'Ghost marriage'
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I know that it is not uncommon in Buddhism and it can be a marriage between 2 decreased people or 1 alive person with a decreased person.
I am quite interested to know more about this. Can anyone elaborate more on this topic?
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Ghost marriage is not practised in Buddhism. Shld be a form of folks practise/taoism practise.Originally posted by chikopek:I know that it is not uncommon in Buddhism and it can be a marriage between 2 decreased people or 1 alive person with a decreased person.
I am quite interested to know more about this. Can anyone elaborate more on this topic?
We believe spirits do not have much hapiness and do not live the way that we live. Spirits are being tormented in various ways due to their past unwholesome karma. There is no such thing as a happy marriage in ghost realm.
And it is definitely not a good idea for a living person 'marry' a ghost. We should not create this kind of karmic affinities with the spirit realms. Certainly, we do not wish to be reborned in the spirit realm, which is one of the 3 lower realms. We want to be reborned in the higher realms... either in the Human plane or the Celestial planes (heavens) - and ultimately attain Nirvana, freedom from samsaric cycle of rebirths. -
There are more than 36 kinds of ghosts recognised in Buddhism: 36 Kinds of Ghosts (translation by Sinweiy)
Sorry for being unable to provide more information about 'ghost marriage'. -
yeah, Ghost marriage is not practised in Buddhism. Taoism/folk believe practice it.Originally posted by chikopek:I know that it is not uncommon in Buddhism and it can be a marriage between 2 decreased people or 1 alive person with a decreased person.
I am quite interested to know more about this. Can anyone elaborate more on this topic?
i heard the ghosts die young and unmarried from different family. then the 2 families invite Tao Shi (Taoist priest) to arrange marriage for this two ghosts.
but this is ignorance that we might not know if the person really was reborn in ghost realm or had it tou tai(reincarnated) to other realms.
imho 'hungry' ghosts are like drug addicts if you sort of summarise from the link on the 36 ghosts. when they are alive they cling or obsess with things and/or emotions. Say if for example a male person have this strong urge of getting married and before that he accidentally die of accident, and become ghost, he would go around looking for young ladies to fulfill his emotional attachment. everytime they feed/smell the ladies, they are like taking drug. when cannot find, they suffering like drug addict cannot find drug per se.
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SOmetimes, ghost marraiges has to be performed in order to appease the spirit. This ensures that the spirit stops disturbing the individual.
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Yes once a while, we hear about such events.
It is not common for a Buddhist to be the wedding partner for such case. At least, I've not heard of one myself.
More often than not, this require good negotiation skills with the ghost for he/she to leave willingly. Let the ghost know that someone or parties involved will chant the suttra or Buddha's or Bodhisattva's name for the him/her. Let the ghost leave willingly and be at peace, resolve conflicts done in the past usually they are Yuan Jia. Let the ghost understand that all are trying their best to help by showing a way out. If the ghost is understandable, he/she will know what to do.
But I do know that it will be very helpful to recite Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva name wholeheartedly and to recite Earth-Store Suttra with sincerity to offer merits to the ghost spirit.
It will also be excellent to recite Amitabha's Name for the ghost.
Amitabha. -
if both parties agree wif it..i c no issue..
tat lead mi to another question :-
is there religion after death?
juz my thoughts.. -
According to my understanding (Brothers, please correct me if I'm wrong), when a person dies, his soul will be brought trough the path that was in adherence to his karma which was brought with him from his living days. Based on this, he could be reborned in either one of the 6 realm. Pretty much like this. So to your question, what do you think?Originally posted by simplified:if both parties agree wif it..i c no issue..
tat lead mi to another question :-
is there religion after death?
juz my thoughts.. -
Yes, I agree with you on thisOriginally posted by concerned_man:Yes once a while, we hear about such events.
It is not common for a Buddhist to be the wedding partner for such case. At least, I've not heard of one myself.
More often than not, this require good negotiation skills with the ghost for he/she to leave willingly. Let the ghost know that someone or parties involved will chant the suttra or Buddha's or Bodhisattva's name for the him/her. Let the ghost leave willingly and be at peace, resolve conflicts done in the past usually they are Yuan Jia. Let the ghost understand that all are trying their best to help by showing a way out. If the ghost is understandable, he/she will know what to do.
But I do know that it will be very helpful to recite Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva name wholeheartedly and to recite Earth-Store Suttra with sincerity to offer merits to the ghost spirit.
