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Past Life or Not?

NoiNoi
edited February 2006 in General Banter
I've always been curious about my past lives. It's probably due to the fact that when I was younger, I used to have dreams about a past life. I used to dream that I was an old woman living here in America, who died alone in a small cottage by herself. And nobody knew that I had past away till months later; it was right after World War II. Am I delusional? Or is it my attachment to that past life that has brought me into this life. Or is it irrelevant?

Comments

  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited August 2005
    My short answer, who knows?

    My long answer, if you had a very real experience that you are sure was a 'past life' then this should be used to give you confidence on the Buddha's path. Rebirth is one of the hardest teachings for people, especially Americans, to understand. If you somehow saw a previous birth that lead you to this one....that should give you the courage to explore Buddhism deeper and to meditate as often as possible. I have never experienced anything like a 'past life' so I have doubts once in a while about such teachings. If I had an experience where I was sure it was a previous birth, I bet I would be even more gung-ho about my practice.

    In the long run it is irrelevant in the sense that it is in the past. It cannot be changed in any way. It is relevant in the sense that you may have 'proof', sort of speaking, of kamma, rebirth, and the Dhamma. My advice is to keep this experience close to your heart to remind you that this cycle of samsara lasts until you 'Awaken' and free yourself from it. A relevant sutta may be the Assu sutta: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/samyutta/sn15-003.html

    As for the 'cause' of this life it is simple tahna (craving) which fuels this cycle of rebirth. A relevant sutta for this may be the Anubuddha sutta: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/anguttara/an04-001.html

    For the reasons why rebirth is not worth settleing for here is a relevant sutta: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/samyutta/sn05-006.html

    The teachings about the good fortune and preciousness of this human birth are the Nakhasikha Sutta: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/samyutta/sn20-002.html and the Chiggala Sutta:
    http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/samyutta/sn56-048.html

    And the freedom from the seemingly endless rounds of rebirth, what could this be, where can it be found? Well luckily the Buddha has come through for us again, and has laid it out in his Noble Eightfold Path: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/samyutta/sn56-011.html

    :)
  • NoiNoi
    edited August 2005
    I'm sorry identityless, I did not realize that you had alread started a thread concerning past lives. Next time I will try to be more considerate. My ignorance cannot be helped at times. Please forgive me.
  • buddhafootbuddhafoot Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Hey Noi.... knock it off with the apologies!

    Sometimes threads get really old and need to be brought back to life.

    I for one had not seen this thread and pounced on it the minute I saw it.

    Thank you for creating this thread for my lazy old fingers... :)
    -bf
  • identitylessidentityless
    edited August 2005
    Your topic is totally different from mine, Noi. I don't think a post about your own past was bought up?
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    That's ok. This is the wrong section for this topic anyway. The lotus lounge is for laying off the heady discussions. This is for the fun stuff. A place to veg out. :cheer:
  • pj.pilgrimpj.pilgrim
    edited August 2005
    Hi Noi, I had similar experiences. When young I had frequent dreams which I believe may be remnants of a past life memory. I was struggling in the sea and all around me were large grey ships and there were planes in the sky. I was born in 1959.
  • YogaMamaYogaMama
    edited August 2005
    comicallyinsane wrote:
    That's ok. This is the wrong section for this topic anyway. The lotus lounge is for laying off the heady discussions. This is for the fun stuff. A place to veg out. :cheer:

    Yes, this is the place where we can say all of the Mr. T quotes that we want! I pity the fool that don't quote Mr. T!

    Noi...please don't worry about posting a subject that has already been discussed - I do it all the time, and Buddhfoot is right...sometimes posts like this just need to be brought back to life!
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    That's right Sucka!!!!!!!!
  • ajani_mgoajani_mgo Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Well scientific Western minds should rejoice now that there's evidence of past lives... I can't exactly get a link for it but it's a show from Discovery Channel... Past lives or not... It isn't useful for Buddhist practices... You think that I care if I was Hilter or Chamberlain in my past life?
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Well Hitler did send all those people to God. That is one way to look at it.
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited August 2005
    At my age, I have difficulty remembering what I did yesterday, let alone in past lives!
  • DharmaKittenDharmaKitten
    edited August 2005
    ajani_mgo wrote:
    Well scientific Western minds should rejoice now that there's evidence of past lives... I can't exactly get a link for it but it's a show from Discovery Channel... Past lives or not... It isn't useful for Buddhist practices... You think that I care if I was Hilter or Chamberlain in my past life?

