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Samsara Paranibbana Benihana
JaySon
Florida Veteran
in Philosophy
What happens when you are in para nibbana and free from samsara?
The cycle of rebirth ends.
There is no more "you" to be reborn in samsara.
Does that mean you sort of dissolve into the cosmos or do you become some kind of omniscient master who goes around blessing other beings?
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Comments
My ideas of this have differed between traditional Buddhist scripture and science/philosophy. When I consider it, I think about what happens before life which is nothing. So we must return to this source after death. Life isn't ours or our original condition so it can't be stolen from us. We are only returning to the primordial form we once occupied. If we get lucky enough to escape the cycle I imagine it is a great unity of energy and spirit where there is no distinctions between forms thoughts or feelings.
Either way, there are things to look forward to in death. Either a new life or a totality of being. I say bring on either one.
I'm with you on the fact that there can't be nothing.
Nothing can't become something.
Something can't become nothing.
Nothingness is just a man made concept.
There is no such thing.
Philosophers have been asking that same question for millenia....
I personally believe the correct answer is - no one knows.
For me, I focus less and less on that (and coming from a theistic background that was my satori moment in a way). I just (try to) focus on following the Eightfold Noble Path and be the best person I can be.
FWIW.
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I hear ya @dhammachick . I don't feel like I need to know the answer, but I was wondering if it says anything about it in the suttas. It simply says that you are free from samsara.
Oh I wasn't challenging or questioning that, just adding my own, probably useless feedback
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Never!
Benhihana?
In the suttas it is one of the unanswered questions, a little frustrating in my view. In the Mahayana there is the Trikaya doctrine, but don't ask me to explain it.
Yeah, that's it, in the Pali tradition Buddha doesn't answer, saying the Buddha neither exists, doesn't exist, simultaneously exists and doesn't exist, and neither exists or doesn't exist.
Mahayana has the Trikaya, the Buddha bodies. So they say the Buddha does exist though there is plenty of disagreement on exactly in what way the Buddha exists.