is it true
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Yes..Originally posted by me_a_clone:u mean no such thing as the 6 or 7 day they will return for the last visit?Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
The deceased can be around up till 49 days depending on how long he/she takes to reborn.
Sorry to hear about that.. and I missed this post.
If your mom is still within the 49 days period, I really advise you to find a venerable who can come and help 'chao du' and speak the dharma to your mom.. that would be of help to her.
As for which day she is there, a Zhong Yin Sheng can be around every day until the day he/she is reborn. Therefore if you chant it will have a positive impact on the deceased, and also encourage the deceased to chant along as well.
Rather than coming back on the 7th day, actually, every 7th day there is usually a high chance to be reborn... until 49th day. -
i see.. but i hear that if she do alot of good she will go up but once she used up the merit, she will be reborn or go to hell. true or not?Originally posted by An Eternal Now:The deceased can be around up till 49 days depending on how long he/she takes to reborn.
if it is true, then in order to let her stay up we have to keep doing merits for her?
if it is not true.. then do u think it is possible for me to know whr she is? maybe via meditation or anything? -
Originally posted by me_a_clone:
This is possible but not always the case. It all depends on each individual karma. There are also those who have very good karma, and life after life he is reborn in heaven... for a very very long time (though of course that is impermanent and maybe one day he/she still might be reborn back in human realm). I remember Buddha did described a few types of people's 'rebirth patterns' and this is one of them.
i see.. but i hear that if she do alot of good she will go up but once she used up the merit, she will be reborn or go to hell. true or not?if it is true, then in order to let her stay up we have to keep doing merits for her?
If you continue dedicating merits, it will certainly help.if it is not true.. then do u think it is possible for me to know whr she is? maybe via meditation or anything?
I do not have such powers, for this you have to find some masters who have such powers. -
thx alot AEN
and those whom have given their advice -
Hi,Originally posted by me_a_clone:thx isis.. i m chanting to help my mum.. and btw wad the meaning of ' the parents are the 2 buddha in the family'
sorry for my noob-ness
To further clarify, every sentient beings have Buddha nature.
Regards,
Isis -
Isis,Originally posted by Isis:Hi,
To further clarify, every sentient beings have Buddha nature.
Regards,
Isis
To your statement, I disagree... Not all sentient being have buddha nature... -
Hi,Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:Isis,
To your statement, I disagree... Not all sentient being have buddha nature...
What is your perception about the term " Buddha nature" before making this statement? Having a Buddha nature does not mean you are a good-goody two shoes. It has a different meaning behind it.
cheers -
I understand that having a buddha nature is not directly equivalent to be a goody-two shoes but can you accept that there are people whose nature is antithesis of Buddha?Originally posted by Isis:Hi,
What is your perception about the term " Buddha nature" before making this statement? Having a Buddha nature does not mean you are a good-goody two shoes. It has a different meaning behind it.
cheers -
I don't know how to explain "Buddha nature" properly as I'm not there yet.
Could you look at it from a meditative point of view.
Every one could be experience "it" in day to day but is unable to sustain "it" nor aware that they are experiencing "there state" as it could come and go in a instant or in split second... very fast.
To sidetrack,
mmm How you been ?
Having a lousy or good week ? -
Whatever characteristics that the individual being appears to be -- evil, cunning, whatever, all these are temporary characteristics and therefore is not his nature.Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:I understand that having a buddha nature is not directly equivalent to be a goody-two shoes but can you accept that there are people whose nature is antithesis of Buddha?
His Buddha Nature is immovable but yet to be realised. -
Originally posted by Isis:
see what you can get, when listen to all the 12 lectures, by Monk Hyungak (Paul Muenzen).
I don't know how to explain "Buddha nature" properly as I'm not there yet.
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=diamond+sutra+101
ps: "Buddha nature" is when Hyungak bang the table or keep quiet.
/\ -
If it's sustainable? Then it's possible that Buddha nature cannot exist in such a person? How long does it need to be sustained? 1 lifetime? Billions of kalpas of lifetime?Originally posted by Isis:I don't know how to explain "Buddha nature" properly as I'm not there yet.
Could you look at it from a meditative point of view.
Every one could be experience "it" in day to day but is unable to sustain "it" nor aware that they are experiencing "there state" as it could come and go in a instant or in split second... very fast.
To sidetrack,
mmm How you been ?
Having a lousy or good week ? -
If that is the true nature of a person?Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Whatever characteristics that the individual being appears to be -- evil, cunning, whatever, all these are temporary characteristics and therefore is not his nature.
His Buddha Nature is immovable but yet to be realised. -
I told you, those characteristics are temporary and therefore cannot possibly be his true nature.Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:If that is the true nature of a person? -
Buddha Nature is always here, like the sun. Sometimes clouds cover it and the luminosity becomes not so apparent, but still it's there. Sometimes the mental afflictions that obscures its clarity dissipates and we experience it in full. Whatever it is, the luminosity of our true nature is always shining.Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:If it's sustainable? Then it's possible that Buddha nature cannot exist in such a person? How long does it need to be sustained? 1 lifetime? Billions of kalpas of lifetime? -
BUDDHA NATURE
By Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Is my meditation correct? When shall I ever make progress? Never shall I attain the level of my spiritual Master. Juggled between hope and doubt, our mind is never at peace.
