Past Life Regression/Meditation

MindGate

Has anyone every done a past life regression meditation/read about them? I've read about a few online, but I wanna get your guys' input on it.

compassionate_warrior

Tell us more about what you've read, MG. How does it work?

MindGate

Links:

http://www.paganspath.com/meta/guidepastlife.htm

http://ezinearticles.com/?Past-Life-Meditation-Exercise&id=1672948

compassionate_warrior

OK, but it says it takes most people years to master this, to where they get results. But it would definitely be an interesting experiment. Vincenzi says he's been able to recall past lives. maybe he'll tell us more about how he managed that. Thanks for sharing this, MG. It's tempting to try.

genkaku

I don't know about you guys, but I've got all I can handle just dealing with the life I've got.

Vincenzi

the Samañaphala Sutra has a general explanation in the Recollection of Past Lives section.

besides having experience with the jhanas and being mindful if there's any type of recollection of past lives... I don't know how else to explain it. it mostly, "just happens".

what it should feel like is, as if during meditation you start remembering something you forgot. the detail and expanse (for such a short time) made it highly unlikely that it was imagined.

so, after learning the jhanas, be prepared and aware for memories of past lives!

the type of past lives (with specific time and place just 2) makes many personal attitudes evident, and it helped eliminate my anxiety. this recollections does have it use.

Mountains

While intellectually interesting from an ego standpoint, from a spiritual standpoint, what's the point of the exercise? What is to be gained? What's important is to live in the here and now, in this exact moment. Not what's passed nor what might come in the future.

Seeker567

I agree with mountains. I didn't achieve nirvana in a past life (obviously) so it doesn't matter to me.

SherabDorje

I agree with mountains. I didn't achieve nirvana in a past life (obviously) so it doesn't matter to me.

Yes you did. I remember you. You're a bodhisattva now. Did you forget?

Seeker567

um I guess I did lol truthfully I don't think I'm anywhere close to a bodhisattva

Vincenzi

it is useful. think about this: what if you forget everything in this life.
they call it experience because it contains whatever you learned from past events.

Seeker567

but what if I wasn't practicing the dharma?

Vincenzi

well, in my case I was practicing the Dharma... so it may be different.

Seeker567

how do you know? couldn't that vision you had be an illusion

compassionate_warrior

I don't think one needs to be a dharma practitioner to be reborn as a bodhisattva.

but what if I wasn't practicing the dharma?

Seeker567

ok so I've found about 5 different definitions of bodhisattva online xD can someone please tell me what the most accepted one is? lol

compassionate_warrior

Someone who devotes his/her life to alleviating the suffering of as many sentient beings as possible. What did you come up with, Seeker?

Seeker567

like anything from "one who is bound for enlightenment in this life" to "the greatest things humans can do in this lifetime" lol

Dakini

While intellectually interesting from an ego standpoint, from a spiritual standpoint, what's the point of the exercise? What is to be gained?

party poopers! Accessing info about past lives isn't for entertainment. It can shed light on current life situations. it can be very valuable in helping understand relationship issues with family and friends, provide insight into one's interests and talents in this lifetime, for some it can alleviate irrational fears. And accessing that info doesn't need to involve hypnosis. there are other ways of getting that info, and MG just provided us with one way. thanks, MG.

Seeker567

I mean, I guess if I look at it that way. but didn't the Buddha say you remember them anyway right before you attain enlightenment?

shanyin

I've had a past life regression done, and I didn't experience any memories.

Mindgate if you do any sort of meditation that leads to jhanas, if you experience one try and make it a practice to be able to go into it and try and do it that way is my suggestion.

I'm sure remembering past lives would have many benefits.

Seeker567

another question, what if my previous life was a deva or in hell? how would I know what I'm seeing?

MindGate

I mean, I guess if I look at it that way. but didn't the Buddha say you remember them anyway right before you attain enlightenment?

He did, according to the legends.

But everyone seems to make enlightenment this mystical, magical experience where trumpets from the Heavens are played and a great light bursts out of your forehead, illuminating the world in all of its harmony, breaking away all delusions and such. Though, I'm sure enlightenment is much simpler and less profound than that.

