 unimpaired limbs,
(29) symmetrical and majestic body,
(30) well-joined limbs,
(31) well-proportioned limbs and members,
(32) pure and unobscured eye-sight,
(33) rounded abdomen,
(34) spotless abdomen,
(35) unfurrowed abdomen,
(36) convex abdomen,
(37) deep-seated navel,
(3 right-turning navel,
(39) readiness to help others equally,
(40) noble conduct,
(41) body without freckles,
(42) hands as soft as cotton,
(43) brilliant lines on the hand,
(44) deep lines on the hand,
(45) unbroken lines on the hand,
(46) face not too long,
(47) lips red like the Bimba fruit,
(4 soft tongue,
(49) thin tongue,
(50) red tongue,
(51) voice like an elephant's roar and like thunder,
(52) sweet and pleasant voice,
(53) perfect teeth,
(54) sharp teeth,
(55) white teeth,
(56) even teeth,
(57) tapering teeth,
(5 high nose,
(59) nose not too long,
(60) pure eyes,
(61) broad eyes,
(62) beautiful eyebrows,
(63) eyes like the petal of a blue Kuvalaya flower,
(64) blue-black eyebrows,
(65) soft eyebrows,
(66) regular eyebrows,
(67) lustrous eyebrows,
(6 large ears,
(69) both ears identical,
(70) healthy ears,
(71) forehead well fitted to the face,
(72) broad forehead,
(73) well-developed head,
(74) blue-black hair,
(75) closely growing hair,
(76) soft hair,
(77) undishevelled hair,
(7 smooth and even hair,
(79) fragrant hair, and
(80) palms and soles marked with Svastika and other auspicious signs.
This website explains all the causes of the 32 Major Marks: http://pages.cthome.net/tibetanbuddhism/May_01_news_pg_2.htm
This website explains all the causes of the 80 Minor Marks: http://pages.cthome.net/tibetanbuddhism/May_01_news_pg_3.htm- Is the Buddha Omnipotent?
Buddha is Omniscient, Buddha possesses the 6 Miraculous Powers, but Buddha is not Omnipotent. Omnipotence is derived from the concept of "Creatorism", which Buddha had rejected in several texts. Since there was no Creator, nobody in the world is Omnipotent. We are not punished by the Creator for sins, but rather, it is Karma (cause and effect) which makes us bear the consequences for our Mind, Speech, Action. Also, everything in the world is formed due to various causes and conditions.
It is Karma which "runs" our life, not fate, not control from an omnipotent being.
Therefore, my Karma ran over your Dogma
- What is the difference between a Buddha who is still alive physically on Earth, and one who has passed on?
Passed on or passed away?
I don't know what you mean, but, Buddhas are Buddhas. There are uncountable Buddhas, but every Buddhas have the same characters and nature, but manifest differently to sentient beings due to different cause and conditions/vows/etc etc.Are there any Buddhas alive now?
There are no Buddhas currently living in Planet Earth. But there are many Mahabodhisattvas, "lesser" Bodhisattvas, and Arhats, who are teaching sentient beings like you and me here... they are all learning to be Buddhas, to attain Buddhahood, and following the orders of Buddha to be reborn on Earth in the age of degeneration.
There are uncountable Buddhas in the universe and beyond, with uncountable Buddha-lands like the Western Pure Land which everyone knows. Pure Land Buddhists practice the chanting of Namo Amitabha/Namo Amida Butsu/etc etc.The explanation is very interesting. Here are my questions regarding the above:
There are 31 Planes of Existences altogether. I don't know which is 17th and which is 16th, you can count
- Is the Abhassara plane = 17th plane? Maha Brahma plane = 16th plane? How many planes are there? Why would a 17th plane entity be reborn into a lower plane?
Each sentient being has different thoughts and consciousness which results in different Mind/Speech/Action Karma. Beings are thus reborned into different places and realms upon the next rebirth.- You mentioned "other remote world systems". How many other world systems are there? Are they running in parallel to our "system"? Are there currently any lifeforms in other world systems? Is this "world system" = our universe as we know it?
