Do Buddhists need to do some self reflections to examine one's faults in order to attain nirvanna?
I think it is a must. To attain nirvana on earth is very difficult. So far, only Buddha has attained nirvana on earth. Most buddhists wish to reborn in Amitabha's pureland to further practice, from there to attain nirvana. Earth is full of temptation, Amitabha's pureland is easier to attain nirvana. This is my understanding.
Yes, and more, for example, like how does one's fault arises?
I think it stems from meeting with other beings (i.e. activities such as eating, talking, touching, murdering, etcetc.), incompatibilites may arise and one has to know of such conflicts from incompatibilities.
Thus some enlightened individuals prefer to live in isolation, that makes them less liable. Thats my take.
Originally posted by Endurehardships:Do Buddhists need to do some self reflections to examine one's faults in order to attain nirvanna?
Certainly. The Buddha taught that the path to liberation, nirvana, enlightenment, is the noble eightfold path.
Without self reflections, we cannot practice noble eightfold path. If we do not reflect whether we have
# 3 Wisdom (PrajñÄ� • PaññÄ�)
* 3.1 Right view
* 3.2 Right intention
# 4 Ethical conduct (Śīla • SÄ«la)
* 4.1 Right speech
* 4.2 Right action
* 4.3 Right livelihood
# 5 Sam�dhi: Mental Discipline, Concentration, Meditation
* 5.1 Right effort
* 5.2 Right mindfulness
* 5.3 Right concentration
# 6 The acquired factors
* 6.1 Right knowledge and right liberation
Then we cannot hope to gain liberation.
For example if we continue to have Wrong View, Wrong Intention, Wrong Speech, Wrong Action, Wrong Livelihood, Wrong Effort, Wrong Mindfulness, Wrong Concentration, and we do not reflect on it and change our ways, then we cannot hope to gain liberation but may fall into the 3 lower realms.
Awareness and self reflection is thus, so important. We have to be aware of our mind at every moment and always do self reflection to make sure we're on the right path. :)
Self-reflection helps when one sees both positive and negative qualities; and making an effort to cultivate positive qualities and eliminate the negative qualities. Little by little, we change ourselves as we advance in our spiritual practise. If we are blind to our own fault, then there will be no progress.
Meditation plays a role that helps to uncover layers of cloud such as anger, greed and delusion that arises in our mind that prevent us from seeing our true nature. If we practise and follow the noble eightfold path, eventually we will come to understand our true nature.
~ from someone who is still struggling with his practice~
Good Luck. ;)
Originally posted by Endurehardships:Do Buddhists need to do some self reflections to examine one's faults in order to attain nirvanna?
Look at yourself in the mirror. You won't attain nirvana.
Maybe not this life, it's OK, but he will not burn of hatred!
Originally posted by googoomuck:Look at yourself in the mirror. You won't attain nirvana.
Nirvana is a better concept than promises of heaven. at least you have to work hard at it and you are responsible for your own salvation. not like when you have to accept a divine being so that you can go to heaven after this lifetime. even osama if he accept that figure, can go to heaven despite of the atrocities and evils he committed in this lifetime? what a cheap ticket to heaven indeed.
Originally posted by googoomuck:Look at yourself in the mirror. You won't attain nirvana.
You don't have to be a perfect person to attain nirvana. However, you need to reflect on your ways, give up any wrong views and doings, and practice the right path. If nirvana were only for perfect persons, then Angulimala who killed 999 persons would not have attained Nirvana, but he did.
Enlightenment and Nirvana is not something only Buddha achieved. Countless people until today, including people in this forum, have achieved that. Hence it is truly possible
It should be noted that Enlightenment is not gained by morality. Morality is only part of the training though important. It prevents rebirth in the lower realms and plants seeds for a higher rebirth (such as rebirth in human and deva/celestial realm). However having good karma doesn't lead to liberation/enlightenment/nirvana, only a good rebirth. To attain enlightenment we must practice insight meditation. This will lead to the realisation of the essence and nature of reality and liberation. Once liberated, you're off the wheel of uncontrolled cycle of samsaric rebirth.
