i don't agree that it's 0.000000001 percent. as there are more internal conditions u give to it, that u didn't know u did.
u can use smoking, doing drug/alcohol or eating unhealthy food or someone working as a butcher for more practical examples than using the "seed" example. how they end up shortening their life with lung cancer or harming their organs or getting mental illness are not 0.000000001 percent. the conditions of attachement, hatred and folly are making it grow. who do not have attachement, hatred and folly ? in this society(external conditions), we are all tied to them three poisons, 99.99999999999%.
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Originally posted by simpo_:Welcome :)
Can do kind deeds and contribute (financially, physically, etc) to activities that promotes the dharma.
In my experience, life actually got tougher (with more obstacles) after i practice seriously. But don't get discouraged.... I use the obstacles in life to appreciate Buddha's teaching.
I am worried that i am not practising/meditating enough sometimes. Do you have a personal gauge?
if you dont know who you are in your next life and vice versa then how does karma hurt or benefit you.
it doesnt make sense.
Religion offers hope.
Hope of betterment.
That hope may lessen current dissapointments.
everything happen randomly or control by a Supreme Being also doesn't make sense. sometimes, we can even forgot what we did yesterday, or when young let along previous lifes. all the small details are not something we can remember. especially when getting older.
Incorrect understandings of karma in the early sutras
In Buddhism, karma is not pre-determinism, fatalism or accidentalism, as all these ideas lead to inaction and destroy motivation and human effort. These ideas undermine the important concept that a human being can change for the better no matter what his or her past was, and they are designated as "wrong views" in Buddhism. The Buddha identified three:
- Pubbekatahetuvada: The belief that all happiness and suffering, including all future happiness and suffering, arise from previous karma, and human beings can exercise no volition to affect future results (Past-action determinism).
- Issaranimmanahetuvada: The belief that all happiness and suffering are caused by the directives of a Supreme Being (Theistic determinism).
- Ahetu-appaccaya-vaada: The belief that all happiness and suffering are random, having no cause (Indeterminism or Accidentalism).[26]
Karma is continually ripening, but it is also continually being generated by present actions, therefore it is possible to exercise free will to shape future karma. P.A. Payutto writes, "the Buddha asserts effort and motivation as the crucial factors in deciding the ethical value of these various teachings on kamma."[27]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma_in_Buddhism
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Originally posted by Metta with Mindfulness:Yo all Kosong, if there is no cause and condition….
If there is the case, then why are you here? why are you asking this question? why are you doubting?
Is life merely an idea of probability?
Please don't get me wrong. If you have read my previous posts, you will see that I am not arguing that there is no karma. Frankly, I have no idea if it exists or not. That is why I am here asking this question... hoping that someone can provide an explanation in such a way that I can stop sitting on the fence.
So far, when I look at my own experience and the life of people around me, things seem to happen randomly:)
Originally posted by sinweiy:everything happen randomly or control by a Supreme Being also doesn't make sense. sometimes, we can even forgot what we did yesterday, or when young let along previous lifes. all the small details are not something we can remember. especially when getting older.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma_in_Buddhism
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Thanks, sinweiy, for your patience in addressing my doubts. I appreciate it.
Your passage above hits the nail on the head. Yes, as I really have no idea if karma exists or not, I tend to swing between the 2 extremes of Pubbekatahetuvada (past-action determinism) and Ahetu-appaccaya-vaada (indeterminism). Both leads me to conclude that we have no control over anything in life. So why not just enjoy life to the max when it presents us with candies; and just suck it up when it presents us with lemons.
What further advice would you give to someone with this kind of thinking?
Originally posted by dragg:if you dont know who you are in your next life and vice versa then how does karma hurt or benefit you.
it doesnt make sense.
Does the thought of being reborn in war torn countries or countries whose people are starving scare you?
Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:Does the thought of being reborn in war torn countries or countries whose people are starving scare you?
hell yeah...
Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:Does the thought of being reborn in war torn countries or countries whose people are starving scare you?