I'm not too good at Buddhist cosmology. I've got lots of CDs which explained all about the universe stuff, and they really made sense, just that I couldn't remember them. What I could remember was, that Buddha said that there are at least 1 Billion Sun-Systems (we call it solar systems) in our universe alone, there are many many worlds which make up another bigger world, and so on. Buddha described "spiral world systems" which refers to galaxies, and objects (planets/asteroids) in space are "round/oval".
In the future, during Maitreya Buddha's era, everyone will be travelling in flying vehicles. In future, there will be "flying vehicles that could travel 84,000 people". Buddha Maitreya would be travelling in a golden flying vehicle. By then, 4 human planets under the Mt.Sumeru (a cosmological mountain that means "vast space" ) will be under one rule of the "Universal Monarch" (i think it'll probably be a democratic government
). And it goes on to describe how modern/technological advance the place is... with a very very long human life-span... all that seems impossible 2,500 years ago, suddenly seems to be a possibility in the future. It is interesting to note that a few Buddhist texts described about flying vehicles in the future, but anyway, off-topic.- Is Maha Brahma = the first brahma born in the Maha Brahma plane? What is the lifespan of the 'Creator God'?
Yes, Maha Brahma is the first Brahma to appear in the 1st Jhana plane. This is the reason why the Maha Brahma is led to preach a theistic doctrine.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/bps/wheels/wheel414.html
Maha Brahma
The Buddha has directly seen the origins of Maha Brahma and understands what it requires to be reborn in his world. In the Brahmajala Sutta (DN 1) the Buddha describes how a supposed Creator God came to believe himself omnipotent and how others came to rely on his sovereignty. His description was based, not on speculation or hearsay, but on his own direct knowledge. The Buddha explains that when our world system disintegrates, as it regularly does after extremely long periods of time, the lower sixteen planes are all destroyed. Beings disappear from all planes below the seventeenth, the plane of the Abhassara gods. Whatever beings cannot be born on the seventeenth or a higher brahma plane then must take birth on the lower planes in other remote world systems.
Eventually the world starts to re-form. Then a solitary being passes away from the Abhassara plane and takes rebirth on the plane of Maha Brahma. A palace created by his kamma awaits him there: "There he dwells, mind-made, feeding on rapture, self-luminous, moving through the air, abiding in glory. And he continues thus for a long, long time." After ages pass, he becomes lonely and longs for other beings to join him. It just so happens that shortly after the brahma starts craving for company, other beings from the Abhassara plane, who have exhausted their lifespans there, pass away and are reborn in the palace of Brahma, in companionship with him.
Because these beings seemed to arise in accordance with the first brahma's wish, he becomes convinced that he is the almighty God: "I am the Great Brahma, the Vanquisher... the Lord, the Maker and Creator, the Supreme Being." The other brahmas, seeing that he was already present when they took birth in his world, accept his claim and revere him as their creator.
Eventually this misconception of a Creator God spreads to the human plane. One of the other brahmas passes away and is reborn here. He develops concentration and learns to recollect his previous life with Maha Brahma, but none of his lives before that. Recollecting that existence he recalls that Maha Brahma was considered the "father of all that are and are to be... permanent, stable, eternal." As he is unable to remember further back, he believes this to be absolute truth and propounds a theistic doctrine of an omnipotent Creator God (Net 69-70, 155-66).
The Venerable Ledi Sayadaw, a highly renowned Myanmar scholar-monk of the first part of this century, gave a careful analysis of the powers of Maha Brahma in his Niyama Dipani (MB pp. 138-39). He states that although Maha Brahma can perform all sorts of transformations, he cannot actually create independent creatures, change the kammic law of cause and effect, or keep anyone from growing old or dying. Brahma can use his special powers to transport a man to the brahma plane for a short visit, but he cannot ensure that someone will be reborn there.- My understanding on this is that the Buddha is trying to explain the origin of the Creator God (may I say Christian God? Note that I am not trying to start some dispute of Buddhism vs Christianity). Is this explanation coming directly from the Buddha himself?