According to our mood, one day we will practice intensely, and the next day, not at all. We are attached to the agreeable experiences, which emerge from the state of mental calm, and we wish to abandon meditation when we fail to slow down the flow of thoughts. That is not the right way to practice.
Whatever the state of our thoughts may be we must apply ourselves steadfastly to regular practice, day after day; observing the movement of our thoughts and tracing them back to their source. We should not count on being immediately capable of maintaining the flow of our concentration day and night.
When we begin to meditate on the nature of mind, it is preferable to make short sessions of meditation, several times per day. With perseverance, we will progressively realize the nature of our mind, and that realization will become more stable. At this stage, thoughts will have lost their power to disturb
and subdue us.
Emptiness, the ultimate nature of Dharmakaya, the Absolute Body, is not a simple nothingness. It possesses intrinsically the faculty of knowing all phenomena. This faculty is the luminous or cognitive aspect of the Dharmakaya, whose expression is spontaneous. The Dharmakaya is not the product of causes and conditions; it is the original nature of mind.
Recognition of this primordial nature resembles the rising of the sun of wisdom in the night of ignorance: the darkness is instantly dispelled. The clarity of the Dharmakaya does not wax and wane, like the moon; it is like the immutable light which shines at the center of the sun.
Whenever clouds gather, the nature of the sky is not corrupted, and when they disperse, it is not ameliorated. The sky does not become less or more vast. It does not change. It is the same with the nature of mind: it is not spoiled by the arrival of thoughts; nor improved by their disappearance. The nature of the mind is emptiness; its expression is clarity. These two aspects are essentially one's simple images designed to indicate the diverse modalities of the mind. It would be useless to attach oneself in turn to the notion of emptiness, and then to that of Ç clarity, È as if they were independent entities. The ultimate nature
of mind is beyond all concepts, all definition and all fragmentation.
"I could walk on the clouds," says a child. But if he reached the clouds, he would find nowhere to place his foot. Likewise, if one does not examine thoughts, they present a solid appearance; but if one examines them, there is nothing there. That is what is called being at the same time empty and apparent. Emptiness of mind is not nothingness, nor a state of torpor, for it possesses by its very nature a luminous faculty of knowledge, which is called Awareness. These two aspects, emptiness and Awareness, cannot be separated. They are essentially one, like the surface of the mirror and the image, which is reflected in it.
Thoughts manifest themselves within emptiness and are reabsorbed into it like a face appears and disappears in a mirror; the face has never been in the mirror, and when it ceases to be reflected in it, it has not really ceased to exist. The mirror itself has never changed. So, before departing on the spiritual path, we remain in the so-called "impure" state of samsára, which is, in appearance, governed by ignorance. When we commit ourselves to that path, we cross a state where ignorance and wisdom are mixed. At the end, at the moment of Enlightenment, only pure wisdom exists. But all the way along this spiritual journey, although there is an appearance of transformation, the nature of the mind has never changed: it was not corrupted on entry onto the path, and it was not improved at the time of realization.
The infinite and inexpressible qualities of primordial wisdom "the true nirvana" are inherent in our mind. It is not necessary to create them, to fabricate something new. Spiritual realization only serves to reveal them through purification, which is the path. Finally, if one considers them from an ultimate point of view, these qualities are themselves only emptiness.
Thus samsára is emptiness, nirvana is emptiness - and so consequently, one is not "bad" nor the other "good." The person who has realized the nature of mind is freed from the impulsion to reject samsára and obtain nirvana. He is like a young child, who contemplates the world with an innocent simplicity, without concepts of beauty or ugliness, good or evil. He is no longer the prey of conflicting tendencies, the source of desires or aversions.
It serves no purpose to worry about the disruptions of daily life, like another child, who rejoices on building a sand castle, and cries when it collapses. See how puerile beings rush into difficulties, like a butterfly, which plunges into the flame of a lamp, so as to appropriate what they covet, and get rid of what they hate. It is better to put down the burden, which all these imaginary attachments bring to bear down upon one.
The state of Buddha contains in itself five "bodies" or aspects of Buddhahood: the Manifested Body, the Body of Perfect Enjoyment, the Absolute Body, the Essential Body and the Immutable Diamond Body. These are not to be sought outside us: they are inseparable from our being, from our mind. As soon as we have recognized this presence, there is an end to confusion. We have no further need to seek Enlightenment outside. The navigator, who lands on an island made entirely of fine gold, will not find a single nugget, no matter how hard he searches. We must understand that all the qualities of Buddha have always existed inherently in our being. -
Is mental illness a true nature of a person?Originally posted by An Eternal Now:I told you, those characteristics are temporary and therefore cannot possibly be his true nature. -
It is not the true nature of a person, but a spontaneous expression of his true nature at that moment, just as every experience is the spontaneous expression of our luminosity/clarity.Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:Is mental illness a true nature of a person?