It will also be excellent to recite Amitabha's Name for the ghost.
Amitabha.
When we talk about 'ghost marriage', its not just a simple thing as it seems, marriage with a spirit partner. In the case of spirits disturbing someone - it is a sign that the spirit is ATTACHED to the person. By continuing this attachment, both parties suffer. Not only will the spirit not be able to leave the realm, the 'human' person may risk falling into the spirit realm after life. Therefore you need to know the dharma and kindly ask the spirit not to be attached to the past.
Therefore the only ultimate solution to this is the LIBERATION of the spirit itself... from the attachments and from that realm itself. Which is why every 7th month, we dedicate the merits of offerings to the sangha and the ullabanadharma puja/ksitigarbha puja/etc to the spirits. Every 7th month you can go to a Buddhist monastery and dedicate merits to the deceased & 'yuan qing zai zhu' & any spirits that disturb you. In this way, spirits can be liberated from the spirit realm into the higher realms and be able to be reborn as a human again. If spirits disturb you again and again, you may need to find a Buddhist Venerable to seek advise and help from.
Many people misunderstood the purpose of Ullabanadharma - they call it the 'Ghost Festival', which is erroneous. Some people think Ghost Festival is a time where hell gates open and we have to burn paper money/hell notes so that the spirits will receive the material benefits. But in reality spirits do not use currency or be able to receive any material benefits from it all. Not only does this not work at all, even the idea of 'giving material things' to spirits is insufficient. In order to liberate spirits from their sufferings we must liberate them from the realm itself! I have posted a few times on this.http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol5no1a.htm
Ullambana Dharma - not Festival of Hungry Ghosts
By Venerable Shen-Kai
According to a popular Chinese superstition, ghosts are released from hell in the 7th month of the Chinese calendar for a one-month break in the human world. In order to appease them, animals are slaughtered and offered to these 'hungry ghosts', together with other food. Big feasts and other festivities are held during this month and the most 'auspicious day' is the 15th day of the month. It is so widespread that this yearly affair is dubbed the Month or Festival of the Hungry Ghosts. What is this all about?
Among the chief disciples of the Buddha was one named Maudgalyayana. He had immense supernatural powers: Deva-foot ubiquity which made it possible for him to appear at any place at will, the divine sight of Deva-eye to have unlimited vision of all things, large and small, near and distant; Deva-ear to hear all sounds regardless of the distance. Furthermore, he had the ability to read and understand whatever was in a person's mind. He also had the ability to see clearly the events that occurred in a person's many past lives aeons ago. Thus, Maudgalyayana is considered to be a Maha-Bodhisattva who is foremost in supernatural powers.
One day, his Deva-eye saw that his deceased mother had transmigrated to the realm of the hungry ghost. Her stomach was enlarged and she had tiny limbs. Her throat was as small as the eye of a needle, and as a result, it was impossible for her to eat any food or even to swallow a drop of water. Maudgalyayana could not bear the sight of his mother in such an extreme state of suffering. He immediately filled his alms bowl with food and with the immense power that he possessed, he sent it to his mother. However, she could not have the food because each time it turned into charcoal before she could put it in her mouth. It hurt Maudgalyayana to see what was happening and because of his strong emotion for his mother, it hindered his ability to see the karma that she had committed in her past lives. He went to Buddha for advice. The Buddha closed his eyes and entered into pure contemplation. With great compassion and gentleness, he said: "Maudgalyayana, your mother did not believe in the retributions arising from the law of cause and effect. She committed many evil deeds. She dishonoured the Buddha and insulted the Sangha [1], had no respect for the Three Treasures (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha), was greedy, filled with hatred, ignorant and arrogant. She was a wicked person who committed many evils, and she teased others giving them no peace. Therefore, she is suffering such a bitter consequence. Even though you are her son and your filial piety touches the heavens, these are still not able to save a person who had committed such serious evil karma." On hearing this, Maudgalyayana wept in pain.
Notes
1. Sangha
The corporate assembly of at least 3 monks; in general the term has come to mean a monk, or monks.
2. Bodhi
From budh; knowledge, understanding; perfect wisdom; the illuminated or enlightened mind.