Buddha spoke about Brahma, Buddha spoke about Creatorism as a whole, Buddha spoke about Religion as a whole. However Buddha did not specifically speak about the Christian God, because firstly, Christianity started 500 years after Buddha, and secondly, the Judaist kingdoms have few/no contacts with the Indian kingdoms during that era. However, it is obvious that Buddha rejected the notion of "Creatorism" in the following text:
If the creator of the world entire / they call God, of every being be the Lord / Why does he order such misfortune / And not create happiness but only discord?
If the creator of the world entire / They call God, of every being be the Lord / Why prevail deceit, lies and ignorance / And he such inequity and injustice create?
If the creator of the world entire / they call God, of every being be the Lord / Then an evil master is he, (O Aritta) / Knowing what's right did let wrong prevail!
Furthermore, Buddha pointed out that most religions have origins from Fear, something which Buddha has denounced.
The Buddha did not claim to be in any way divine, nor does Buddhism involve the idea of a personal god.
The Buddha suggested that it was fear that produced the religious impulse in humanity.
"Gripped by fear men go to the sacred mountains, sacred groves, sacred trees and shrines, but these are not a secure kind of refuge."
The Dhammapada, 188.
The way to cure this fear is not by believing in a God who will protect you, but by coming to a proper understanding and acceptance of the way things are. - BBC News- You mention that the other brahmas started being reborn in the first brahma's world. Since they are all brahmas, they would have similar abilities, why would they believe that the first brahma is the Creator and Supreme Being just because they were born later? For e.g. Humans born later would have similar abilities of older humans, and will never admit that the older is a Supreme Creator. Why would brahmas accept the idea that an entity of the same plane is superior just because he is the first born? Are there any other abilities to set him aside from the rest?
I'm not a Brahma myself so I'm not sure, but the "Maha Brahma" also means he's the leader/king of the 1st Jhana plane, and therefore all the devas and even humans have respect for this "supreme being".- Is the Maha Brahma aware of the existance of the higher planes and its inhabitants?
I'm not sure about the Maha Brahma, but this is what the Baka Brahma thought:
Baka Brahma was the chief of the first realm of higher gods. He was of the view that his realm was the highest and that he himself and his realm were everlasting, not knowing that there were higher realms above his own. The Blessed One visited the Brahma world and in the midst of an assembly of higher gods pointed out to Baka Brahma, "There are realms of higher gods above yours. The whole Brahma world of higher gods including your realm is not permanent". Then the Blessed One continued his discourse to Baka Brahma by saying, "I know how you have come into being and what your powers are. But, there are higher gods superior to you in status and power". Finding that all his views were wrong, Baka wished to show his own powers and said. "I will make myself invisible". He made several attempts to become invisible, but without success. The Blessed One then said, "I will now show you that I can make myself invisible", and instantly the Buddha disappeared from view and preached to him a sermon while remaining invisible.- Would the Maha Brahma be totally and truely convinced that he is the Supreme Creator? As you have mentioned, if he cannot create life, how can he convince others or even himself that he is the Supreme Creator? Can he create the lower planes? If not, he should be aware of the fact that his powers are limited, and that he is not a Creator.
The Venerable Ledi Sayadaw, a highly renowned Myanmar scholar-monk of the first part of this century, gave a careful analysis of the powers of Maha Brahma in his Niyama Dipani (MB pp. 138-39). He states that although Maha Brahma can perform all sorts of transformations, he cannot actually create independent creatures, change the kammic law of cause and effect, or keep anyone from growing old or dying. Brahma can use his special powers to transport a man to the brahma plane for a short visit, but he cannot ensure that someone will be reborn there.Sorry for so many questions. In fact, I have some more rebirth/reincarnation questions, but I think I'd leave it till later.
You're welcome to ask any time and the moderators will gladly answer you.
Thanks for your time. -
Sorry, I missed a few points.
What is the lifespan of the 'Creator God'?
II.D1.18. Maha Brahma, the heaven of the great Brahma Gods. They can live up to the life span of one Asankheyya, an indefinite period equivalent to 64 Antara kappas or human evolution cycles.
