11
votes
When do I realize that I am free from rebirth?
From Milindapanha:
The king said, “Is there anyone who is not reborn
after death?”
“Yes there is. The one who has no defilements is not
reborn after death; the one who has defilements is ...
- 58.3k
9
votes
If there is no soul, how can there be rebirth?
First, you need to understand that Buddhist texts operate on two levels of description: the conventional truth and the ultimate truth. The contradiction disappears when you realise that anatta (the ...
- 2,710
9
votes
Is rebirth essential to Buddhist philosophy?
From Ven. Bodhi's excellent short essay "Dhamma Without Rebirth?":
The aim of the Buddhist path is liberation from suffering, and the Buddha makes it abundantly clear that the suffering from which ...
- 9,707
9
votes
Accepted
"Lower rebirth" -- Are animals really "lower" than us?
So can I still be a Buddhist, with these beliefs?
Yes of course.
Maybe don't over-idealise animals though, e.g. a real dog might chase and kill grass-hoppers or mice or anything else unless you stop ...
- 46.3k
8
votes
Where do “new” humans come from?
We are not necessarily re-incarnations of prior human beings. There are 31 planes of existence in Buddhism. So the present human beings could result from any of the 26 planes out of 31 planes of ...
- 1,621
8
votes
Accepted
Does DN2 and MN36 provide an irrefutable statement on the fact of rebirth?
In response to the comment of Ilya Grushevskiy
Rebirth has everything to do with the Buddhist soteriology because if it weren't for rebirth suffering could have been easily ended at natural death or ...
- 1,683
7
votes
Law of Karma in the Buddha's own words
Ven Bodhi discusses this matter and quotes relevant suttas in his "In the Buddha's Words" chapter V "THE WAY TO A FORTUNATE REBIRTH".
The following list, which was posted on SuttaCentral, is a ...
- 1,683
7
votes
Accepted
What is happening to Lord Buddha after "parinirvana"?
Nothing
Because there is no person to happen anything, and there is no samsara. So that's The End. When a person achieves nirvana , there is no person anymore. Death is not the end of a person, ...
- 558
7
votes
"Lower rebirth" -- Are animals really "lower" than us?
Personally I would rather come back as an animal than a human. They seem more peaceful, humans are constantly thinking and doing and stressing about things.
Be very careful what you wish for. You ...
- 9,707
6
votes
Does Buddhism teach about "Parallel worlds"
Coming together of 31 planes of existance forms an universe. (At least when it is not collapsed.) Likewise there infinite universes1. Also there is view that each universe contains multiple humanoid ...
6
votes
With my interpretation of 'rebirth', can I become a Buddhist and become accepted within a Buddhist community?
You don't have to believe in rebirth. Rebirth concept in Buddhism is not as simple as simple as reincarnation anyway.
It's actually better if you don't hold any blind beliefs in Buddhism since it is ...
- 5,151
6
votes
Accepted
Questions about strong acceptance of rebirth?
The question is basically, why is belief in literal rebirth (reincarnation) a problem. I won't address every OP point here, just make four theses:
Rebirth is self. Self is rebirth. Whenever there is ...
- 58.3k
6
votes
Accepted
How can people meet again after rebirth?
If you both have:
(1) compatible faith (sama,saddhā),
(2) compatible virtue (sama,silā),
(3) compatible charity (sama,cāgā),
(4) compatible wisdom (sama,pannā).
Sama,jivi Sutta 1
With the balance of ...
6
votes
How to redeem a wasted youth?
So Buddhism says a lot of things.
One is that unhappiness is caused by "craving" i.e. by wanting things to be other than as they are (or by wanting impermanent things to continue)
Another is that ...
- 46.3k
6
votes
How do Buddhists that think of karma figuratively do so about rebirth?
I think of karma, seeds of karma, and fruits of karma as individual's action, latent effects of such action, and individual experience resulting from past action, correspondingly. Nothing more, ...
- 58.3k
6
votes
Heterosexual attraction in rebirth process?
Detailed description of the rebirth process appeared in the Garbhāvakrānti Sutra and the Abhidharmakośa, with the former being written first. AFAIK, both of these texts are significant in Tibetan ...
- 398
6
votes
Hate myself more and more wish to die
You should keep on living, sorry. I have to deal with what my karma has to deal me as well. This is me now. Live forever! I am, I have no legs. I know that is nothing compared to a stroke. But you ...
- 91
5
votes
How is a Dalai Lama chosen? And can it be a woman?
The reincarnation of a lama isn't chosen or elected. He or she is found.
Man or woman
Historically the Dalai Lama has always been a man, but it has been my understanding that there is no rule that ...
- 1,479
5
votes
What are some Buddhist ininterpretations of claims of past-life memories?
There are stories of people who claim to remember their past lives. Such stories have been investigated by researchers such as Ian
Stevenson and Jim Tucker.
I read Dr. Weiss's "Many Lives Many ...
- 2,291
5
votes
Accepted
Life Duration and Rebirth
Life expectancy (Ayu-Kalpa) changes, but not related to any individual's progress. This is related to the whole society itself.
Ayu-Kalpa - a variable time span representing the life expectancy of ...
5
votes
What is happening to Lord Buddha after "parinirvana"?
I am not as knowledgeable in these matters as many others I see in this Exchange, but it seems to me that the answer to this question might fall under the categories of the 14 Unanswered Questions #'s ...
- 317
5
votes
What is happening to Lord Buddha after "parinirvana"?
It is something undeclared by The Buddha.
These four views are undeclared by The Buddha:
After death a Tathāgata exists
After death a Tathāgata does not exist
After death a Tathāgata both exists &...
- 868
5
votes
If there are no past and future lives, why should we practice Buddhism?
There is no real difference between:
this current moment in life with future moments afterwards with Nirvana as the climax
and
this current life with a string of lives afterwards with Nirvana as ...
- 7,160
5
votes
Accepted
Will I be reindividualised after death?
Will I be reindividualised after death?
Perhaps the answer depends on whether you are "individualized" now?
In this answer, Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu wrote (emphasis mine),
I've talked about the ...
- 46.3k
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