Hi,
I remembered my previous life as a European participating in World war 1. I remembered the scene where i have to run across a mud field with artillery shelling all around. To catch a breath for a few second, I lay in a depression caused by the shell. In the short span, i think about my family and then i have to run again.
According to a previous Teacher of mine, who is not Buddhist but belong to a Western Mystical group, i did not die in the war. .. but eventually die years later due to trauma sustained.
It is precisely because i can remember some of my past life that I tell you guys that life can be very painful.
As I have said before, for those whose life is currently good and/or cannot remember their past lifes, they will not be interested in spiritual practice. This attitude is as exemplified by Dragg's comment
Originally posted by simpo_:Hi,
I remembered my previous life as a European participating in World war 1. I remembered the scene where i have to run across a mud field with artillery shelling all around. To catch a breath for a few second, I lay in a depression caused by the shell. In the short span, i think about my family and then i have to run again.
According to a previous Teacher of mine, who is not Buddhist but belong to a Western Mystical group, i did not die in the war. .. but eventually die years later due to trauma sustained.
It is precisely because i can remember some of my past life that I tell you guys that life can be very painful.
As I have said before, for those whose life is currently good and/or cannot remember their past lifes, they will not be interested in spiritual practice. This attitude is as exemplified by Dragg's comment
Wow! So who can explain why we dun remember our past lives ?
Originally posted by allkosong:Both leads me to conclude that we have no control over anything in life. So why not just enjoy life to the max when it presents us with candies; and just suck it up when it presents us with lemons.
What further advice would you give to someone with this kind of thinking?
i think a drug addict will also at that particular moment think in this way, to enjoy the moment, not knowing the future consequences.
one can do that until one see the consequences and then turn over a new leaf. (浪å�回头金ä¸�æ�¢ A prodigal who returns is more precious than gold.) or one can prevent it before it happen. Buddhas/bodhisattvas also see us like small children who like to play. u can go out and play until u are sick of playing and wish to settle down like the Buddha. Buddha is a person that had loose interest after meditating and saw all his past lifes and that there's no more point. çœ‹ç ´çº¢å°˜.
anyway minor enjoyment is ok. the whole point to understand is happiness are temporary, there's no lasting happiness. it always end up disappointing and bitter. can read about the eight type of suffering.
http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/BuddhistDict/BDS.html#suffering
Eight Sufferings
(1) Suffering of Birth;
(2) Suffering of Old Age;
(3) Suffering of Sickness;
(4) Suffering of Death;
(5) Suffering of being apart from the loved ones;
(6) Suffering being together with the despised ones;
(7) Suffering of not getting what one wants;
(8) Suffering of the flouishing of the Five Skandhas.
/\
So who can explain why we dun remember our past lives ?
We have virtually no conscious recollection of even this current life, unable to recall 99.999% of the events of the life we are living. Do you remember being born? Do you recall your 1st - 5th birthdays? What you had for lunch two months ago? How about even the last conversation you had with your best friend - word for word, exactly? How about every dream you've ever had so far this year- can you recall all the details of each?
On this level of existence we are amnesiacs, unable to remember about 99.99% of our existence let alone previous lives. all the small details are not something we can remember. especially when getting older.
moreover death is painful. the pain as stated is like a turtle strip of its shell, as such damages one's memories.
/\
So why do some people remember their past lives while others dun ? Is that becos of karma too ?
maybe simpo_ can answer. i watched a documentry on people with super memory; including autism, like the movie in Rain Man. can search on it. can also search on how hypnosis help people recall. the mechanism of hypnosis; how it trigger the brain/mind.
