Do we have only a limited time to escape samsara?

TheEccentric

Eventually the human realm will collapse, we will become extinct, even if we do move to another planet after this one is destroyed eventually the universe itself will come to and end in either the big crunch or the big freeze does that mean that when this happens we will be confined only to the other realms of which there is no opportunity to practice Dharma and attain?

federica

Will you be alive then?
No.
Worry about what you're dealing with now. That's what counts. Speculation on future events and possibilities is futile and a waste of time.
Really.
Your question may be legitimate, but it's unanswerable.

fivebells

Yes, watch in meditation as the human realm collapses and you fall into a hell realm, become a hungry ghost or an animal (distractions based on aversion, attraction or delusion.) When you can see that, you'll know something which can really make a difference in your life and the lives of those around you. Knowing what's going to happen at the end of time would be useless by comparison.

how

What do you think this "we" is?
"We" are just the detritus of karmic inertia, the entropy of ignorance.
A finite we is no more substantial than linear time.
Beyond the illusion of a "we", Samsara is nowhere to be found.

However you stop feeding your own skandic impetus will also answer your question.

Inc88

From what i've read, the universe goes through cycles of "rebirth" its self...meaning creation growth decline and destruction

Within this universe's life span we should receive one more buddha, Metteyya but, and im not too sure about this, the next universe's life span is supposed to be void of any and all buddhas in the material realm and a quite unpleasant place to live

...if anyone is able to provide sources id greatly appreciate it cause i cant seem to find them right now

JohnG

we can only succeed in what we are capable of succeeding in. :coffee:

karasti

I don't have much to add, but wanted to say that when we went to the physics labs at an old mine here where they collect neutrinos, they said that they now believe the most likely cause for the end of the universe will be like what happens when you overstretch a rubberband. That it's currently stretching and stretching and eventually it'll snap back on itself. I found that pretty interesting. Talk about major chaos!

Dandelion

@karasti that sounds so painful! Although it conjures up an almost amusing image In my head.

caz

TheEccentric said:

Eventually the human realm will collapse, we will become extinct, even if we do move to another planet after this one is destroyed eventually the universe itself will come to and end in either the big crunch or the big freeze does that mean that when this happens we will be confined only to the other realms of which there is no opportunity to practice Dharma and attain?

There will always be the 6 realms so long as Samsara still functions, At the end of every Aeon the Universe is consumed only for the cycle to start again. We are very extremly lucky to be in an age known as "The Fortunate Aeon" it is during this time that 1000 Buddha will appear Shakyamuni is the 4th of such wheel Turning Buddha's.

But make no mistake to practice Dharma is a very rare opportunity and we should not even waste a moment we should mix our Dharma with our Daily life and make the two inseparable so we are always using it to its full meaning. We should also enter into the path of Highest Yoga Tantra so we can quickly accomplish the final goal !

how

It seems that each decade debunks the scientific gospel of the last. Each new view of a truth dissolves as our views becomes less egocentric. Today's scientific truth is becoming ever more quickly, tomorrow's humour.

But I think one answer to the OP's question comes from the Buddhist story of a foolish man insisting on finding out who shot him with poisoned arrow before allowing a physician to remove it.

Theswingisyellow

"Do we have only a limited time to escape samsara?"
Yes, your not going to live forever. It's here and now, thinking about another time is a waste of time.

karmablues

You may want to ponder over the following teachings of the Buddha:

From the Dhammapada:

It is rare to be born human,
Rare is the life of a mortal,
It is rare to hear the Dhamma,
Rare is the arising of Buddhas.

From the Chiggala Sutta:

"Monks, suppose that this great earth were totally covered with water, and a man were to toss a yoke with a single hole there. A wind from the east would push it west, a wind from the west would push it east. A wind from the north would push it south, a wind from the south would push it north. And suppose a blind sea-turtle were there. It would come to the surface once every one hundred years. Now what do you think: would that blind sea-turtle, coming to the surface once every one hundred years, stick his neck into the yoke with a single hole?"

"It would be a sheer coincidence, Lord, that the blind sea-turtle, coming to the surface once every one hundred years, would stick his neck into the yoke with a single hole."

"It is likewise a sheer coincidence that one obtains the human state. It is likewise a sheer coincidence that a Tathagata, worthy & rightly self-awakened, arises in the world. It is likewise a sheer coincidence that a doctrine & discipline expounded by a Tathagata appears in the world.

"Now, this human state has been obtained. A Tathagata, worthy & rightly self-awakened, has arisen in the world. A doctrine & discipline expounded by a Tathagata appears in the world. Therefore your duty is the contemplation, 'This is suffering... This is the origination of suffering... This is the cessation of suffering.' Your duty is the contemplation, 'This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'"

Conclusion: Now that we are born as human beings, now that we are living in a Buddha age and can listen to the True Dhamma, we are extremely fortunate (like that sea turtle in the above story). So make the most out of this very rare opportunity. Practice ardently.

lobster

What is that your business?