II.D2.19. Brahma Purohita, a heaven of the Brahma ministers. They can live up to the life span of a half of one Asankheyya.
II.D3.20. Brahma Parisajja, a heaven of a retinue of Brahmas. They can live up to the life span of a third of one Asankheyya.
----------------------------------------------------
Through rough calculations, the Maha Brahma lives 10 Million Brahma years, but one Brahma years is equivalent to many many Human years (e.g Maitreya Bodhisattva will live in T U S H I T A (avoid filter system) heaven for 4,000 celestial years, which is equivalent to millions or billions of human years), so the Brahma probably lives billions of human years.Is this explanation coming directly from the Buddha himself?
Yes, the explanations came directly from Buddha himself. -
SORRY, AN ETERNAL ONE MADE A MISTAKE BY EDITING THIS POST INSTEAD OF CLICKING "REPLY". QUOTED TEXTS ARE POOPIEHEAD'S ORIGINAL QUESTIONS, UNQUOTED TEXTS ARE AN ETERNAL NOW'S REPLY. THANK YOU.
Arhat's Nirvana is merely Cessation, means he does not have to be reborn in Samsara. Buddha's Nirvana is much more complete... an Arhat still has lots more to cultivate before attaining Buddhahood. Supposedly when a Buddha enters Nirvana, he no longer reborns in Samsara to cultivate. However, in the Lotus Sutra, it was stated that Buddha's Parinirvana is only an example, a manifest to show sentient beings that he has entered extinction, when in fact, he still exists and are saving sentient beings in other worlds.
Is there a difference between a Buddha who is still alive physically on Earth, and one who has entered "Final Nirvana", aka physically dead? What is the difference between Nirvana and Final Nirvana?
Now, however, although in fact I do not actually enter extinction, I announce that I am going to adopt the course of extinction. This is an expedient means which the Thus Come One uses to teach and convert living beings.
Why do I do this? Because if the Buddha remains in the world for a long time, those persons with shallow virtue will fail to plant good roots but, living in poverty and lowliness, will become attached to the five desires and be caught in the net of deluded thoughts and imaginings. If they see that the Thus Come One is constantly in the world and never enters extinction, they will grow arrogant and selfish, or become discouraged and neglectful. They will fail to realize how difficult it is to encounter the Buddha and will not approach him with a respectful and reverent mind.
- Lord Buddha, Chapter 16 of Lotus SutraYou spoke of uncountable Buddhas. Are they "independent" entities? Whenever a buddhist text refer to Buddha, how do we know exactly who is being referred to?
Seperate entities do not exist in Buddhist context. You and I are the same, our Buddha nature is complete and all-rounded, but Buddhahood has not been realised yet.
Usually, when Buddhist sutras talk about "Tathagatha" (Buddha) it means Sakyamuni Buddha on Planet Earth. In special sutras, Buddha talked about Buddhas from other worlds, like Amitabha Buddha, they will specifically state them.So there are many Bodhisattvas and Arhats physically living amongst us now? I'm not talking about "temporary visits"
Yes. Throughout history there are many manifested dharma teachers/masters/lamas of Great Bodhisattvas. There was no lack of practitioners who attained Arhatship, and Nirvana. Even now, there are great bodhisattvas among us, but they do not proclaim their status. .
I command the Bodhisattvas and Arhats to appear after my cessation in response-bodies in the Dharma-Ending Age, and to take various forms to rescue those in the cycle of rebirth. . . .
But they should never say of themselves, 'I am truly a Bodhisattva'; or 'I am truly an Arhat. . . .
How can people who make such claims, other than at the end of their lives and then only to those who inherit the teaching, be doing anything but deluding and confusing living beings and indulging in gross false claims?" (SS VI 48-55)
Everything is impermanent. It gets destroyed, but not as often as the planes lower.
According to the text, the Buddha explained that the lower sixteen planes are all destroyed after extremely long periods of time. What about the 17th plane and above? Will they not get destroyed at all?Which plane does the Buddha reside? Who resides in the highest plane, the 31st?
