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I have a question...
I have a question which has been on my mind for a while...
In the cycle of life & death, where do all the new 'spirits' or souls' come from?
When you die your 'mind or 'spirit' is reborn into a developing pheatus or baby but where do all the new 'minds' come from, say... for a flourishing species like us humans???
Another question arose whilst writting the first question.
What would the proper term for our 'minds' not our bodies be???
:ukflag:
In the cycle of life & death, where do all the new 'spirits' or souls' come from?
When you die your 'mind or 'spirit' is reborn into a developing pheatus or baby but where do all the new 'minds' come from, say... for a flourishing species like us humans???
Another question arose whilst writting the first question.
What would the proper term for our 'minds' not our bodies be???
:ukflag:
0
Comments
An interesting site i stumbled upon today... http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma/heaven.html
The karma is not pernament, it changes. Thus there is nothing but causes moving from place to place, and there is actually no such thing called death to me.
I believe death to be nothing but an illusion... The very notion of death reminds us of leaving everything, when we are only moving on, just as you quit your job and emigrate off elsewhere for better prospects.
The Tibetans call the thing you speak of as an intermediate state bardo. I don't know much from here, but I guess there are always others here to elaborate further. :rockon:
"Turn the other cheek."
No independent "Self", "soul", or "spirit" is reborn anywhere. We are but a collection of five aggregates that have arisen due to the available conditions for such a thing as a 'person' to exist. In Pali, this mind and body combination that we call a 'person' is sometimes refered to as "nama-rupa".
Our body is "rupa", rupa means: Body; physical phenomenon; sense datum. The basic meaning of this word is "appearance" or "form." It is used, however, in a number of different contexts, taking on different shades of meaning in each. In lists of the objects of the senses, it is given as the object of the sense of sight. As one of the khandha, it refers to physical phenomena or sensations (visible appearance or form being the defining characteristics of what is physical). This is also the meaning it carries when opposed to nama, or mental phenomena.
Our mind is "nama", nama means: Mental phenomena. This term refers to the mental components of the five khandhas, and includes: vedana (feeling), sañña (perception), sankhara (mental fashionings), and viññana (consciousness).
- Definitions taken from A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms
When the body decays, falls apart, and 'dies' it is said that the consciousness and kamma from that life continues as a cause for a new consciousness to arise in a new life. This consciousness does not 'move' to a new body to stay there however, it 'conditions' a new consciouness to arise through the motion of bhava (becoming). They may sound similar, but there is a major difference between the two explanations (i.e. cause and effect instead of transmigration). Bhava is a very powerful force. It transcends the merely tangible world of our senses.
As for where all the 'extra' people come from, remember that the Buddha taught that a person could be 'reborn' into any of the Thirty-one Planes of Existence. What we can see and experience as our 'world', the human and animal realm, it is but a fraction of the possible places for 'rebirth'.
I hope that you find this explanation helpful.
Jason
Neat. Thanks.
http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/1-59030-270-2.cfm
Thanks Jason! I am always looking for more info on the five aggregates. Seems to be a significant topic - how the mind functions. Sometime I get glimpses into the "process", and I suspect that further knowledge of this topic could yield great results.
To quote from "What the Buddha Taught" by Walpola Rahula (a personal fav and recommended reading):
"According to the Buddha, the idea of a self is a imaginary, false belief which produces harmful thoughts of "me" and "mine", selfish desire, craving, attachment, hatred, ill-will, conceit, pride, egoism, and other defilements, imprutities and problems. It is the source of all the troubles in the world from personal conflicts to wars between nations. In short to this false view can be traced all the evil in the world." (emphasis added)
If you subscribe to this view, then the question of rebirth is fruitless, since it reinforces the concept of self.
This was the hardest idea for me to grasp (and others I'm sure), but I think goes the center of Buddhism. In fact, Buddhism is unique in this teaching.
It was also one of the hardest for me as well.
If you are looking for more information on the five aggregates, here is a list of available Suttas dealing with that topic:
Khandha Vagga (samyuttas XXII-XXXIV)
Bhikkhu Sutta: SN XXII.36
Khandha Sutta: SN XXII.48
Samanupassana Sutta: SN XXII.47
Nakulapita Sutta: SN XXII.1
Phena Sutta: SN XXII.95
Upakkilesa Samyutta: SN XXVII
Jason
You may find it interesting that it is possible to read the story of the "Fall" in the book of Genesis as human beings becoming "self-aware". In classic, post-Augustine, Christian theology, it is this "Fall" which is responsible for all that is wrong in the world.
It's a myth, Ajani, not history.
Palzang
Your info was very useful
Did you know that 'mosaic' isnt one word, but lots of little words joined together.