No Rebirth or Reincarnation?

[Jishin]

Zen master who was asked by a student, “Master, what happens after death?” He said, “I don’t know,” and the student quizzically replied, “but master you should know.” The Zen master said, “Yes, but I’m not a dead master.”

Gassho, Jishin

Personally, I do have faith in rebirth. I also think that karma is a more useful concept when applied to one's own behavior and consequences but can be very destructive and limiting when applied to someone ELSE'S situation. We maybe should not try to assign or ascertain or link another person's misfortune to karma. I find that it can harden one's heart if misused.

Regarding rebirth, though - it certainly isn't something about which to be contentious. As the others have said, if rebirth is reflective of the true state of things, the best thing one can do is allow his or her own clarity to emerge and to behave kindly. If rebirth isn't the reflection of the true state of things, the best thing one can do is to allow one's own clarity to emerge and to behave kindly. Clarity and kindness are powerful medicine either way, right?

[Neo]

Just before Rikyu took his own life he said, "When I have this sword there is no Buddha and no Patriarchs." He meant that when we have the sword of big mind, there is no dualistic world. The only thing which exists is this spirit. This kind of imperturbable spirit was always present in Rikyu's tea ceremony. He never did anything in just a dualistic way; he was ready to die in each moment. In ceremony after ceremony he died, and he renewed himself. This is the spirit of the tea ceremony. This is how we bow.

I just got to think about this passage in 'zen mind beginners mind'.

[Rich]

It's not that we don't exist, it's just that most of our thinking about that existence is all wrong. You are the universe. I used to think of the universe as god, but now it seems easier to explain it in terms of energy. So energy is always changing, and maybe we think of it as being reborn.

Kind regards. /\

[Amelia]

Returning every moment we can

[Neo]

Isn't there some kind of rebirth in every moment. Nothing ever stays the same, no birth, no death, but every moment we are born just to die again. So I could see rebirth in this way, and the karma that follows from earlier moments. uhm... but rebirth in the literal sense seems pretty hard to believe in. And also, if there's nothing there to be reborn when the fictional ego dies, what does?

[Ishin]

Hello,

stay clear of materialism, eternalism and nihilism. Open and open again.

Don't worry too much about ultimate questions but ask yourself how much in love you might be with your own views and the capacity of your own intellect.

Gassho,


Hans Chudo Mongen

Hey Hans I really like this. What should we do with Buddhism?
Gassho
C

[Risho]

The future is a complete fabrication of your mind. What you do right now is most important and precepts make a lot of sense as a guide if you need guidance. I think rebirth and reincarnation is an explanation of something unknowable because we can't stand not knowing.



Kind regards. /\

Thank you!

Gassho,

Risho

[Jishin]

If we don't create Buddhism, rebirth or reincarnation with our minds then Buddha, rebirth and reincarnation are never a problem. A cat meows, dog barks, a rooster crows. Humans do…? The homeless lady across the street is hungry, I give her a dollar. My neighbor is sick and can't go to the grocery store, I go shopping for her. I stink, I take a shower so I don't offend those around me.

Gassho, Jishin

[Hans]

Hello,

stay clear of materialism, eternalism and nihilism. Open and open again.

Don't worry too much about ultimate questions but ask yourself how much in love you might be with your own views and the capacity of your own intellect.

Gassho,


Hans Chudo Mongen

[Nameless]

Hey everyone, guess I'll chip in and revive it haha. I have no idea what happens "after death." Rebirth would make sense to me (but that doesn't really mean much lol), mainly just by observing things as they are. Seasons pass and return, the sun rises, sets and rises again. Waves fall back into the sea only to crescendo in a reprise. Paints an astounding picture without any inherent endings or beginnings. Yet, in a way we've never seen the same sun twice. The sun we see is different each day, and so are we.

We can see that when something dies it dissolves, never truly having left what it is dissolving into. Perhaps the same molecules will come together again someday, forming a whole new configuration of the skandhas. Perhaps they merely spread out across land and space. Either way, all that we are never departs, only changes. Just as it's changing now.

Gassho, Content John

[Rich]

'but three might'
3 would completely dissolve the original question. 😎😵😄😊😉

Kind regards. /\

[dharmasponge]

Or reborn? .........sorry! 😊

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[Jundo]

I think this conversation died, never to be revived.

Gassho, J

[dharmasponge]

Probably not. But three might.

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