The Critical Issue of Life and Death

Life is impermanent. After we come into this world, we may live for ten years, possibly a hundred years, or perhaps even longer. But we grow, and finally we have to die. People normally think of death as the end of everything. There is nothing great about it. But according to Buddhism, our life does not begin only at the moment of birth; and death too, does not imply the end of everything. If life was as simple as this, then this would encourage us to fritter away our time with no purpose. Actually, we existed before we were born, and we will have another life after death. We will be reborn in another place and the cycle of life and death will continue endlessly. The constant rebirth into this suffering world is a bigger problem than the simple death at the end of each life! Constant rebirth is difficult to solve and it becomes a critical issue when we recognize and wish to overcome it. The situation is analogous to a businessman who starts his business at the beginning of the year. At the end of the year, he has to account for his profit and loss, repay all his debts and get back what others owe him. This process repeats the following year, and every year thereafter. The closing of everything. The businessman plans to accumulate long term profits and increasingly valuable assets year after year. But this is not an easy task to fulfil!. How should we handle this problem? We can be more confident about the following year’s financial position if the current year’s business is profitable. Everything will run more smoothly next year. However, if this year results in a loss, then next year’s financial position will be tight. We may have to borrow from here or there, causing a lot of frustration, worry, and suffering for ourselves. Life is the same. When there is birth, there will be death. During this process of life and death, we have to consider our profits and losses. If we do not put in an effort to uplift ourselves, we may lose our human status in the next life, and this will certainly be a loss! If we improve ourselves and become a better person in this life, then we will create good prospects for our future. Although our "End of Year (life) Account" may show an unfavorable "financial (karmic) position", if we can justify ourselves skilfully, we may still get through the last difficult period. Thus, a practicing Buddhist should pay attention to the moment of their last breath. We should behave well, think positively, and be mindful at the moment of our last breath. When we talk about life and death, some think that death means the end of everything. Thus, we must first clarify these misunderstandings about "death" before we discuss "life". People normally have a fear of death. In fact, death is nothing to be afraid of. This is analogous to the businessman who runs a good business at all times and manages it well until the closure of the financial year. When the New Year comes he will certainly enjoy a comfortable life. Therefore, as long as we have prepared well during our lives, we should be happy when we are healthy, and should not be frightened when sickness or even death comes. The Three Types of Death According to Buddhism, there are three types of death: 1. The end of life: No matter how long we live, once the life that we obtained from our past karma is finished, we will die. This is like a lamp. When the fuel is consumed, the light will go out. If the "karmic fuel" for our life is for one hundred years, then, at the end of one hundred years, we will die, and there are no alternatives! 2. The exhaustion of merit: We need daily necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter in order to live. Some of us may die before we reach old age because of the exhaustion of our merits. We may die of hunger or cold. 3. Death at a time when one should not die: Some of us may die because of wars, floods, fires, accidents, sickness, lack of care or nutrition, or over-work. This type of death is different to the other two types mentioned above. With regards to death, a practicing Buddhist should remember two points: 1. Whether we are young or old, we may die at any time. Although humans have an average life span, exhaustion of merits or unforeseen circumstances for any individual may cause us to die at any time. Life is impermanent. So we should be diligent in practicing the Buddha’s teachings, and not wait until the next life, or life thereafter! 2. Do not think or misunderstand that life is determined by our past karma only. In fact, the major influence comes from our actions in the current life. If we always commit wrong deeds, do not take care of ourselves, and are lazy, then consequently we may become poor and may die of starvation while young or middle aged. But death as such does not necessarily imply the end of one’s actual life process. How Does the Cycle of Life and Death Come About? What is this cycle of birth and death? How does this cycle of life and death come about? What determines our improvement or deterioration? According to Buddhism, it is determined by our karma. Karma is the energy or influence that is left behind by our actions. Due to our past karma, we are born as human beings in this life. Similarly, the good and evil karma of this life and past lives will also affect our future lives. Many Buddhists think of ‘karma’ as ‘evil karma’ only. This is not true. The energy that is left behind by our actions or thoughts, be it good or evil, is referred to as ‘karma’. Our future is determined by our karma. Thus, the Buddha Dharma says, "We reap what we sow". Between our past and present, which bad or good karma, will determine our next life? There are three situations as stated in the following: a) Strong karma When we are at the brink of death, the good and evil karma we have generated in our life will appear in front of our eyes. Usually we generate a lot of good or bad karma every day. At the moment of our death, if strong good or evil thoughts arise, they will determine our future. For example, the memory of killing one’s own father is unforgettable. The thought will always be in one’s mind. At the moment of death, this evil scene (karmic action) will appear in front of one’s eyes. Similarly, one who is very filial will see their own filiality and good deeds at the moment of their last breath. This is similar to a debtor. At the end of the year, all creditors will come and chase after the debtor for their money, and the debtor will pay the creditor who applies him the greatest pressure first. b) Habitual Influence Some people may have karma that is neither extremely good nor extremely bad. In these circumstances, habitual actions may become the major influence on their fate. Accumulated minor evil actions will produce an evil result. Accumulated minor good deeds will produce a good result. There is a saying; "Although a drop of water is tiny, it may gradually fill a big container." The Buddha also gave us an example: If there is a big tree that is leaning to the east, it will certainly fall towards the east when being axed. The Chinese always say: "At the time of death, the ghosts that feel injustice will come and ask for one’s life." Those who killed pigs and goats will see pigs and goats, and those who killed snakes will see snakes. If we see these, we will have great suffering. We may tremble with intense fear, and lose our minds. In fact, the pigs, goats and other animals that have been killed would have been reborn according to their own karma. However, those who did the killing will tend to continue to act in an evil way. They will accumulate more evil karma. Thus, at the moment of death the karmic action (cows, snakes, pigs, or goats etc. requesting recompense of life for lives taken) will appear in front of us and we will receive retribution according to our karma. There is a story about a person who robbed and murdered a rich man in the middle of the night. After the incident, he felt that the rich man was always following him asking for his money and life. In time the murderer was frightened to death. Later, it was found that the rich man was only injured and was still alive. This anecdote illustrates that evil ghosts do not come to ask for one’s life. The Buddha’s explanation of karmic action explains the result perfectly. Those who did evil will see suffering at the last moment before death overtakes them, and those who behaved well will be peaceful and happy at that last moment. So we should be careful about the habitual karma that we generate daily! c) The Last Thought Some people may not have accomplished great things; perpetrated particularly evil deeds; nor established distinct habitual actions. During the last moment of their lives such people may suddenly think of something. This last thought, whether good or evil, will influence their next rebirth. The Buddha’s teachings encourage those who are seriously ill to remember and to recite the merits of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and the merits of Dana and of following the precepts. This will help us to have good thoughts. Relying on the energy of these good thoughts, we may have a good rebirth. Some may generate a lot of good karma during normal times, but may be nervous or sad during their last breath. This may cause evil thoughts to arise and hence result in a poor rebirth. This is analogous to a merchant who has done good business throughout the year but who does not manage his business affairs well during the closing period of the financial year and thus causes the whole year’s effort to be wasted. When someone is about to die, whether they are young or old, we should try not to cry, as this may affect the dying person’s emotional state and cause them suffering. We should advise the person to let everything go and to think about the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, good acts of Dana, and other meritorious deeds that they may have done. It is as if our business was not very good during the year, but because of skilful management during the crucial end of year period, we may nevertheless have a happy new year. However, we should remember that our daily effort is still important. It is not rendered insignificant compared to the last minute’s effort. If we habitually commit evil deeds it is hardly to be expected that we will have good thoughts at our death. If we habitually accumulate great merits, or have more modest tendency to do good, then with the assistance of others in recalling these merits during the moment of our last breath, we may have a better rebirth. Other Defilements Necessary for Rebirth How does rebirth occur after our death? Normally death refers to the moment when one’s breathing and mental activities have stopped, and the body temperature drops. On the other hand, birth refers to the time when the baby is born. However, according to the teachings of the Buddha, our past karma is the main cause of the new life which comes about when the father’s sperm cell combines with an egg from the mother. This is referred to as conception: the initiation of the birth process. Thus, those who carry out abortions are in fact committing the evil deed of killing. Why are we reborn after death? It is not inevitable that everyone will be reborn. Some may be reborn and others may not. Rebirth is caused by one’s karma. With good karma we will produce good fruit. With evil karma we will suffer evil results. If we generate good and evil karma all the time, does this mean that our cycle of life and death will continue endlessly? In fact, karma alone may not cause us to be reborn. Besides karma, defilements are needed as the secondary cause of rebirth. The major defilement is the ‘love’ of life. Thoughts of greed and attachment to this illusory world, with the foolish wish to live forever, plant in our deluded minds the seeds for continuous life and death. A practicing Buddhist who wishes to end the cycle of life and death needs to let go of self-centered love and attachment to self-destructive living. This is similar to planting crops. Although we may have seeds, without water and fertilizer, the seeds will not sprout. Thus, even though we may have generated a lot of good or bad karma, without the fertile conditions provided by defilements (i.e. love and attachments), the seeds of our sufferings will not sprout. If we crave for comfort, luxury and wealth, and cling to our life, we will never break the cycle of life and death. In order to end the cycle of life and death, we must let go of our attachments thoroughly, then new life will not emerge. To achieve this we should remember not to do evil, but to do more good. We should accumulate our merits in order to gain a good repay in the future. We should not attach ourselves to the process of life and death, but to strengthen our determination to leave this deluded, suffering world.

