Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Register
Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04
Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.

In the Nichiren Tradition (SGI, etc), what happens after you die?

matthewmartinmatthewmartin Amateur BodhisattvaSuburbs of Mt Meru Veteran
in Buddhism Basics
This came up at my book club and I wasn't sure what the answer is.

Do you come back as a human, come back as some being in one of the 6 realms, go to one of the Pure Lands, hit the jackpot and attain parinirvana or what?

Comments

  • ChazChaz The Remarkable Chaz Anywhere, Everywhere & Nowhere Veteran
    Does a tradition have any real bearing on rebirth? I know some pure land traditions claim adherents take rebirth in a pure land, but I dunno. I've always thought that rebirth condition was due to karma.
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    Tibetan traditions (some) also believe in pureland @Chaz

    Bodhisattvas create purelands on earth that sentient beings can pick up the vibes and help draw them to the dharma. And then there are also purelands after death.

    My lama has us recite the samantabhadracharya (which is the end of the avatamsaka) sutra as a way to make karma to practice the dharma wherever we are reborn. A pureland is all about being a place to practice dharma.
    Chaz
  • ChazChaz The Remarkable Chaz Anywhere, Everywhere & Nowhere Veteran
    Jeffrey said:

    Tibetan traditions (some) also believe in pureland @Chaz

    Quite right, but in my practice lineage Amithabha pureland practices are usually associated with funerary rites. Yes, there are Amithaba sadhanas for regular practice and Chenrezig practice makes repeated references to Dewachen, etc. Guru Rinpoche practices refer to his pureland, too.

    However the focus of Tibetan pure land thinking is quite different from Nichiren thought.
    A pureland is all about being a place to practice dharma.
    Yes.

    Sukhavati is said to be the place to take birth in order to complete the Paths and Bhumis.
    Jeffrey
  • TakuanTakuan Veteran


    This might help.
    riverflowpoptart
  • matthewmartinmatthewmartin Amateur Bodhisattva Suburbs of Mt Meru Veteran
    I think I tracked down a plausible answer-- enlightenment upon death for those who successfully followed the path, rebirth (reincarnation-lite) for those who didn't. The 10 worlds, hells & pure lands are seen as metaphors for states of mind.

    ref: http://www.sokahumanism.com/nichiren-buddhism/Amida_and_SGI_Buddhism.html

    http://www.sokahumanism.com/nichiren-buddhism/Differences_between_Rebirth_and_Reincarnation.html
Sign In or Register to comment.