The Buddha continued to console him, "It is impossible to rely solely on your own effort to save your mother from the realm of the hungry ghost. The only way is to use the combined merits of the Sangha. The 15th day of the 7th month of each year is designated "Buddha's Joy Day". This is the last day of the Sangha's summer retreat, and because of the purity with which the Sangha observed the precepts and practised cultivation, many attain the Bodhi [2]. The merits that they accumulate are immense beyond imagination, and the Buddha is most delighted. If you make an offering to these Sangha during this time, you can liberate your deceased parents and relatives from the suffering of the three evil realms (realms of animal, hungry ghost and hell) through their immense merits. If the parents are still living, then they shall be blessed with good health, happiness and a life of abundance. This is the truly marvellous method of giving salvation to the deceased." Maudgalyayana was delighted to hear this, and carried out the Buddha's advice accordingly. Thus, on the 15th of the 7th month after the offering to the Sangha, Maudgalyayana's mother was liberated from the suffering of the realm of the hungry ghost.
To give offering to the Sangha in this way is called the 'Ullambana' method. After Maudgalyayana received the benefits from this Dharma, he was very grateful to the Buddha and praised the merits of the Three Treasures. He advised people to promote the 'Ullambana Dharma'. This day, the 15th of the 7th month, can also be considered an occasion to express our gratitude and filial piety to our parents and ancestors. Unfortunately, the passage of time saw a gradual erosion in its understanding and purpose, so much so that this special occasion is not performed in accordance to the Dharma. Today, this auspicious celebration has become a day of widespread slaughter of animals to be used as offering to the hungry ghosts. The original act of performing offerings to the Sangha has become a day for feasting and making offerings to the hungry ghosts, often referred to as 'to invite the good brothers to a feast'. These practices are not only against the compassion of the Buddha, but also a let down to Maudgalyayana who had advised the world to be filial and to perform good deeds. -
article continued from first post...
When we refrain from killing and protect all lives, we actually accumulate the merit of longevity and good health. It is meaningless to kill other living beings and offer them to the ghost, because they cannot benefit from these at all. Instead, those who kill shall have to repay for their action by suffering endlessly in hell. Unless we put an end to all forms of killing, the world forever shall not have peace. If the tradition of offering to the ghosts and the deceased on this day cannot be changed, the least we could do is to replace the slaughter and offer of meat with vegetarian food, flowers or fruits. It does not matter if we are not able to make offerings to the Sangha on this day, but at least we could invite them to chant the sutra for the purpose of liberating the deceased. In this way, it benefits both the living and the deceased.
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Yes... spirits are very pitiful indeed. Thats why if a person has a lot of craving and attachment at the time of death, there comes the danger! Unless one is confident that they are (due to his cultivation and practise) able not to be pulled under the influences of his karmic tendencies and mental factors into samsaric transmigration... then when death comes... one must one mindedly chant Namo Amitabha and rely on Amitabha's deliverance. Amitabha Sutra says those who had 'one mindedness without confusion' in Amitabha Buddha will attain deliverance. Otherwise even if Amitabha wants to lend a helping hand - the dying person may not receive it.. because he is too stuck on his attachments. I believe that is the main reason why not everyone who chants Amitabha may be borned in Pure Land. The state of 'one mindedness without confusion' means do not be attached to anything that has come to past - your spouse, your children, your properties, your relationships, etc etc... all things have come to past, you cannot bring them to your next life, therefore all must be let go of. Only one mindness in AMITABHA in the PRESENT..Originally posted by sinweiy:yeah, Ghost marriage is not practised in Buddhism. Taoism/folk believe practice it.
i heard the ghosts die young and unmarried from different family. then the 2 families invite Tao Shi (Taoist priest) to arrange marriage for this two ghosts.
but this is ignorance that we might not know if the person really was reborn in ghost realm or had it tou tai(reincarnated) to other realms.
imho 'hungry' ghosts are like drug addicts if you sort of summarise from the link on the 36 ghosts. when they are alive they cling or obsess with things and/or emotions. Say if for example a male person have this strong urge of getting married and before that he accidentally die of accident, and become ghost, he would go around looking for young ladies to fulfill his emotional attachment. everytime they feed/smell the ladies, they are like taking drug. when cannot find, they suffering like drug addict cannot find drug per se.
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Thats why my master says if possible - find a venerable to tell the dying person/dead person within 49 days to practise the dharma. Even people who know some dharma needs such 'reminders' at that crucial moment.
Therefore it is very important for us to start practising the dharma now. If we cannot practise the dharma now then at death time its 1000 times harder to do so. And some people think that death is 'liberation'... but if we cannot get liberated in life, there is no chance we can attain liberation in death. -
I believe religion is just a human system of spirituality. However Buddhism is not a religion under the context of 'Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.'Originally posted by simplified:is there religion after death?