Nirvana is beyond the Triple Worlds, even beyond all the Form and Formless Jhanic planes. Everything within the Triple Worlds are impermanent, they are subject to Samsaric cycles and sufferings.
There are not only 1 person who resides in the highest plane. I have heard that practitioners of Taoism (but not the modern Tao which is deluded by superstitions..) and Hinduism can attain the state of the 8th Jhana, state of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception. One of Buddha's teachers prior to his enlightenment, was reborned in the highest Jhanic plane due to his practice. However, he was still unable to attain enlightenment, and he was unfortunate not be able to receive the Dharmas from Buddha because he died too early.
I the great seer, am the protector and father of all being and all the creatures who childlike are captivated by the pleasures of the triple world are my sons. I am the Tathagata, the Lord who has no superior, who appears in this world to save. - Lord Buddha
Uh.... I don't know
We have Solar Systems, Galaxies, Clusters of Galaxies, Super Clusters, Walls, Universe.
So where is the boundary of the 16th plane?Is there any explanation of how our universe came to be? Like how it is formed, when was it formed, what happened and what will happen in the future?
Yes. http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol7no2a.htm
Basically...
The evolving world goes through four stages, namely:
1. Formation
2. Existence
3. Destruction
4. Void or Emptiness
The article is very very long, so I would not paste it here. Please read up on your own
According to Hinduism, yes. But in Buddhism, the Maha Brahma's lifespan is 1 Asangkheyya. 4 Asangkheyya makes up the time between the birth and ending of the universe.
When the Maha Brahma dies, will the world he lives in (and the planes below it) end as well?
Asankheyya=64 Antara kappa or human evolution cycles
Maha kappa=4 Asankheyyas or the age of a universe from its beginning to its end1st Jhana plane = which plane? (as in terms of the 31 planes that you mention) Which plane do we live in?
I don't think Buddha provided the exact rankings for you, but you can count yourself.Who is the 1st Brahma in the 16th plane above ours? Is he the Maha Brahma or Baka Brahma?
There are 3 catergories of Brahmas:
II.D1.18. Maha Brahma, the heaven of the great Brahma Gods. They can live up to the life span of one Asankheyya, an indefinite period equivalent to 64 Antara kappas or human evolution cycles.
II.D2.19. Brahma Purohita, a heaven of the Brahma ministers. They can live up to the life span of a half of one Asankheyya.
II.D3.20. Brahma Parisajja, a heaven of a retinue of Brahmas. They can live up to the life span of a third of one Asankheyya."Furthermore, Buddha pointed out that most religions have origins from Fear, something which Buddha has denounced. "
I totally agree with you on this. -
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For many reasons, i rather talk than type.
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Maybe it's time we have an outing for discussion and sharing of info.
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Are you still in India?Originally posted by Origami:Maybe it's time we have an outing for discussion and sharing of info. -
Good idea, but if write, you can slowly refer to many sources, that's what I did - I gathered information from various sutras and sources as "evidence" for my statements... As I'm still amatuerish as a Buddhist, it's best if there's "scriptural support".Originally posted by laurence82:For many reasons, i rather talk than type. -
wow... this thread is amazing!!!
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Originally posted by Poopie-Head:
We have Tooth relics, but not all 40. Some could be lost, some are distributed to nagas and devas. But some were displayed during the Singapore Tooth Relics at Expo, it's really magnificant, did you visit it?
(06) forty teeth
- Do we have any remains of the Buddha showing such evidence?(11) steps like a lion's,
Hmmm.... I would think so...
(12) steps like an elephant's,
(13) steps like a swan's,
(14) steps like a bull's,
- Can all the above observations be present at the same time?- I see the "male organ" being mentioned in both the Major and Minor Marks. Does this mean that the Buddha will always be a male?
There are female Arhats (Saints), but no female Buddhas...Yes, but respect is a different thing altogether. I find it strange that brahmas born in the same plane of the 1st Brahma can be led to believe that the first is the Supreme Creator. Unless he has some unique ability to set him apart from the rest.