However it is difficult for someone with mental illness to realise his true nature, as it is difficult for anyone with heavy mind karma. -
I believe that mental illness is part of the true nature of a person. Remove it and some part of the person's character and true nature goes away too.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:It is not the true nature of a person, but a spontaneous expression of his true nature at that moment, just as every experience is the spontaneous expression of our luminosity/clarity.
However it is difficult for someone with mental illness to realise his true nature, as it is difficult for anyone with heavy mind karma. -
That is because you are seeing the true nature of a person as a graspable entity, and therefore that 'entity' can be reduced or increased. This is not true, as the true nature of reality is Emptiness, without increase nor decrease, because all things are empty of inherent existence -- no fixed 'Entity' can be found.Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:I believe that mental illness is part of the true nature of a person. Remove it and some part of the person's character and true nature goes away too.
In reality there is NO 'Self' as a fixed entity! But a process! And each moment, each conditioned arising is a Reality, is an expression of our True Nature, an expression of the luminosity of our true nature.
As Thusness wrote:
Life (Self) is nothing other than the continuous flow of the Now Moment.
The Now Moment ceases as it arises. This moment must completely ceased
and serves as the CAUSE for the next moment to arise.
Therefore Self is a process of series Self1, Self2, Self3, Self4, Self5, Self6...etc
A fixed entity 'Self' does not exist, what really exists is a momentary Self.
Under deep meditation, one is able to observe and sense the karmic and mental factors from moment to moment,
it is these factors that are succeeded from moment to moment and life and life but not a fixed entity.
When the karmic and mental factors subsides, it is known as "The True and Only (and Inherently egoless) Conscious Light (Itself)".
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And so, there is no fixed self, no 'true nature of a person' as in there is a fixed self.
Only SPONTANEOUS EXPRESSIONS of our luminosity, AS the conditioned arising of that moment. That is the 'true nature' -- luminous-emptiness. Appearances that are dream-like and empty. -
And like I said -- something that is temporal, that comes and goes, cannot be one's TRUE NATURE.Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:I believe that mental illness is part of the true nature of a person. Remove it and some part of the person's character and true nature goes away too.
True nature is our immovable reality that has no coming and no going, NO MOVEMENT. That is the luminous-emptiness, our Buddha Nature, the nature of reality. -
If I remove a part of a person's brains, there's going to be moving in character, and thus the true nature of the person is obscured.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:And like I said -- something that is temporal, that comes and goes, cannot be one's TRUE NATURE.
True nature is our immovable reality that has no coming and no going, NO MOVEMENT. That is the luminous-emptiness, our Buddha Nature, the nature of reality. -
Our true nature is 'apparently' obscured most of the time if we are not enlightened yet. Only when we become enlightened that our true nature becomes completely apparent, because there is insight. We might also use the analogy of the sun to describe something like our mental afflictions/defilements obscuring the brightness/luminosity of the sun, though all these are spoken relatively and NOT to be taken as ultimate truth.Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:If I remove a part of a person's brains, there's going to be moving in character, and thus the true nature of the person is obscured.
HOWEVER, in ultimate reality, our true nature is ALWAYS here, just as the sun is always shining. Luminosity is NEVER lost, it is our true nature all the while.
Whether there is character changes, whatever, the true nature of reality is still Luminous-Emptiness. And every moment of arising IS the Spontaneous Expression of our true nature, whatever his mental conditioning or physical conditioning or whatever conditioning -- every conditioning is the spontaneous expression of our True Nature at that very moment.
And also please read thoroughly my previous post about No Fixed Self -- there is NO fixed Self, only momentary, Spontaneous expressions of our true nature that is conditioned arising. And therefore if there is ONLY spontaneous expression that are Self-Arisen and Self-Liberated simultaneously, and there is NO Fixed Self to be found, whatever changes that occurs is merely 'Change' -- NOT a 'Changing Thing', and therefore NO movement can be found.
Like I wrote in the other topic, Do you believe in Reincarnation ?:
There is no fixed entity 'Self' at all -- there is no self to be found, apart from Self1, Self2, Self3, Self4, Self5, etc, arising in a spontaneous and disconnected way. There is no movement in changes -- movement implies that Self exists in a connected way. No. No such Self can be found -- all things including your Self is empty of inherent existence. -
It does not need to be sustained as it has always been there.Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:If it's sustainable? Then it's possible that Buddha nature cannot exist in such a person? How long does it need to be sustained? 1 lifetime? Billions of kalpas of lifetime?
You can use your imagination and intellect to form a concept in your mind on what "actually is Buddha nature ???"
But you can't see Buddha nature with that mean. -
What do you think makes joy infinite in a person's life? Can a person be sad for eternity? As I oft said, the believe that each and every person having a Buddha nature is a questionable philosophy.Originally posted by Isis:It does not need to be sustained as it has always been there.
You can use your imagination and intellect to form a concept in your mind on what "actually is Buddha nature ???"
But you can't see Buddha nature with that mean.