But all religions do have certain truths about the afterlife. And IMHO, Buddhism provides the most complete picture.
So truth is unchanging... religions come and go - there will be times where this religion is started, and that religion is gone. Buddhism is no exception in this IMPERMANENCY. There will be a time - at the end of the Dharma Ending Age - Buddhism and its Sangha disappears from the face of Earth... until the next Buddha, Maitreya Buddha comes again.
Therefore we are very very fortunate because at this time the Buddha Sasanna still exists... therefore we are able to take refuge in the three treasures, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, and be Buddha's disciple.
Nevertheless, True Law/True Dharma is eternal.
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Originally posted by coolbluewater:
thus i heard from Master Jing Jie Fa Shi, that the next life is brought forward by the accumulation of karma not necessary just from the current life but can also be from our countless previous life.
According to my understanding (Brothers, please correct me if I'm wrong), when a person dies, his soul will be brought trough the path that was in adherence to his karma which was brought with him from his living days. Based on this, he could be reborned in either one of the 6 realm. Pretty much like this. So to your question, what do you think?
that mean when we die that time, our mind recollect our past deeds. even consolidated karma from our previous previous lifes!
this is how His initial ch'an teacher even though was well cultivated, the death appearance was not so good. while His later pureland teacher had a better death appearance. Why? As recite one time Amitabha Buddha can Rid all grave offenses, accumulated in 8000 millions kalpas of rebirth cycle.the lowest level of the lowest grade
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[30] The Buddha said to Ananda and Vaidehi, "Those who attain birth on the lowest level of the lowest grade are the sentient beings who commit such evils as the five gravest offenses, the ten evil acts and all kinds of immorality. Owing to such evil karma, the fool like this will fall into evil realms and suffer endless agony for many kalpas. When he is about to die, he may meet a good teacher, who consoles him in various ways, teaching him the wonderful Dharma and urging him to be mindful of the Buddha; but he is too tormented by pain to do so. The good teacher then advises him, 'If you cannot concentrate on the Buddha, then you should say instead, Homage to Amitayus Buddha.' In this way, he sincerely and continuously says 'Homage to Amitayus Buddha' [Na-mo-o-mi-t'o-fo] ten times. Because he calls the Buddha's Name, with each repetition, the evil karma which he has committed during eighty kotis of kalpas of Samsara is extinguished. When he comes to die, he sees before him a golden lotus-flower like the disk of the sun, and in an instant he is born within a lotus-bud in the Land of Utmost Bliss. After twelve great kalpas the lotus-bud opens. When the flower opens, Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamaprapta teach him with voices of great compassion the method of extinguishing evil karma through the realization of Suchness of all dharmas. Hearing this, he rejoices and immediately awakens aspiration for Enlightenment. Such a person is called one who attains birth on the lowest level of the lowest grade. --- Contemplation Sutra -
what about praying to christian God?Originally posted by sinweiy:/\ -
Christianity teaches to be borned in Heaven. It is a samsaric plane for enjoyment but not a place to learn dharma and attain enlightenment and liberation. So it is different in nature.Originally posted by Suicine:what about praying to christian God? -
Why? As recite one time Amitabha Buddha can Rid all grave offenses, accumulated in 8000 millions kalpas of rebirth cycle.
Sounds very great... but if I'm not wrong, not everyone who chant will receive the same effect.. A great master chanting in the state of 'one mindedness without confusion' or in Samadhi may be able to achieve that effect but an ordinary person merely uttering the word 'Amitabha' but the mind is completely confused will not be able to do so. Isn't it?
Pls correct me if im wrong. -
Hi,
no, the recitation of the Name of Amitabha, whether by a well-cultivated practitioner, or whether by a person who has just encountered the Name, even at his/her death-bed, is the same, because the Name is dedicated to us from Amida Buddha. To say that there is a difference would be to add on our own calculations to the Buddha's Vow-Power.
This is very different from praying to a christian god, because praying to god cannot enable one to be liberated from the samsaric cycle. Whereas the ultimate aim of Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism included, is to be liberated from the cycle of birth-and-death.