He does have some unique abilities, I believe. In Baka Brahma's case for example, Buddha said that he's aware of his miraculous powers, and Baka Brahma tried to show it to Buddha, but in the end Buddha was the one who was able to appear invisible.Furthermore, if the 1st Brahma cannot do those three feats that you mentioned above, then how can he be convinced that he is The Creator himself? He would've realised the limits of his powers and not claim to be Omnipotent.
Look at this story:
During the Buddha's time, there was a monk who strived to develop his mind such that he could enter the realms of the gods. With great effort, he succeeded in transporting himself to the first heaven, the Heaven of the Four Great Kings. The reason he wanted to see the gods was to ask them a really profound question, "Where does the four great elements cease without remainder?"
When he reached the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, he asked all the gods this question. None of them knew the answer. "Perhaps u can ask the Four Great Kings", they suggested. So the monk asked the Kings, but none of them knew the answer too. So they suggested, "Perhaps u can ask the 32 Gods in the higher heaven".
The monk went back to earth and he meditated once again. With great effort, he succeeded in transporting himself to the second heaven, the Heaven of the 32 Gods. There he asked the gods his profound question. None of them knew the answer. "Perhaps u can ask King Sakka, the King of the 32 Gods", they suggested. So the monk asked the King, but He didn't know the answer too. He suggested, "Perhaps you can ask the Yammas in the higher heaven".
The monk when back to earth again and meditated, till he was able to transport himself to the Heaven of the Yammas. Again, none of the gods there knew the answer. So he went to the higher heaven. This went on until the monk reached the highest of all Heavens, the Heavens of the Brahmas, the Supreme gods. There the monk asked the Brahmas, but none of them knew the answer. "Perhaps you can ask Great Brahma, the Creator, the Uncreated, the Knower of All, .....etc.....", the Brahmas suggested.
The moment Great Brahma's name was spoken, He appeared with all His glory. "I am the Great Brahma, the Creator, the Uncreated, the Knower of All, .....etc.....", Great Brhama spoke. Thrilled at the sight of Great Brahma, the monk asked his profound question, "Where does the four great elements cease without remainder?".
Great Brahma did not answer. Instead, he said, "I am the Great Brahma, the Creator, the Uncreated, the Knower of All, .....etc.....". The monk was a little frustrated, "Yes, Venerable One, I know you are the Great Brahma, but I came to ask you this quesn, Where does the four great elements cease without remainder?". Again, Great Brahma did not answer. Instead He said, "I am the Great Brahma, the Creator, the Uncreated, the Knower of All, .....etc....."
This time, the monk was very frustrated. He asked for the 3rd time, "Yes, I KNOW you are the Great Brahma, but I came to ask this quesn, Where does the four great elements cease without remainder?".
This time, Great Brahma did not say anything. He took the monk in the hand and, with all His glory, appeared in a far end of existance. Great Brahma then spoke, "Monk, you see all these gods there? They all think I know everything. Are you trying to embarrass me in front of all these gods?". The monk was taken aback, "But Venerable Sir, if you do not know the answer, who would?". "You fool!", the God shouted, "The Buddha is on earth. Why don't you ask him and stop bothering me?".
The monk then went back to earth and asked the Buddha. The Buddha laughed at his little adventure and told a joke about it. "Monk, in the old days, navigators depended on birds to know if land is nearby. They would release a bird. If the bird returned, it means that land is not near. You monk, you r just like that bird. Flying away from the ship, seeing no land, and then returning to me". The monk was so amused he too laughed. At this point, the Buddha gave the answer, "Nirvarna is when the four great elements cease without remainder". The monk understood. He rejoiced at the answer.My question about rebirth:
This has to do with the Buddhist concept of non-self. It's a simple concept. The idea of "Self" is a Maya, an illusion that we should all break. We human beings often see ourselves as having a seperate identity from the rest of the world. Because of this illusion, the 3 poisons grow - Greed, Hatred, Ignorance.