Dakini

I mean, I guess if I look at it that way. but didn't the Buddha say you remember them anyway right before you attain enlightenment?

Sure, but in the meantime, as we work towards enlightenment, a little illumination on our current circumstances can sometimes be really helpful. one might argue that by the time one is on the cusp f enlightenment, one wouldn't really need that type of assistance any more...

Dakini

But everyone seems to make enlightenment this mystical, magical experience where trumpets from the Heavens are played and a great light bursts out of your forehead, illuminating the world in all of its harmony, breaking away all delusions and such. Though, I'm sure enlightenment is much simpler and less profound than that.

Certainly less orchestrated.

Seeker567

hahahahaha that made my day

Vincenzi

another question, what if my previous life was a deva or in hell? how would I know what I'm seeing?

you remember mostly about how it felt to be a deva (or asura), and some aproximations about forms.

Vincenzi

how do you know? couldn't that vision you had be an illusion

as I said before;
1) the general feeling was the same as remembering something that was forgotten
2) the time those memories where remembered was too fast for being imagined

why is it that some members aren't sure of the their findings, or the findings of others?
if one of the 10 fetters is skeptical doubt (in the Dharma), it follows that one must not be doubtful of what has being learned or experienced thanks to the Dharma!

SherabDorje

I'm not sure it's inappropriate to be skeptical of past-life regression, because according to you it bears only a secondary relationship to the Dharma. You are complaining that "one must not be doubtful of what has been learned or experienced thanks to the Dharma". This is something you claim to have learned or experienced thanks to the Dharma, but we have no duty not to be skeptical of your claims. I think you're stretching a point to claim that our skepticism is reflective of one of the ten fetters. We cannot experience your experience, and it is not directly related to our practice of Dharma.

deepak

Buddha remembered his past lives.It is also possible for us to 'see' our past life while doing meditation.It can come to us naturally if we meditate on a regular basis without fail.We should be able to attain Samadhi.This is the difficult part because we usually find it difficult to tame our mind.However if we keep hoping to 'see' our past life, then we will be disappointed because there is attachment there.If we keep thinking that "I don't want to think of anything" then it also creates another problem because we get attached to "I don't want to think of anything." Just sit and "let go" Buddhist meditation is actually quiet simple.
If we know our past life, then we will also know who our Yidam was and we can continue praying to the same Yidam.Then there is some kind of continuity in our meditation and progress will be fast. Above all, hope for nothing and try to be as calm as possible. Everything will then fall into its place.

Victorious

Has anyone every done a past life regression meditation/read about them? I've read about a few online, but I wanna get your guys' input on it.

Why do you want to know about past life regression?

compassionate_warrior

Buddha remembered his past lives.It is also possible for us to 'see' our past life while doing meditation.It can come to us naturally if we meditate on a regular basis without fail.We should be able to attain Samadhi.This is the difficult part because we usually find it difficult to tame our mind.However if we keep hoping to 'see' our past life, then we will be disappointed because there is attachment there.If we keep thinking that "I don't want to think of anything" then it also creates another problem because we get attached to "I don't want to think of anything." Just sit and "let go" Buddhist meditation is actually quiet simple.
If we know our past life, then we will also know who our Yidam was and we can continue praying to the same Yidam.Then there is some kind of continuity in our meditation and progress will be fast. Above all, hope for nothing and try to be as calm as possible. Everything will then fall into its place.

This is great advice. Thank you, deepak.

zidangus

While intellectually interesting from an ego standpoint, from a spiritual standpoint, what's the point of the exercise? What is to be gained? What's important is to live in the here and now, in this exact moment. Not what's passed nor what might come in the future.

Well for one, it would surely give you faith in the concept of rebirth, which a lot of people on the forum do not have.


Metta to all sentient beings

SherabDorje

I don't think people who don't believe in rebirth are going to be the least bit swayed by this conversation, let alone subject themselves to some kind of regression process.

zidangus

I don't think people who don't believe in rebirth are going to be the least bit swayed by this conversation, let alone subject themselves to some kind of regression process.

I agree, but from a spiritual standpoint, I'm pretty sure that if I remembered past live's while meditating or in some sort of regression, then it would have a pretty big impact on my practice. So I think there would be a lot to gain from it.