Gassho -
From the Tibetan Book of death or from examples of near-death-experience, scenario is like this, when a very faithful christian die, the mind also recollect all the past deeds and guilts that he/she commited, then normally manifestation of deptors(yuan ching zai zu), unwholesome spirits, appearance of hell/animal/ghost realms will start first. the person start to feel guilty, suffering, then due to the faith of Jesus saying that God had died for their sins, the victim suddenly felt at ease and calm mind. then all the evil realms also disappear, and slowly the surrounding transform into heavenly realms.Originally posted by Suicine:what about praying to christian God?
so somehow or rather, faith do work for christian, but result is the most heavenly realms. However do note that if the christian only outside appearance got faith but inside half-passed faith and still commit unmoral deeds, than this is not going to work.
learning from the lesson between the 2 teachers.
Amitabha Buddha also uses this similar technic like jesus in the sense that He can cleanse a huge amount of one's evil karma. So the devotees can at the deathbed, be some what feel at ease from bad karma manifestation. and during the bardo state, beings are formless and hence Amitabha can pick one up to Land of Utimate Bliss very easily.
Amitabha's Land of Utimate Bliss is the manifestation of our own mind! What you wish the next realms to be like, so will beings with similar thinking gather together in Land of Utimate Bliss.
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listen to good friend sanath is right in the ultimate sense.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Sounds very great... but if I'm not wrong, not everyone who chant will receive the same effect.. A great master chanting in the state of 'one mindedness without confusion' or in Samadhi may be able to achieve that effect but an ordinary person merely uttering the word 'Amitabha' but the mind is completely confused will not be able to do so. Isn't it?
Pls correct me if im wrong.
fact is some how or rather , merely uttering the word 'Amitabha' all the way can contribute to non-confusion/samathi.
example, that there are Ah Gong Ah Ma who don't have much understanding in Buddhism, when told to recite HONESTLY (plus a little understanding), and they do so as told. May say they follow blindly, but if the path is right, it's right no matter what. in a way even though they are lower class, without so many teachings to confuse them, they can reach Samadhi faster than a middle class learner like us. Great Masters who had complete the leaning process of middle class are higher class people. Great Masters can reach samadhi anytime. Lower class and higher class have this kind of advantage, while middle class is a bit no up no down per se.
give you similie.
A group of children living near a beach and always practice swimming everyday, their skill are excellent. Then a master who learn about a paradise isle from Buddha's teachings (wisdom) come and tell them about the place. The children having got the practical skill of swimming(samathi) plus a little bit of directional advice (wisdom) can 'swim' to the paradise isle (Land of Ultimate Bliss) easily.
another example:A monk named Cûlapanthaka could not learn a single stanza of forty-four syllables even in four months. His brother Mahâpanthaka grew impatient with him, and sent him away. The Buddha called him, gave him a piece of white cloth, and instructed him to handle it while reciting, “Removing impurities, removing impurities.” The monk did as instructed, realised the nature of mind and matter within himself, and became an arahant. It must have taken him two or three hours at the most. He gained insight so easily because he was given a subject of meditation that suited his disposition perfectly.
the key for them is recite HONESTLY. if we tell people like us to recite HONESTLY, they won't stay put wan. their mind wander too much.
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Originally posted by sinweiy:
Very interesting.. yes do make sense from what I have found on Christian NDE experiences
From the Tibetan Book of death or from examples of near-death-experience, scenario is like this, when a [b]very faithful christian die, the mind also recollect all the past deeds and guilts that he/she commited, then normally manifestation of deptors(yuan ching zai zu), unwholesome spirits, appearance of hell/animal/ghost realms will start first. the person start to feel guilty, suffering, then due to the faith of Jesus saying that God had died for their sins, the victim suddenly felt at ease and calm mind. then all the evil realms also disappear, and slowly the surrounding transform into heavenly realms.
so somehow or rather, faith do work for christian, but result is the most heavenly realms. However do note that if the christian only outside appearance got faith but inside half-passed faith and still commit unmoral deeds, than this is not going to work.
learning from the lesson between the 2 teachers.
Amitabha Buddha also uses this similar technic like jesus in the sense that He can cleanse a huge amount of one's evil karma. So the devotees can at the deathbed, be some what feel at ease from bad karma manifestation. and during the bardo state, beings are formless and hence Amitabha can pick one up to Land of Utimate Bliss very easily.
Amitabha's Land of Utimate Bliss is the manifestation of our own mind! What you wish the next realms to be like, so will beings with similar thinking gather together in Land of Utimate Bliss.