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Is there any theory that explains the fantastic memory some autistic individuals exhibit? Ataide Carlos Ribeiro do Nascimento, Psychiatrist, Joinville (SC), Brazil. April 21, 1997 ------------------------------------------------------------- Austistic individuals really present, not only a surprising memory, but also other extraordinary abilities that are not exhibited by the majority of people, including mathematical calculus [ability], and artistic and musical abilities. As related to memory, they are capable of remember and to respond promptly, for example, at which day of the week the 4th of April, 1958, was. They also can remember the birthday and death-day of friends or public persons, as presidents and their families. They also can remember people they haven't seen in more than 20 or 30 years. The reason which some autistic individuals present such abilities is still unknown. It is possible to think in a compensation of specialized brain regions given the deficience of others.There are several theories about it, but no evidence to sustain any of them. Dr. Rimland of the Center for the Study of Autism, in the USA, speculates that these individuals "have an incredible ability of concentration and can completely focus their attention on one specific area of interest."
--------------
4 People With Super Memory 1. Bob Petrella bobA Los Angeles based producer for the Tennis Channel, Bob Petrella may remember every number in his cell phone, but it’s his ability to recall sporting events that’s most remarkable. Give him a date, like March 30, 1981, and he could tell you not only that it was the day Reagan was shot, but also that Indiana beat North Carolina for the NCAA championship that evening. Even more impressive: when it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers, his favorite team, you can show him a single freeze frame from most any game that he’s seen, and he can tell you not only the date of the game, but the final score. According to a piece on ABC news, Patrella “remembers all but two of his birthdays since he turned 5. He recalls where he was and what he did with high school buddies. Grainy images of the 1970s are vivid pictures in his head. ‘I remember all my ATM codes,’ he said. ‘I remember people’s numbers. [I] lost my cell phone Sept. 24, 2006. A lot of people, if they lost their cell phone, they would panic because they have all these numbers. I didn’t have any numbers in my cell phone because I know everybody’s numbers up here- in my head.’
http://www.mastersconnection.com/index.php/great-minds/484-memory
Originally posted by sinweiy:
i think a drug addict will also at that particular moment think in this way, to enjoy the moment, not knowing the future consequences.one can do that until one see the consequences and then turn over a new leaf. (浪å�回头金ä¸�æ�¢ A prodigal who returns is more precious than gold.) or one can prevent it before it happen. Buddhas/bodhisattvas also see us like small children who like to play. u can go out and play until u are sick of playing and wish to settle down like the Buddha. Buddha is a person that had loose interest after meditating and saw all his past lifes and that there's no more point. çœ‹ç ´çº¢å°˜.
anyway minor enjoyment is ok. the whole point to understand is happiness are temporary, there's no lasting happiness. it always end up disappointing and bitter. can read about the eight type of suffering.
http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/BuddhistDict/BDS.html#suffering
Eight Sufferings
(1) Suffering of Birth;
(2) Suffering of Old Age;
(3) Suffering of Sickness;
(4) Suffering of Death;
(5) Suffering of being apart from the loved ones;
(6) Suffering being together with the despised ones;
(7) Suffering of not getting what one wants;
(8) Suffering of the flouishing of the Five Skandhas./\
Hi sinweiy -
Is çœ‹ç ´çº¢å°˜ a good thing afterall? I have always thought that it had negative connotations... isn't a person who has çœ‹ç ´çº¢å°˜ someone who is so disillusioned with everything that he has given up all hope of ever finding happiness in life?
Originally posted by allkosong:Hi sinweiy -
Is çœ‹ç ´çº¢å°˜ a good thing afterall? I have always thought that it had negative connotations... isn't a person who has çœ‹ç ´çº¢å°˜ someone who is so disillusioned with everything that he has given up all hope of ever finding happiness in life?
çœ‹ç ´çº¢å°˜ refers to finally realising that happiness is not found via chasing after things in the mundane (anyone know of a better word?) world. The chase after money, fame, reputation, relationships, sense pleasures etc. are all ways the unenlightened mind seeks joy and fulfilment. All these usually lead one on a merry-go-round. One is temporarily happy after achieving something or gaining something, but inevitably, suffering still rears its ugly head as all things in samsara are transient (impermanent).