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Do Buddhists Go to Heaven -- by Kusala Bhikshu

I've had the good fortune of speaking about Buddhist afterlife to a number of Christians. One of the things that prompted me to investigate Buddhist afterlife was giving a talk at Central Juvenile Hall. A Catholic girl said I was going to hell, because I didn't believe in God and Jesus Christ.

After some reflection I had to agree with her... If I were a Christian, and thought like a Buddhist, I probably would go to Christian hell.

But, do Buddhists even go to Christian heaven or hell in the first place? Or do Buddhists have their own afterlife, complete with heaven and hell?

A question arose in my mind... If a good Catholic married a good Buddhist and they lived happily ever after, when they died were they going to the same place? Most Catholics I have asked... answer, "Of course, there is only one place you can go."

I thought to myself... not so fast... where did all the Buddhists, Hindus and goddess worshippers go before Christ came to the world? Was the Christian heaven already in place even before Christ was born? Have all the pre-Christians ended up in Christian hell?

This train of thought prompted me to investigate Buddhist afterlife.

The Buddhist contribution to afterlife, it turns out is Nirvana. Nirvana is the end of suffering while you're alive, and the end of rebirth after you die. The Buddha said all forms of life are unsatisfactory because of birth, sickness, and old age; eventually you will end up suffering if your alive.

Ok, so what happens to a Buddhist if he doesn't reach Nirvana in his or her life time; where does he or she go?