/\
[/b] -
Yes I agree that learning and samadhi is really quite different. Samadhi requires a complete one mind state - only 'Amitabha'... at such a state subject and object falls apart.
fact is some how or rather , merely uttering the word 'Amitabha' all the way can contribute to non-confusion/samathi.
example, that there are Ah Gong Ah Ma who don't have much understanding in Buddhism, when told to recite HONESTLY (plus a little understanding), and they do so as told. May say they follow blindly, but if the path is right, it's right no matter what. in a way even though they are lower class, without so many teachings to confuse them, they can reach Samadhi faster than a middle class learner like us. Great Masters who had complete the leaning process of middle class are higher class people. Great Masters can reach samadhi anytime. Lower class and higher class have this kind of advantage, while middle class is a bit no up no down per se.
Knowledge can even become an obscuration (there are two kinds of obscuration: defilement obscuration and knowledge obscuration or so called suo-zhi-zhang).. some people think too much. In the Zen tradition, the Kuan Um tradition often says 'keep this Don't Know mind'.
Keeping a "don't know" mind means cutting off all thinking. Cutting off all discursive thoughts takes us to the wellspring of our true nature, and brings us to the present moment. -
Originally posted by sanath:
I see...
no, the recitation of the Name of Amitabha, whether by a well-cultivated practitioner, or whether by a person who has just encountered the Name, even at his/her death-bed, is the same, because the Name is dedicated to us from Amida Buddha. To say that there is a difference would be to add on our own calculations to the Buddha's Vow-Power. -
Sinwei , maybe i would like to said ,Reciting Amitabha does have its SamadhiOriginally posted by An Eternal Now:Yes I agree that learning and samadhi is really quite different. Samadhi requires a complete one mind state - only 'Amitabha'... at such a state subject and object falls apart.
Knowledge can even become an obscuration (there are two kinds of obscuration: defilement obscuration and knowledge obscuration or so called suo-zhi-zhang).. some people think too much. In the Zen tradition, the Kuan Um tradition often says 'keep this Don't Know mind'.
Keeping a "don't know" mind means cutting off all thinking. Cutting off all discursive thoughts takes us to the wellspring of our true nature, and brings us to the present moment.
and by what i was taught on tientai , Amitabha recitation is a form of understanding the arising and falling of matter
That would be symbolise why in the Amitabha Sutra ,there are birds in the Western Paradise who basically is transformation by Amitabha vows
to enable Western Paradise Resident to achieve Confidence in reciting the Buddha's name -
Originally posted by sinweiy:
I am a Christian, however I do not believe this is what Heaven is all about.
From the Tibetan Book of death or from examples of near-death-experience, scenario is like this, when a [b]very faithful christian die, the mind also recollect all the past deeds and guilts that he/she commited, then normally manifestation of deptors(yuan ching zai zu), unwholesome spirits, appearance of hell/animal/ghost realms will start first. the person start to feel guilty, suffering, then due to the faith of Jesus saying that God had died for their sins, the victim suddenly felt at ease and calm mind. then all the evil realms also disappear, and slowly the surrounding transform into heavenly realms.
so somehow or rather, faith do work for christian, but result is the most heavenly realms. However do note that if the christian only outside appearance got faith but inside half-passed faith and still commit unmoral deeds, than this is not going to work.
learning from the lesson between the 2 teachers.
Amitabha Buddha also uses this similar technic like jesus in the sense that He can cleanse a huge amount of one's evil karma. So the devotees can at the deathbed, be some what feel at ease from bad karma manifestation. and during the bardo state, beings are formless and hence Amitabha can pick one up to Land of Utimate Bliss very easily.
Amitabha's Land of Utimate Bliss is the manifestation of our own mind! What you wish the next realms to be like, so will beings with similar thinking gather together in Land of Utimate Bliss.
/\
[/b]
BTW, Christ never come to cleanse our "karma". -
thats pretty bad news eh. so what does this christ gives you?
and how much do you understand about your new or old testament?
do you truly believe in faith? has christ revealved 'himself' to you yet?
or, all these while, do u choose to believe in something you dont understand in. or cant see, feel or touch? much lest to comprehend?
do you have a choice to believe in him?
or is this, 'god's will'?
that you read the bible. and dont understand it.
and yet have the cheek to challenge
other's religion.
think, next time. before you shoot your mouth off.Originally posted by laoda99:I am a Christian, however I do not believe this is what Heaven is all about.
BTW, Christ never come to cleanse our "karma".