Originally posted by Rooney9:Nirvana is a better concept than promises of heaven. at least you have to work hard at it and you are responsible for your own salvation. not like when you have to accept a divine being so that you can go to heaven after this lifetime. even osama if he accept that figure, can go to heaven despite of the atrocities and evils he committed in this lifetime? what a cheap ticket to heaven indeed.
So, come back as an earthworm is fun huh?
then if the buddha sakyamuni took eons to reach enlightenment..den how come we talk about the possibility of enlightenment in this lifetime?
Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:I think it is a must. To attain nirvana on earth is very difficult. So far, only Buddha has attained nirvana on earth. Most buddhists wish to reborn in Amitabha's pureland to further practice, from there to attain nirvana. Earth is full of temptation, Amitabha's pureland is easier to attain nirvana. This is my understanding.
Yes, pple's mind are evil.....sad sad.
Originally posted by Aloozer:then if the buddha sakyamuni took eons to reach enlightenment..den how come we talk about the possibility of enlightenment in this lifetime?
In the sutras, it was recorded that among Buddha were thousands of disciples who attain Arhatship and also numerous Bodhisattvas, all who have realised emptiness and become liberated.
To become Buddha however, takes many lifetimes of cultivation, due to the immense merits required to be a Buddha who turn the dharma wheel. A Buddha is not only enlightened to the nature of reality and liberated from the world of suffering (samsara), he is also perfectly omniscient, with all the virtuous qualities, skillful means, wisdom, that is able to lead countless sentient beings to awakening. i.e. Shakyamuni Buddha
I have not met a Buddha like Shakyamuni in this lifetime, but I have met persons who achieve complete realisation and liberation.
It should also be noted that the aspiration of someone trying to achieve Arhatship (personal liberation) is different from that of the Mahayana aspiration, which is to become a Bodhisattva who eventually attains Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings out of great compassion.
AEN...so the persons u've met who had achieved "complete realisation and liberation", are considered what? Arhats or bodhisattvas or what?
and how do u gauge their attainments? i.e how do u know they are really realised and liberated
http://www.khandro.net/Buddhism_maha_stages.htm
HH Drikung Kyabgon, in The Practice of Mahamudra, responds to a question concerning the relation of these stages to the bodhisattva's levels of realization:
"These are somewhat different ways of looking at the same process.
First of all, the fivefold Mahamudra does not relate directly to the ten
bodhisattva bhumis. There is no need to look for that. Mahamudra is really talking about something a bit different, it's approaching it from the point of view of practice. What relates more closely to the bodhisattva bhumis is what was just discussed -- the four levels of yogic attainment. These do relate more directly to the ten bodhisattva bhumis, and, in fact, one great teacher of the Drukpa Kagyu wrote a text which includes a discussion relating those two systems.
Without going into a great amount of detail, we could say that the first level of yogic attainment, that of one-pointed concentration, wherein the direct realization of the nature of mind first begins to dawn, corresponds to the first bodhisattva bhumi where ultimate reality is first glimpsed. However, you have the three levels of that first stage of yogic realization, that of the lesser, the middle, and greater practitioner.Technically, the first bodhisattva bhumi would correspond only to the level of the highest practitioner of the first level of yogic realization. Only at that level is reality actually glimpsed. So the lesser and the middle level practitioner of the first stage of yogic realization would correspond to the Path of Preparation levels called "heat" and the level called "summit," respectively. These are the second to the highest and the highest levels of the Path of Preparation. This precedes the Dharshana-marga, the Path of Seeing.
The Path of Seeing is distinguished by the first glimpse of ultimate reality, the non-conceptual direct perception of emptiness, which is what is gained on the first level of yogic realization by the highest level of practitioner. So, what we have is the first of the bodhisattva bhumis corresponding to the highest level of practice of the first stage of yogic realization.