The Buddha borrowed from the Brahmanic tradition: the concept of karma had been established in India by the time of the Buddha, and heavens and hells were part of the cosmology as well. The Buddha used these concepts to explain Rebirth, and life after death.

I brought these ideas up in a conversation with a Catholic friend, and he said in an amusing way, "Maybe a skillful Buddhist will go to heaven, and a really skillful Buddhist will go to Nirvana." As it turns out, he hit the nail right on the head.

Buddhists do go to heaven if their practice is skillful, and to hell if it's unskilful. But, never to Christian heaven or hell.

How many heavens and hells do Buddhists have? ...A lot!

There was a book published in 1997 called... Buddhist Cosmology, Philosophy and Origins, by Akira Sadakata, Kosei Publications. It goes into a very detailed explanation of the various heavens and hells. I've found as many as 33 heavens and 33 hells listed as possible destinations, but I'm going to simplify it, and talk about the six realms of existence.

Buddhism has a best heaven. Everything is just the way you want it to be. In this heaven, there is no reason to change anything. You are ultimately happy. The problem is that it's not permanent, as is everything in Buddhism. One day in the heaven realm is equal to 400 human years, and your stay is four thousand heaven years, so you will be there a really long time.

But, one day the karma that put you in this heaven will be used up. You are only in heaven as long as your Karma account has merit in it. You can only draw from your Karma account while in heaven, because there in no way to make a deposit. You can't practice generosity or compassion, and you're not striving to gain wisdom. When the karma that put you in heaven is used up... you're reborn... And that would probably make a lot of folks really unhappy. Who wants to leave a perfect place?

The second heaven realm, which is a lower one, is where things are almost perfect. I call this the Donald Trump heaven. It could be better, if only you owned one more building or house. You see, there is still some desire associated with this heaven realm, and so it can't ever be perfect.

The next realm is the human realm, where all of us find ourselves in this lifetime. This is the best place for us to be, because this is the only place we can become enlightened. We cannot become enlightened in heaven, things are too nice, and we have no reason to strive. We cannot become enlightened in hell, because things are so bad, all we do is suffer.

In this human rebirth, we have enough happiness and joy to keep us from taking our own lives, and we experience anxiety and fear to keep us striving. We cannot relax too long in any one mental state as a human, because all things are in a constant state of flux.

The next lower realm, is the animal realm. The animal realm is marked by wanting to have sex, wanting to have food, wanting to have sleep, and being totally confused. Those are the four characteristics found in the animal realm. So you can see, we are not likely to become enlightened as an animal.

A Zen question-- Does a dog have Buddha nature?-- comes to mind. Yes, a dog does have the potential to become enlightened, but only in the human realm.

Can animals be reborn as humans beings? Yes, if they come into contact with the Dharma, see a Buddhist temple, or smell incense burning. The contact can plant a Dharma seed which takes root when they're reborn as humans. They can achieve their full potential and become enlightened, but only as a human being. So, it's up to all of us to help our pets be reborn in the human realm.

The next realm is called the hungry ghost realm. The hungry ghost is often pictured as a giant creature, with a large stomach and a pinhole for a mouth. It can never end it's hunger no matter how much it eats, it never finds satisfaction.

In the hell realm, the worst place, you find the most suffering. Your are given little hell bodies when you enter. Then, one day you might be walking through a forest, when all the leaves on a tree turn into razor blades and fall, cutting you into a million pieces. You cry out in pain, and your hell body resurrects, so you can be killed over and over again.

The only way to get out of the hell realm is to burn through the karma that put you there. Suffering is the only act of purification in hell, and much suffering is necessary before the next rebirth.

So, do Buddhists go to heaven? ...Yes they do!... Do Buddhists go to hell? ...Yes they do!... Do Buddhists go to Christian heaven or hell? ...No they don't!!!

In the Buddhist model of afterlife, there are specific practices necessary to achieve rebirth in heaven, and more important, there are specific practices necessary to attain Nirvana.

The Buddha did not leave afterlife up to chance. Just because a person says he's a Buddhist does not ensure rebirth in heaven or Nirvana. The Buddhist path to afterlife is a labor intensive practice that requires personal responsibility.

It's no surprise that we are going to die, but how many people think about their next lifetime? If you're a Buddhist it's important to look at life as a continuum, as a process of birth and death, a constant state of becoming, and a chance to practice.

To explain rebirth, I like the analogy of going to an airport with a suitcase. I put the suitcase on a conveyor belt so it can be loaded into the luggage compartment of the airplane. But, I am not getting on the plane, just the suitcase. The suitcase contains my karmic energy. When the karmic energy gets to its new destination, my next lifetime picks up the suitcase. But, I didn't get on the plane, because my ticket had expired... It's not really me that picks up the suitcase... It's because of me the suitcase is picked up.

The suitcase may be almost empty because of a past life of unskillful activity. It may have only one set of clothes and no shoes... But, I'm not predestined to be poor and homeless. Through acts of kindness and generosity, I can start filling the suitcase. I can turn rags into riches through good thoughts, good speech, and good actions. I'm in charge, and my life is what I make it.

When all is said and done? For a Buddhist heaven is not the real answer, just an option.

Nirvana is the answer to suffering and rebirth!

Practice everyday... There is very little time left. Think about death often, it will give your life urgency. Exercise and good health allow you to die in the slowest way possible. May you see nirvana in this very lifetime.

Photo - Bob Heide


A Meditation on Death - an interpretation of the Pali

      
      Like the flame blown out by the wind,
This life of ours is headed for destruction.
Seeing the cycle of birth and death in all things
Mindfulness of death is a skill we need to use.
      