If someone çœ‹ç ´çº¢å°˜ and 进入空门, they start seeking a liberation from suffering that is lasting, via the quest for enlightenment. To borrow AEN's description, after realising Anatta, one finds a joy that is not contingent on external factors; a non-contingent bliss.
Have you heard of 弘一法师? He is one person who çœ‹ç ´çº¢å°˜ at a time in his life when nobody expected him too. He had a relatively good life outside of monkhood, but found it unsatisfactory. He therefore left the life of a householder and joined the Sangha.
Originally posted by Demon Bane:Wow! So who can explain why we dun remember our past lives ?
Our memories are sectioned into different 'areas'.
For example, when you are dreaming, did you ever realised than you cannot remember things of the waking hours clearly in the dream...
Past life memory is stored into a different 'section' apart from the conscious waking hour.
Originally posted by Dharmadhatu:I am worried that i am not practising/meditating enough sometimes. Do you have a personal gauge?
IMO, once you enter the stream... full enlightenment is a guarantee...
Use stream entry as a guage...
Good luck ..
Originally posted by simpo_:Our memories are sectioned into different 'areas'.
For example, when you are dreaming, did you ever realised than you cannot remember things of the waking hours clearly in the dream...
i know in my dream i cannot eat meat and i cannot kill, and i avoided it, which is good. the "precepts" sort of become effective, even sub-consciously.
/\
Originally posted by allkosong:Hi sinweiy -
Is çœ‹ç ´çº¢å°˜ a good thing afterall? I have always thought that it had negative connotations... isn't a person who has çœ‹ç ´çº¢å°˜ someone who is so disillusioned with everything that he has given up all hope of ever finding happiness in life?
realization anwsered ur query well.
happiness in life? wanna find it for the "Self"? then loose the self. then think of others. in an advance sense 助人为快�之本, benefiting others IS the root of happiness. :)
/\
Originally posted by sinweiy:realization anwsered ur query well.
happiness in life? wanna find it for the "Self"? then loose the self. then think of others. in an advance sense 助人为快�之本, benefiting others IS the root of happiness. :)
/\
Hi Sinweiy -
We are digressing here... but if there is no "self", then there should be no "others" either, ie. we are all one. Right? In which case we should take care of the wellbeing of all ie. "self"+"others".
Originally posted by realization:çœ‹ç ´çº¢å°˜ refers to finally realising that happiness is not found via chasing after things in the mundane (anyone know of a better word?) world. The chase after money, fame, reputation, relationships, sense pleasures etc. are all ways the unenlightened mind seeks joy and fulfilment. All these usually lead one on a merry-go-round. One is temporarily happy after achieving something or gaining something, but inevitably, suffering still rears its ugly head as all things in samsara are transient (impermanent).
If someone çœ‹ç ´çº¢å°˜ and 进入空门, they start seeking a liberation from suffering that is lasting, via the quest for enlightenment. To borrow AEN's description, after realising Anatta, one finds a joy that is not contingent on external factors; a non-contingent bliss.
Have you heard of 弘一法师? He is one person who çœ‹ç ´çº¢å°˜ at a time in his life when nobody expected him too. He had a relatively good life outside of monkhood, but found it unsatisfactory. He therefore left the life of a householder and joined the Sangha.
Hi realization -
Am I correct to conclude that our ultimate goal is to find that state of mind that is completely independent of ALL external conditions? ie. Freedom from all external conditions? And that state of mind is blissful and peaceful? And that bliss is nirvana?
Originally posted by allkosong:Hi realization -
Am I correct to conclude that our ultimate goal is to find that state of mind that is completely independent of ALL external conditions? ie. Freedom from all external conditions? And that state of mind is blissful and peaceful? And that bliss is nirvana?
when we experience any mental state, ie. sadness, happiness, it has to be conditional.
if there are no condition, what is left? And in this world where everything's conditional, what do we need to realize? are all experiences also transient, unsatisfactory and non-self in nature? how then are these experiences intepreted by the mind, or are they just experiences reflecting as the mind?
nirvana can never be another state, it can only be realized in the experiences of this conditional samsara.