I have read the other article about "self" (the one about the flames of the candle) and it says that there is no "self". However, I might not have understood it fully. During rebirth, is the whole person being reborn? Like, is there a soul for each person and it is the soul that is being reborn in a new body? Is everyone an independent entity?
If there is no "self", how can someone have a past life?
So how do we know that the "self" is an illusion? For example, if you are blind, how can you say "I saw a pretty lady", and if you are deaf, can you say "I like this music"? And it all goes down to the Mind. When you are brain-dead or asleep or unconscious, but still alive, can you say that "I exist"? There is no seperate identities in the world. It is the mind that see's things as having seperate identities. So what are "we" made up of? Nothing but the 5 Aggregates (material form, feeling, cognition, constructing activities and consciousness). Morever, nothing is permanent in the world.
Extract from The Matrix:
Boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead only try to realize the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Boy: There is no spoon.
Neo: There is no spoon?
Boy: Then you'll see that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.
As for rebirth, I do not see why it is not possible. There's transference of the characters, karma, 8th consciousness, just that there is no such thing as a "self", the "Self" is merely an illusion. -
Yes, Arhants is Arhats, same meaning. Kamma = Karma, Dhamma = Dharma, there are those who spell Sakyamuni Buddha, there are those who spell Shakyamuni Buddha, there are many different varieties of spellings.
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OOPS!!!
I made a terrible mistake!
Sorry Poopie-Head, I replied one of your post, but I replied by "editing" your post Sorry for being careless.... hope you don't mind.
I'll preview my posts before posting next time. -
wow you answered poopiehead's questions inside his own post...unique way of doing things
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oh sorry I made that post before you posted that post...
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Haha! I think u misread me. I'm going in Dec. We should all meet up and maybe u guys can tell me wat u guys want in India.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Are you still in India? -
I agree. to amateur like me, this sounds mind bamboozling....Originally posted by foxwalk:wow... this thread is amazing!!! -
This is because he is asking me in reference to other topics in the forum.Originally posted by laurence82:I agree. to amateur like me, this sounds mind bamboozling....
You can ask your own questions, and you won't find my answers "mind bamboozling"
And I'm also amatuerish, I don't think I'm knowledgeable in Buddhadharma.. only know a little basics. -
Why don't you create a new topic and see who wanna come first?Originally posted by Origami:Haha! I think u misread me. I'm going in Dec. We should all meet up and maybe u guys can tell me wat u guys want in India. -
Like, is there a soul for each person and it is the soul that is being reborn in a new body? Is everyone an independent entity?
There is an intermediate body in between death and rebirth. This intermediate state lasts 49 days, in which each 7 days an opportunity arise for the deceased to reborn. There are many masters and teachers who have seen this, witnessed and experienced the Bardo states. There is a tibetan book all about this, the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
As for how do these interemediate bodies get reborned, just think of radio waves and radio receiver. Rebirth happens like that.
If you still have doubts, I suggest you read this article on Rebirth: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/reincarnation.htm
For any Theravadins who may happen to see this post:
Indeed, there is such an intermediate state. However, if I'm speaking in Theravadin context, even this is not considered a "soul". In Theravada, soul means having a seperate identity, which Mahayana rejects too. This intermediate state complies with the 3 Dharma Seals*, and does not reject the Theravadin idea of "Non-self", or Anata.
It seems to me that Buddha gave different amount of information for each of the 3 turnings of the Dharma Wheel. During his first turning of the dharma wheel, which is the preaching of the Hinayana sermons, he did not teach about the intermediate state. During the Mahayana turning, he hinted at an intermediate state with limited information, but when it comes to Vajrayana/Tantric, Buddha spoke more about the Bardo states.
* 3 Dharma Seals: Impermanence, non-self, nirvana -
dukkha is not one of the dharma seals?
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Three marks of existence (Pali, ti-lakkhana; Sanskrit, tri-laksana) in Buddhism is the collective term for anicca, "impermanence," dukkha, "suffering," and anatta, "no-self." Although each comprise a topic of meditation in its own right conceptually they are interrelated: there is "no-self" because there is "impermanence," and because there is "impermanence" there is "suffering." The reflection upon dukkha serves to dispel the illusions about the world and of life. A.G.H.