Just as people who have achieved great wealth and fame
Must surely fall in death.
This thing called death will not leave me behind;
Death is always beckoning me to follow.
      
Death is the true companion of birth
And never far behind,
Searching for an opening
Like a samurai in battle.
      
It's course cannot be changed
This life we call our own,
Is rushing to its end
Like the sun moving form east to west.
      
Death takes those from us who are great in strength and wisdom,
No need to speak of one like me.
Because this life of mine lacks in so many ways
I die in every moment with little chance of a good rebirth.
      
Our life is filled with so much uncertainty
Its length cannot be known.
It is difficult just to stay alive, each day
Filled with the fear and anguish of the death about to come.
      
There is no chance that life shall not end in death.
Having reached old age what can be next,
Death is part of our true nature.
As the nature of fruit is to fall when ripe.
      
Just as a potters jar must break and turn to dust
So to these bones of ours will one day break and end the same way.
The young, the old, the foolish and the wise,
The hand of death is always open;
The end is known for sure.
      
Impermanent is all conditioned things,
All things rise and fall away,
Conditions give us birth,
Conditions give us death.
      
This body and mind of ours, will soon be lying on the ground
Like a useless piece of drift wood, washed upon the shore.
Our consciousness will vanish, the mind will not be there,
Just like a bubble bursting on the water, turning into air.
      
We came into this world without an invitation, and
We don't need to ask permission when its time for us to leave.
We rise to birth that always ends in death; we come just as we go.

Does the candle shed a tear when the flame goes out?
Don't be sad, be mindful.

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Do Buddhists Go to Heaven -- by Kusala Bhikshu

I've had the good fortune of speaking about Buddhist afterlife to a number of Christians. One of the things that prompted me to investigate Buddhist afterlife was giving a talk at Central Juvenile Hall. A Catholic girl said I was going to hell, because I didn't believe in God and Jesus Christ.

After some reflection I had to agree with her... If I were a Christian, and thought like a Buddhist, I probably would go to Christian hell.

But, do Buddhists even go to Christian heaven or hell in the first place? Or do Buddhists have their own afterlife, complete with heaven and hell?

A question arose in my mind... If a good Catholic married a good Buddhist and they lived happily ever after, when they died were they going to the same place? Most Catholics I have asked... answer, "Of course, there is only one place you can go."

I thought to myself... not so fast... where did all the Buddhists, Hindus and goddess worshippers go before Christ came to the world? Was the Christian heaven already in place even before Christ was born? Have all the pre-Christians ended up in Christian hell?

This train of thought prompted me to investigate Buddhist afterlife.

The Buddhist contribution to afterlife, it turns out is Nirvana. Nirvana is the end of suffering while you're alive, and the end of rebirth after you die. The Buddha said all forms of life are unsatisfactory because of birth, sickness, and old age; eventually you will end up suffering if your alive.

Ok, so what happens to a Buddhist if he doesn't reach Nirvana in his or her life time; where does he or she go?

The Buddha borrowed from the Brahmanic tradition: the concept of karma had been established in India by the time of the Buddha, and heavens and hells were part of the cosmology as well. The Buddha used these concepts to explain Rebirth, and life after death.

I brought these ideas up in a conversation with a Catholic friend, and he said in an amusing way, "Maybe a skillful Buddhist will go to heaven, and a really skillful Buddhist will go to Nirvana." As it turns out, he hit the nail right on the head.

Buddhists do go to heaven if their practice is skillful, and to hell if it's unskilful. But, never to Christian heaven or hell.

How many heavens and hells do Buddhists have? ...A lot!

There was a book published in 1997 called... Buddhist Cosmology, Philosophy and Origins, by Akira Sadakata, Kosei Publications. It goes into a very detailed explanation of the various heavens and hells. I've found as many as 33 heavens and 33 hells listed as possible destinations, but I'm going to simplify it, and talk about the six realms of existence.

Buddhism has a best heaven. Everything is just the way you want it to be. In this heaven, there is no reason to change anything. You are ultimately happy. The problem is that it's not permanent, as is everything in Buddhism. One day in the heaven realm is equal to 400 human years, and your stay is four thousand heaven years, so you will be there a really long time.

But, one day the karma that put you in this heaven will be used up. You are only in heaven as long as your Karma account has merit in it. You can only draw from your Karma account while in heaven, because there in no way to make a deposit. You can't practice generosity or compassion, and you're not striving to gain wisdom. When the karma that put you in heaven is used up... you're reborn... And that would probably make a lot of folks really unhappy. Who wants to leave a perfect place?

The second heaven realm, which is a lower one, is where things are almost perfect. I call this the Donald Trump heaven. It could be better, if only you owned one more building or house. You see, there is still some desire associated with this heaven realm, and so it can't ever be perfect.

The next realm is the human realm, where all of us find ourselves in this lifetime. This is the best place for us to be, because this is the only place we can become enlightened. We cannot become enlightened in heaven, things are too nice, and we have no reason to strive. We cannot become enlightened in hell, because things are so bad, all we do is suffer.

In this human rebirth, we have enough happiness and joy to keep us from taking our own lives, and we experience anxiety and fear to keep us striving. We cannot relax too long in any one mental state as a human, because all things are in a constant state of flux.

The next lower realm, is the animal realm. The animal realm is marked by wanting to have sex, wanting to have food, wanting to have sleep, and being totally confused. Those are the four characteristics found in the animal realm. So you can see, we are not likely to become enlightened as an animal.