Metta to all sentient beings

compassionate_warrior

I think you're right, z. Good answer to Mountains' question.

MindGate

Well... I'm still curious as to what gets carried over doing rebirth, or transmigration - and how/why.

zidangus

Well... I'm still curious as to what gets carried over doing rebirth, or transmigration - and how/why.

http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/8715/what-gets-carried-over-to-new-lifetime-in-rebirth-reincarnations/p2

Cloud

@MindGate, I don't think the Buddha ever talked about anything being carried over. Instead, one life is the cause of the next, like using one candle to light another candle and then blowing the original candle out. Is the new candle's flame the same as the old candle's flame? It has the same nature...

compassionate_warrior

So how does the new life get stuck with the old life's karma, Cloud?

Cloud

Karma isn't something that transmits, karma is our actions, not the fruit or result. New lives get stuck with the repercussions of previous karma, meaning if my parents did drugs while they were conceived with me I'd bear the fruit of that in having some mental problem. The conditions of the world from one generation to the next are determined by a succession of previous generations...

Though the conditions we're born into may not be that great, we have the ability through our own karma to free ourselves of suffering and help free others, creating good conditions for the future generations.

compassionate_warrior

What about those teachings that say that our present life circumstances (what family we're born to, what country, what economic class, whether we're born with any deformations, etc.) are due to past karma coming to fruition?

Cloud

The seeds of past karma coming to fruition, not the karma itself. We have to separate "karma" from "fruit/result". Yes, the present life circumstances are due to the actions of previous lives; not necessarily "our" previous lives, as there's neither self nor ownership. What the people alive today do, the conditions they leave the world in, are inherited by those who come after. Does that not make sense?

If Hitler kills a bunch of Jewish people, the Jewish people who grow up afterward living in a world where their ancestors/parents/grandparents/etc. were killed by a madman, and all that baggage becomes theirs to cling to, causing them suffering and possibly hatred. That's just an example of one person changing a lot of lives. We each change the world in smaller ways but it all adds up, all goes together into the future.

MindGate

If this is the case, how do past life memories work?

compassionate_warrior

I'm struggling to grasp this, Cloud. Thanks. It sounds sort of random, if I read you right. Like...the fruition of somebody's past life karma just comes along and nails a random body, because there's no continuity from one lifetime to the next, now "ownership" or self. hmm.... :scratch: And yet, if we recall our past lives, it /seems/ like it's "us". But...that's just an illusion?

Cloud

Dunno, I've never had past life memories. Maybe stored in the DNA as some suggest? We might be remembering the lives of our direct blood ancestors.

The point is, we have absolutely no control over the world we're born into, but we do have some control over our own lives and the next lives that will be born into the world. Thoughts of those lives being "ours" is where we cling to personal existence, and we have to let that go! Those who came before are gone, and we will be (and yet never truly, this same material gets recycled continually as new things), but there will be new lives continually born into the world as long as we cling to life and sensual pleasures.

The survival of our species is no longer in question, but it's our clinging to life as well as fanaticism about sex for pleasure that results in so many humans.

compassionate_warrior

So somebody's past life karma does just come along and nail a random body?

And just because someone was Jewish in one lifetime, and got gassed (or didn't), doesn't mean they'll be Jewish in the next. They could be German, or Hindu or Native American. Whatever.

Cloud

No, you're not understanding. Karma is done and then gone. Me typing this is karma, but as soon as I'm done and post it, the karma is done. It may plant the seeds for future conversation, may affect you by you reading it and replying, but it's no longer karma. We can't confuse karma and fruit/result or we're not understanding "cause and effect" or "choices and consequences" (the latter is preferred).

If we screw up health care in this generation, and the next generation suffers because of it, this is an example of how our choices affect future lives. Understand now? That's as simple as I can put it, but it's pervasive, it happens on every level. The world we leave is the world they receive. It's not "attached" to anyone in particular, unless it is direct such as the actions of a parent affecting the child. There are different ways that the past actions affect the current circumstances.

compassionate_warrior

But...what about the part where a baby's cleft palate is due its past karma? Or being born to a poor family means they were miserly in the past life?

Cloud

That's Hindu.

MindGate

No, Tibetan.