3 Marks of Existence: Impermanence, Dukkha, No-self
3 Dharma Seals, 4 Dharma Seals, 3 Marks of Existence, do not get confused by them -
pardon me but since i know soooo little about Buddhism its all very cheem to me.
BTW, thanks for answering my questions. I am still trying to digest them. Maybe later will ask more questions when I have properly understood and "organised" them. -
Sorry... inexperienced Buddhists like me have tendency to make simple things confusing
Take your time -
Where can I find more to read about the Buddhist explanations of the universe, origin of life, and lists of all the 31 planes? I read about Jhanic planes, Brahma planes etc and I don't know how they are related to each other, and how we are related to them (aka which level we're in).
Yes. http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol7no2a.htm
Basically...
The evolving world goes through four stages, namely:
1. Formation
2. Existence
3. Destruction
4. Void or Emptiness
[Note] Kalpa:
1 small kalpa = 16.8 million years
20 small kalpas = 1 medium kalpa = 336 million years
80 small kalpas = 4 medium kalpas = 1 great kalpa = 1.344 billion years
I've read through the link you've provided and frankly, with all due respect, I find several doubts about it. Is the explanation of human's origin and the numbers given directly by the Buddha Himself?
- The story about the "tasty fluid" suggests that humans were the first creatures on Earth, which is not the case according to existing evidence.
- The universe is estimated to be about 11+ to 20 billion years old, while the Earth is about 4.6bil yr old. This figure is much greater than a complete cycle of the 4 stages(1.344bil). How accurate are the estimates of a "kalpa"?
There are 3 catergories of Brahmas:
Who is the 1st Brahma in the 16th plane above ours? Is he the Maha Brahma or Baka Brahma?
So, is Maha Brahma = Baka Brahma?
Extract from The Matrix:
Boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead only try to realize the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Boy: There is no spoon.
Neo: There is no spoon?
Boy: Then you'll see that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.
I can never understand that...
LOL
Seperate entities do not exist in Buddhist context. You and I are the same, our Buddha nature is complete and all-rounded, but Buddhahood has not been realised yet.
You spoke of uncountable Buddhas. Are they "independent" entities? Whenever a buddhist text refer to Buddha, how do we know exactly who is being referred to?
...
As for rebirth, I do not see why it is not possible. There's transference of the characters, karma, 8th consciousness, just that there is no such thing as a "self", the "Self" is merely an illusion.
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There is an intermediate body in between death and rebirth. This intermediate state lasts 49 days, in which each 7 days an opportunity arise for the deceased to reborn. There are many masters and teachers who have seen this, witnessed and experienced the Bardo states. There is a tibetan book all about this, the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
As for how do these interemediate bodies get reborned, just think of radio waves and radio receiver. Rebirth happens like that.
The radiowave analogy can be easily understood. What happens if the intermediate state of 49 days are over and the deceased juz cant find any "receiver"? Will he get "dispersed" (hun fei po san) and cease to exist? Will such a phenomenon of dispersion even occur?
What do u mean by a "character"? What is "8th conciousness"?
I understand when u said everything is not permanent, and everything is ever-changing, thus the mind and soul is not the same all the time. (hmm, i can't find the link to the story on the flames on the first and third watch)
Why is it then that the characters, karma and 8th conciousness gets transferred? There must be some kind of a bonding amongst these three, it is a "collection" of the three "elements" and it follows the "person" on to his next life. Rather, it is that which defines the person.
Can't it be said that the soul is a collection of these three elements? Even if they are ever-changing, they are still existent isn't it?
Perhaps it all boils down to a choice of words, or the definition of souls, self and such.
Can I say that when a person dies, his character, karma, and 8th conciousness gathers on to a "new body" and his new life begins. At the end of this new life, these three elements (albeit being different now) will again gets transferred to another body?
P.S> Is it true that all life consists of character, karma & 8th Conciousness? Are plants and bacteria considered life? If so, they would have these three elements too?
Thanks again m(_ _)m