From there you can go up through the bhumis, starting with the lowest level of practice of the second stage of realization, that of freedom from projection; this would be the second bodhisattva bhumi. The middle level of practice at that state would be the third, and the highest level of practice at that stage is the fourth. Then, the three stages of yogic realization of one taste correspond to the fifth, sixth, and seventh. Then finally, the three levels of practice at the highest level of realization correspond to the last three, the eighth, ninth, and tenth bodhisattva bhumis. Once one has attained the eighth bodhisattva bhumi, this is considered to be the enlightenment of the Buddha, but it has to be filled out in the ninth and finally, in the tenth stage."
Originally posted by Aloozer:AEN...so the persons u've met who had achieved "complete realisation and liberation", are considered what? Arhats or bodhisattvas or what?
and how do u gauge their attainments? i.e how do u know they are really realised and liberated
I have met both Bodhisattvas and Arhats. It's not easy to guage their attainments unless you are already familiar with the teachings and maps of the practice and the phases a practitioner will go through. Maps like the 10 Bodhisattva bhumis, Mahamuda 4 yogas, 4 paths (to Arhatship), 10 ox herding pictures, 5 ranks of tozan, etc, are such insight maps. There are specific markers and phases/stages of insights on the path.
then say for example a Mahayanist practitioner is necessarily a bodhisattva if they took the bodhisattva vows right? What if he/she attains in this lifetime the same kind of liberation as an Arhat(personal liberation)? Then how can the bodhisattva come back to this cycle of rebirth to help other sentient beings ..cos earlier u said in 1 of your posts that "Once liberated, you're off the wheel of uncontrolled cycle of samsaric rebirth." ??
Originally posted by Aloozer:then say for example a Mahayanist practitioner is necessarily a bodhisattva if they took the bodhisattva vows right? What if he/she attains in this lifetime the same kind of liberation as an Arhat(personal liberation)? Then how can the bodhisattva come back to this cycle of rebirth to help other sentient beings ..cos earlier u said in 1 of your posts that "Once liberated, you're off the wheel of uncontrolled cycle of samsaric rebirth." ??
you sound very skeptical..so you are an academics ?
cant believe such thing as vow power and power of Faith
try chanting 100 Om Mani Padme Hum after u read my message and someone u have been wanting to meet to apologise or feel sorry for 20 years will appear the next day on the road ,on the phone...IF YOU BELIEVE :)
Originally posted by bohiruci:you sound very skeptical..so you are an academics ?
cant believe such thing as vow power and power of Faith
try chanting 100 Om Mani Padme Hum after u read my message and someone u have been wanting to meet to apologise or feel sorry for 20 years will appear the next day on the road ,on the phone...IF YOU BELIEVE :)
oooh no la i got something not clear so i ask lor.
why you sound abit angry leh?? you chant 100 times yourself maybe can help yourself?
i don't know why you say i must chant and wait for you to appear also..no link to my question at all lol. but if u got the power to do that amazing feat, go ahead. i wanna see if i can meet u on the road anot or on the phone. hehe.
Originally posted by bohiruci:you sound very skeptical..so you are an academics ?
cant believe such thing as vow power and power of Faith
try chanting 100 Om Mani Padme Hum after u read my message and someone u have been wanting to meet to apologise or feel sorry for 20 years will appear the next day on the road ,on the phone...IF YOU BELIEVE :)
Originally posted by Aloozer:then say for example a Mahayanist practitioner is necessarily a bodhisattva if they took the bodhisattva vows right? What if he/she attains in this lifetime the same kind of liberation as an Arhat(personal liberation)? Then how can the bodhisattva come back to this cycle of rebirth to help other sentient beings ..cos earlier u said in 1 of your posts that "Once liberated, you're off the wheel of uncontrolled cycle of samsaric rebirth." ??
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
A mahayana practitioner who took vows but did not realise emptiness is a so called pre bhumi bodhisattva. He is still training to become a bodhisattva but is not a real bodhisattva in the sense of a truly enlightened being. Once a bodhisattva achieves liberation, he is also freed from the uncontrolled cycle of rebirth. He is no longer being dragged into the various realms by the power of his karma. The difference is that because the arhat does not have the vows of great compassion to attain full buddhahood for the sake of all other beings, and because he is no longer under the power of karma to have uncontrolled rebirth, he just enters cessation. A bodhisattva returns not by karma but by the power of his vows.