    What "evidence"? And why would it be cause for rejoicing? (Not to say it wouldn't be for some).
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    I suppose it would depend on if someone wants to keep on living. I know I do. I have always wondered if there is a period between death and rebirth where you go to a place and you remember all your lives. What do you all think?
  • ajani_mgoajani_mgo Veteran
    edited August 2005
    It isn't exactly evidence... but you can call it proof. People have been able to recall entire lives they would never known where they remembered, but they just know that it's a past life. Researchers go to this area that they are sure this present-life guy haven't went before and they ask. Voila! Someone did die before right here, bearing the same acts , activities, names, families, friends, habits and whatsoever of this guy's wild claim!

    Well it would be another milestone for us isn't it? One more thing that we can show people: "HEY! LOOK! WE ARE SCIENTIFIC PEOPLE!"

    According to the Tibetan Buddhists, they believe that after someone dies, his karma becomes this lifeforce thingy that survives for 49 days living on scrapes of food left around, sucking out tastes like "ghosts", then is knocked out of all its thoughts when it hits a fertile egg of any creature that its karma is attracted to, then that's when you get your rebirth.

    Desire of life is what fuels rebirth, I think.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Maybe we are all actually one entity in separate parts and when someone remembers a past life they are actually remembering another memory of the whole.
  • ajani_mgoajani_mgo Veteran
    edited August 2005
    I think I heard that from my Muslim friend before... But I don't know if its something Islam or simply folk... It's about living double lifes... Your soul is spilt into two, or something like that...
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    I don't know. I got the idea from Babylon 5.
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited August 2005
    I know some Jewish beliefs, mostly based on Kabbalah, say that all 'souls' were broken from and split off of the main 'soul'. To reunite all of these 'souls' is their main goal. Many Rabbi's taught that certain 'souls' were again split in half so that we have a 'companion soul' somewhere in the world, and that to find this person helps to bring these 'souls' closer to reconnecting to the 'source'. Sometimes this other 'soul' can be found in significant others, family, close frinds, teachers, etc. I'm not sure if that is what you were refereing to, but it's a common enough belief.
  • ajani_mgoajani_mgo Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Oh man, this is sunding like Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince... About Voldemort's Horcruxes... If you haven't read the series pick it up! It's amazing!
  • kinleekinlee Veteran
    edited August 2005
    comicallyinsane wrote:
    Maybe we are all actually one entity in separate parts and when someone remembers a past life they are actually remembering another memory of the whole.

    This is good.

    cheers,
  • SatoriSatori
    edited February 2006
    Elohim wrote:
    I know some Jewish beliefs, mostly based on Kabbalah, say that all 'souls' were broken from and split off of the main 'soul'. To reunite all of these 'souls' is their main goal. Many Rabbi's taught that certain 'souls' were again split in half so that we have a 'companion soul' somewhere in the world, and that to find this person helps to bring these 'souls' closer to reconnecting to the 'source'. Sometimes this other 'soul' can be found in significant others, family, close frinds, teachers, etc. I'm not sure if that is what you were refereing to, but it's a common enough belief.

    That must be where the idea of twin souls came from. I didn't realize that.
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited February 2006
    Satori wrote:
    That must be where the idea of twin souls came from. I didn't realize that.

    Earlier than that, Satori, I think: the myth is from Plato's Symposium: "The desire and pursuit of the whole is called love."
  • SatoriSatori
    edited February 2006
    Simonthepilgrim wrote:
    Earlier than that, Satori, I think: the myth is from Plato's Symposium: "The desire and pursuit of the whole is called love."

    Ohhh, okay. Thanks for that clarification!
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