A Zen question-- Does a dog have Buddha nature?-- comes to mind. Yes, a dog does have the potential to become enlightened, but only in the human realm.

Can animals be reborn as humans beings? Yes, if they come into contact with the Dharma, see a Buddhist temple, or smell incense burning. The contact can plant a Dharma seed which takes root when they're reborn as humans. They can achieve their full potential and become enlightened, but only as a human being. So, it's up to all of us to help our pets be reborn in the human realm.

The next realm is called the hungry ghost realm. The hungry ghost is often pictured as a giant creature, with a large stomach and a pinhole for a mouth. It can never end it's hunger no matter how much it eats, it never finds satisfaction.

In the hell realm, the worst place, you find the most suffering. Your are given little hell bodies when you enter. Then, one day you might be walking through a forest, when all the leaves on a tree turn into razor blades and fall, cutting you into a million pieces. You cry out in pain, and your hell body resurrects, so you can be killed over and over again.

The only way to get out of the hell realm is to burn through the karma that put you there. Suffering is the only act of purification in hell, and much suffering is necessary before the next rebirth.

So, do Buddhists go to heaven? ...Yes they do!... Do Buddhists go to hell? ...Yes they do!... Do Buddhists go to Christian heaven or hell? ...No they don't!!!

In the Buddhist model of afterlife, there are specific practices necessary to achieve rebirth in heaven, and more important, there are specific practices necessary to attain Nirvana.

The Buddha did not leave afterlife up to chance. Just because a person says he's a Buddhist does not ensure rebirth in heaven or Nirvana. The Buddhist path to afterlife is a labor intensive practice that requires personal responsibility.

It's no surprise that we are going to die, but how many people think about their next lifetime? If you're a Buddhist it's important to look at life as a continuum, as a process of birth and death, a constant state of becoming, and a chance to practice.

To explain rebirth, I like the analogy of going to an airport with a suitcase. I put the suitcase on a conveyor belt so it can be loaded into the luggage compartment of the airplane. But, I am not getting on the plane, just the suitcase. The suitcase contains my karmic energy. When the karmic energy gets to its new destination, my next lifetime picks up the suitcase. But, I didn't get on the plane, because my ticket had expired... It's not really me that picks up the suitcase... It's because of me the suitcase is picked up.

The suitcase may be almost empty because of a past life of unskillful activity. It may have only one set of clothes and no shoes... But, I'm not predestined to be poor and homeless. Through acts of kindness and generosity, I can start filling the suitcase. I can turn rags into riches through good thoughts, good speech, and good actions. I'm in charge, and my life is what I make it.

When all is said and done? For a Buddhist heaven is not the real answer, just an option.

Nirvana is the answer to suffering and rebirth!

Practice everyday... There is very little time left. Think about death often, it will give your life urgency. Exercise and good health allow you to die in the slowest way possible. May you see nirvana in this very lifetime.

Photo - Bob Heide


A Meditation on Death - an interpretation of the Pali

      
      Like the flame blown out by the wind,
This life of ours is headed for destruction.
Seeing the cycle of birth and death in all things
Mindfulness of death is a skill we need to use.
      
Just as people who have achieved great wealth and fame
Must surely fall in death.
This thing called death will not leave me behind;
Death is always beckoning me to follow.
      
Death is the true companion of birth
And never far behind,
Searching for an opening
Like a samurai in battle.
      
It's course cannot be changed
This life we call our own,
Is rushing to its end
Like the sun moving form east to west.
      
Death takes those from us who are great in strength and wisdom,
No need to speak of one like me.
Because this life of mine lacks in so many ways
I die in every moment with little chance of a good rebirth.
      
Our life is filled with so much uncertainty
Its length cannot be known.
It is difficult just to stay alive, each day
Filled with the fear and anguish of the death about to come.
      
There is no chance that life shall not end in death.
Having reached old age what can be next,
Death is part of our true nature.
As the nature of fruit is to fall when ripe.
      
Just as a potters jar must break and turn to dust
So to these bones of ours will one day break and end the same way.
The young, the old, the foolish and the wise,
The hand of death is always open;
The end is known for sure.
      
Impermanent is all conditioned things,
All things rise and fall away,
Conditions give us birth,
Conditions give us death.
      
This body and mind of ours, will soon be lying on the ground
Like a useless piece of drift wood, washed upon the shore.
Our consciousness will vanish, the mind will not be there,
Just like a bubble bursting on the water, turning into air.
      
We came into this world without an invitation, and
We don't need to ask permission when its time for us to leave.
We rise to birth that always ends in death; we come just as we go.

Does the candle shed a tear when the flame goes out?
Don't be sad, be mindful.

Read More

Do Buddhists Believe in God? -- by Kusala Bhikshu (A talk given at a high school in Los Angeles.)

Photo - Bob Heide


Why is it... The Buddha never talked about the One God of the desert, the Judeo-Christian God? Does this mean that all Buddhists are atheists and don’t believe in God? Did the Buddha believe in God?

These are some of the questions I would like to try and answer today.

The Buddha was born 500 years before Christ, in what is now Nepal. His dad was a king, his mom was a queen, and his dad wanted him to take over the family business (the kingdom) when he got older.

The kind of world the Buddha was born into was magical. Everything seemed to be alive. The trees, mountains, lakes, and sky were living and breathing with a variety of gods in charge. If you needed rain you asked one god, if you needed it to stop raining you asked another. The priests of India did all the religious work, and got paid for it.

In India at the time of the Buddha you became a priest if you were born into the right family, and not because of the school you went to, or the grades you got.

