I think you are arguing with a wall in trying to ask for a mechanism to explain reincarnation. Rossum could likewise ask us for a mechanism on how an spiritual God can create matter. Let’s be fair and not get bogged down in such pointless typing
It is helpful to remember the Nicene Creed and that the Son and the Holy Spirit eternally exist. This is inexpressibly true before the historical Jesus walked the earth. What then do we truly know? On what basis would one conclude that Christ’s earthly incarnation as Jesus, in a certain time and place on the earth, is the totality of eternity?
Karma is half of karma-phala, that is action-result. Our good or bad actions have results:
You can be, but you have to be enlightened to see the specifics. For a more general, less specific, view of your past lives follow the instructions in Chapter Thirteen of the Visuddhimagga.
Yes, once you have remembered that past life. That does take effort.
This is almost an exact quote from the Thich Nhat Hanh. In the same book, he wrote that discussing whether or not there is a God is wrong; it shows a lack of 'insight". I am bewildered that you claim to be a Catholic while apparently finding Catholicism merely another notion.
Sorry, but this statement appears to flat out reject the truth of God and the Catholic church. Perhaps you mistated?
Without a mechanism to explain reincarnation, the entire of Buddhism falls into a hole, dead as the dodo. And whether or not this changes rossum, at least it provides knowledge of the flaws inherent in Buddhism for other Catholics on this Catholic forum.
But if all is illusion, how can an illusion have an effect?
First read The Tibetan Book of the Dead..
I am not bewildered by your judgment. I do not wish to offend. With all due respect, the word ‘God’ is also a concept. Do you know the Catholic Church has prohibited even mentioning the Hebrew rendering for the word ‘God’ out of respect to Jewish tradition?
The Tibetan Book of the Dead’s reincarnation is as opposed to Catholicism as Richard Dawkins. You cannot be Catholic and believe in reincarnation.
No offense intended, but that is laughable. Who said I believe in reincarnation? I was only providing a reference to a book that does attempt an explanation. So, I have a question: Why is it you appear so quick to judge others? I am certain you could not have understood the comment.
Yes, I clearly did not understand the statement, jumped to a quick and incorrect conclusion, and must abjectly beg your pardon,
I don’t believe anyone remembers past lives, else it would be the only thing we ever hear people speak about.
All is not an illusion. The illusion is our mistaken idea of reality inside our heads. Our brains build models of the external world, based on (name removed by moderator)ut from our senses. Our senses are imperfect, as are our brains, and so our models are also imperfect. Those internal models are not the external reality. The illusion is to mistake the internal model for the external reality. They are different.
Correct. You should add soulless to that list of the Three Marks.
No. It is impermanent, changing and does not have a soul. The illusion is to think that some things are permanent, to think that some things are unchanging and to think that some things have a soul.
The external world is not an illusion. The illusion is to think that we can perfectly know that external world by using a set of imperfect senses.
Which shows that your idea of Buddhism is wrong.
The instructions in the Visuddhimagga require the ability to attain the Fourth Jhana (an advanced meditative state); that will take a monk about four or five years training to reach, longer for a lay person. It is hard work to remember, and it is a side-track, not on the main path to enlightenment. If you are meditating at the level of the Fourth Jhana, then you generally have better things to do than follow a side-track.
I don’t see the benefit of reincarnation if I cannot remember my past lives and learn from them. How do I progress if I have no memory of what I did wrong last time. I don’t want to repeat the same mistake.
The benefit is that you know your actions will have results. You cannot avoid those results, good or bad. There is no God to forgive you and you cannot escape by death – the results are unavoidable. That makes you consider very carefully before acting, which is a good thing. Enough results happen in our current life to learn well, if we are paying attention.
Pay attention to your current life, and study hard.
Pass. I cannot remember my lives as an animal. Certainly, enlightenment is difficult for animals.
What do you mean by mechanism?? What mechanism makes a soul influence the body?? Either question is not something the mind has any answer too, but neither are they important questions
Then where is the reality of a chair, if my idea of a chair is an illusion?
Hi. About the word mechanism: I meant, what the heck is it that decides whether a worm becomes a dog or a Dalit peasant is reincarnated as a rajah? Who, or what force, makes the decision?