There were other kinds of religious people as well.
Mendicants were men who left their family, friends, and jobs to find the answers to life. They did not live in homes or apartments, but lived under trees and in caves, and would practice meditation all day long. They wanted to really be uncomfortable, so they could understand what suffering was all about.

Many kinds of meditation were practiced by these mendicants. In Tranquility Meditation for instance, you think about just one thing, like looking at a candle or saying a word over and over. When the mind becomes focused in oneness, you experience a great peacefulness.
Even if the mendicants were sitting in the rain on a cold day, they were still content. They found in their meditation practice the essence of happiness.

Renunciation is when you give up all the things that make your life pleasant. Sometimes the people with money and power in India would buy a lot of stuff to make themselves happy and their lives more comfortable, thinking that happiness and comfort depended on what they owned.
When the mendicants could see their own suffering clearly, after many years of renunciation, they understood that happiness was not dependent on the things they owned, but the kind of life they lived.

Even all the gods in India could not end the suffering of one human being.
At the age of 29, the Buddha stopped praying to the gods to end his suffering and the suffering of others. He left his family and friends, went to the edge of the forest, took off all his clothes and jewelry, covered his naked body with rags of cloth, cut off his hair and started to meditate.
He became a mendicant, and It took him six years of hard work and much suffering, but in the end he was able to stop his suffering forever (Nirvana) and help others stop their suffering as well.

Did the Buddha believe in God, the One God of the desert, the God of the Christians, Jews and Muslims?
Well... No... He didn't... Monotheism (only one God) was a foreign concept to the Buddha, his world was filled with many gods. The creator god Brahma being the most important one.

At the time of the Buddha, the only people practicing the religion of the One God of the desert, were the Jews. Remember, it was still 500 years before Christ came into the world.
The Buddha never left India. The Buddha walked from village to village... In his entire lifetime he never went any further than 200 miles from his birthplace.
The Buddha never met a Jew... And because of this, he never said anything about the One God of the desert.

There is also nothing in the teachings of the Buddha that suggest how to find God or worship the god's of India, although the Buddha himself was a theist (believed in gods), his teachings are non-theistic.
The Buddha was more concerned with the human condition: Birth, Sickness, Old age, and Death. The Buddhist path is about coming to a place of acceptance with these painful aspects of life, and not suffering through them.
Please be clear on this point... The Buddha is not thought of as a god in Buddhism and is not prayed to. He is looked up to and respected as a great teacher, in the same way we respect Abraham Lincoln as a great president.
He was a human being who found his perfection in Nirvana. Because of his Nirvana, the Buddha was perfectly moral, perfectly ethical, and ended his suffering forever.

Does that mean that every Buddhist in the world is an atheist?
No!!! I have met a lot of Buddhists who believe in God. I have met a lot of Buddhists who don’t believe in God... And a lot of Buddhists just don’t know.
All three points of view are OK if you’re Buddhist because the end of suffering is more important than God in Buddhism.

Sometimes a student will ask me how everything in this world got started... "If you don’t have God in Buddhism then who or what caused the universe?"

When the Buddha was asked how the world started, he kept silent. In the religion of Buddhism we don’t have a first cause, instead we have a never ending circle of birth and death. In this world and in all worlds, there are many beginnings and ends. The model of life used in Buddhism has no starting place... It just keeps going and going.

Now having said that... If you’re a Buddhist it’s OK to believe God was the first cause... It really doesn't go against the teachings of the Buddha, his focus was on suffering... It's also OK to believe science has the answer… Like the big bang theory, etc... Some Buddhist’s don’t even care how it all started, and that’s fine too. Knowing how the world started is not going to end your suffering, it’s just going to give you more stuff to think about.

I hope you can see that God is not what Buddhism is about... Suffering is... And if you want to believe in God, as some Buddhists do, I suppose it's OK. But, Buddhist's don't believe God can end suffering. Only the teaching's of the Buddha can help us end suffering through wisdom and the activity of compassion.
In his whole life and in all his teachings the Buddha never said anything about the One God of the desert.

A wise man once said:

1. I do not take it to be true;  2. I do not take it to be false;  3. I do not say you're wrong;
4. I do not not say you're right;  5. I do not say it is true or false;  6. It is both wrong and right, true and false at the same time.

Such is the dilemma of relative truth. It is just the finger pointing.

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EARLY BUDDHIST CEREMONIES (Sayadaw Bhaddanta Silanandabhivamsa, D.Litt)

Buddhism is unique among religions in that it knows no ceremonies comparable to those in other religions. Ceremonies and rituals, elaborate and tiresome in performance, have no room in Buddhism. We do not find any instance in the Pali Canon where the Buddha lays down the rules and methods for the performance of ceremonies for the laity. It is left to the individual whether or not to perform them. He has only one thing which he must take into consideration, that is his performing of ceremonies does not clash with the teachings of the Buddha.

        In the absence, then, of any rules governing the performance of ceremonies in Buddhism, man cannot but follow the customs of the place where he lives, provided that these customs do not go against the tenets of Buddhism.

        If the customs or performance of the ceremonies do not accord with Buddhist religion, or if the religious compunction does not approve of them, then the method of performance, rather than the ceremony itself, should be adapted to suit the religious teachings, or an entirely new way of performing the ceremony should be sought for.

        A man will want to do something of a ceremony when a child is born to him, or he has an occasion to give away his son or daughter in marriage, or at the time of death of other persons. The following are the ways of performing ceremonies in connexion with occasions mentioned above, and they are so arranged as to be acceptable to all Buddhists.

Name-giving-ceremony

        A few days after a child is born to a man, it occurs to him to give the child a name, a name which would be auspicious and pleasant to the ear. To do this he should invite some Bhikkhus and laymen to his house and offer food and other requisites to the Bhikkhus. When the offering of the food is over, he should place the child in front of the Bhikkhus, take Five Precepts ”Panca Sila” from them and request them to recite Buddhist Suttas called Parittas and give a name to the child. The Bhikkhus will then recite such Suttas as Mangala Sutta, Ratana Sutta, Metta Sutta, all of which can be found in Khuddaka Patha of the Khuddaka Nikaya, and such other Suttas as they think fit to recite on the occasion.

        The leader of the Bhikkhus will give a name to the child, or if the father desires that the name be given by some other person, he can ask a person whom he likes, to give the name. He is free to choose a man who will give the name, or if he wishes, he could himself choose a name for the child. After the recitation of the Suttas and offering are over the Bhikkhus will leave his house, after which he can give a feast to the people whom he has invited to participate in the ceremony.

        The significance of this ceremony is to help the child grow up in good health and live a long and prosperous life. The effect of reciting the Suttas is to scare away the bad spirits who might harm or even kill the child. There was an instance, at the time of the Buddha, of a certain child who was destined to die after seven days as a demon had got permission from his superiors to eat the child. The parents knew this from their family ascetic and at his advice went to the Buddha and requested Him to save the child. The Buddha then told them to have a pandal built in front of their house and invite eight or sixteen Bhikkhus to recite the Suttas for seven days without stop. They did exactly as advised by the Buddha so as to save the child. On the seventh day the Buddha Himself came to the pandal, where a great gathering of powerful gods who came to listen the Dhamma was formed. The demon got no chance to snatch away the child as he dared not approach the assembly of gods. The child accordingly was saved and lived a very long life—for one hundred and twenty years! *

Marriage

        For Buddhists, marriage is totally secular and has nothing to do with religion. No Bhikkhus in Theravada countries officiate at marriage ceremonies. Neither are marriage ceremonies performed at Buddhist Viharas, Temples or Pagodas. They can be done at any convenient place other than the places already stated.

        Ways of ceremony may differ with the place where the individual concerned lives. As marriage is secular in its nature, the individual is free to follow the custom of the place or country in so far as the tenets of Buddhism are not impaired. It is, therefore, not allowable for the marriage to be held. e.g., in a Christian Church, or to have it been officiated by a Christian. The best place to have a marriage ceremony performed is at one's own house, or if the house is not big enough for the gathering, the town hail or some other suitable place. Marriage can be conducted by the parents of both sides, or by an elderly man respected by both families, or any other person whom the two sides choose. There will, no doubt, be rejoicings and feasts, which can be done freely.

        But if the individual is desirous of having some religious flavour in marriage, he can do no better than invite some Bhikkhus, a day or two after the ceremony, and offer them food and requisites and request them to give advice or admonition to the newly-wedded couple. The Bhikkhus will recite some Parittas and one of them will give advice to the husband and wife. Buddha Himself gave advice to the maidens who were about to be married.

        Buddha was once invited to the house of a lay follower named Uggaha to accept food. When the Buddha had finished eating food, Uggaha asked the Buddha to deliver a sermon giving them advice. Buddha then preached to them regarding their behavior towards their husbands.* *

        In the famous Singala Sutta *** of Digha Nikaya, Buddha laid down duties of husband and wife to each other. These duties should be told to the newly weds so that they may lead a happy married life.

       The duties of a wife are:

1. To do domestic work (or to have it done) well in time,
2. To please the relatives of both her husband and herself by treating them with affection and by sending presents, messages, etc. to them,
3. To abstain even from thought of misconduct with another man,
4. To take good care of whatever has been earned by the husband, and
5. To have skill and zeal for whatever she may have to do.

       The duties of a husband are:

1. To treat the wife with due affection,
2. To avoid superiority complex,
3. To abstain from misconduct with other Women.
4. To authorize the wife to do what she pleases (in the kitchen and other household affairs), and
5. To let the wife have clothes and ornaments according to his rank and position in life. ***

       These duties were laid down over 2500 years ago, yet they are applicable in these modern times. These are the duties which, if properly fulfilled, would make the couple happy and prosperous. There is another set of advice given by her father to Visakha, who later became the foremost female devotee of the Buddha, before sending her away in marriage to her husband. ****

Funeral Ceremony

        In order to understand the meaning of the funeral ceremony performed by the Buddhists, it is necessary to understand the philosophy underlying it. Funeral ceremony performed without the knowledge of this philosophy will not be beneficial both to the deceased and to the person who performs it. This philosophy which is so essential in this ceremony is as follows

        According to Buddhism, a person after his death, is ordinarily liable to be reborn in one of the 31 planes of existence. His rebirth is conditioned by good or bad deeds which he does in the present life or in some cases by deeds done in past lives. If he is virtuous, or if he does good deeds during his life, he may be reborn in the world of gods where he will enjoy godly pleasures; or if he is vicious in this life, he may be reborn in one of the four woeful states known in Pali as Apaya, which consists of Hell, Animal World, World of Petas and World of Asuras. He will suffer various torments and inflictions, hunger and thirst, etc., in those states.

        Again, according to the Buddhist Law of Kamma, even a person who has done good deeds is not definitely certain where he will be reborn, whether in higher planes or in woeful states. Through Kamma which he has done in past lives and which gets chance to give result, he may be reborn in a woeful state. Such is the Buddhist Law of Kamma. We cannot, therefore, be sure where a person, who has passed away, will be reborn.

        If he is reborn in the world of gods or Devas, we can do nothing to help him in his new existence. Neither could we do any thing in the case of his being reborn in Hell or Animal World or world of Asuras. But if he is reborn in the World of 'Petas' , we can help him. A peta does not get enough to eat, enough to drink and enough cloth to cover up its body. It is always hungry, thirsty and deficient in all necessities of life. It is to help such beings that we perform ceremonies at or after the funeral. But as we can never know where a deceased person is reborn, we perform funeral ceremonies whenever death occurs, so that in case the deceased is reborn in the World of Petas, he may benefit from our ceremony here, and even or if he is reborn elsewhere we may acquire merits for ourselves.

        The ceremony should be performed in this way:

        Bhikkhus should be invited to the house where a person has died, or to the cemetery. The corpse should be placed before the Bhikkhus. The relatives should then assemble and take 'Panca Sila' from the Bhikkhus. Then they should offer the Bhikkhus some thing from the deceased ”a piece of cloth is usual”, and after that they should invite the deceased to take a share of the merit for meritorious deed by rejoicing at it. If the deceased could come and rejoice at it, i.e. utter Sadhu! Sadhu!, he will at that very moment be free from the woeful state he has fallen into and will enjoy godly clothes, ornaments, abodes and so on, and he will be thankful to his relations.

        Also seven days after the death, offering of food should be made to the Bhikkhus. The same procedure should be repeated here, and the deceased should be invited to take a share of the merit by rejoicing at the meritorious deed.

       As a result of this offering of food he will be able to enjoy godly food there . So, to put it in a nutshell, ceremony connected with the death of a person should be performed twice, once, at burial or cremation and again seven days after death. Both should be done with the intention of helping the deceased, if by some evil Kamma he is reborn in the World of Petas.

Pattidana and Pattanumodana

        Inviting others to take shares of the merit by rejoicing at one's own meritorious deeds itself is a meritorious act called Pattidana (giving of merit acquired): and rejoicing at meritorious deeds done by others is also a meritorious act called Pattanumodana(rejoicing at merit acquired by others).

        Besides, one's own merit does not decrease although it is shared with others just as the light of a candle does not decrease although other candles are lighted with it. That is why all Buddhists, when they do meritorious deeds, invite all other beings to take shares of the merit by rejoicing at the meritorious deed.

Difference between ordinary offerings and the offerings made for the benefit of the deceased

        However, ordinary offerings are made primarily for the benefit of the donors them selves and the benefit of others, who rejoice at the offerings and thereby get a share of the merits therefor, is only a matter of secondary consideration; whereas offerings made at or in connection with funerals are primarily for the benefit of the deceased and the benefit of the donors themselves is only a matter of secondary consideration.

        Besides, in the case of ordinary offerings it is not essential that the donors and the sharers of their merit should get immediate benefit, whereas in the case of offerings made for the deceased it is absolutely essential that they should on rejoicing at the offerings get immediate benefit, e.g. in the form of godly clothes, ornaments, abodes and so on. The deceased cannot wait for future benefits like the donors and other sharers of merits and they can get immediate benefit only if the donees are virtuous.

Three essential conditions for effectiveness of offerings made for the benefit of the decease.

        So three essential conditions must be fulfilledin order that the deceased might get the full benefit of theoffering made by his relative.

        These three conditions are:

1. That the donor must make the offering expressly for the benefit of the deceased saying "Let the merit for this offering reach my relative so and so.
2. That the donee must be a virtuous person; and
3. That the deceased himself must rejoice in and express appreciation of the offering. *"

        The first condition does not prevent the donor from inviting other deceased relatives and all other beings to rejoice at the offering; and take shares of the merit therefor.

        With reference to the second condition there was an instance of a Peta, who had not benefited by three offerings made successively to one and the same vicious donee, crying "The vicious person has robbed me!" (i.e. of the benefits which might have arisen to me immediately if the offerings had been made to a virtuous person).*""

        However, the second condition is essential only for the special purpose of letting the deceased benefit immediately by rejoicing at the offering.

       Offerings without such special object can be made to any being, good or bad. Even offering a little food to a dog is an act of merit; the donor will get benefit therefor; and the sharer will get benefit for rejoice thereat although the benefit in either case may not be immediate and the amount of merit for offerings increases with the virtue not only of the donee but also of the donor.

       This performing of funeral ceremony or in other words, giving dana and share merit with the spirits is the duty of every relative (nati dhamma), be he a near or remote, as the person who has passed away from this world and is reborn in the Woeful State of Petas always hope for an opportunity to utter 'Sadhu', i.e., to rejoice at the dana done for his benefit by his relatives.

        For sons and daughters, it is imperative that they perform funeral ceremony at the death of their father or mother. Expectation that they would perform such ceremony is one of the reasons for the parents' desire to have children. Says the Buddha in Anguttara Nikaya: *""""Seeing five things, Bhikkhus, parents desire a son born in the family. What five? He will support and attend to us in our old age, having been reared by us; he will do for us what must be done; our tradition will long endure (on account of him); he will enjoy the heritage; and he will make offerings for us and will share merit with us when we are dead." It is also one of the five duties of sons or daughters towards their parents to do meritorious deeds and to share merits with the parents who have passed away.

       In conclusion, it should be noted that only ceremonies which are in accord with Buddhism are permissible. It is most important for a Buddhist, when performing ceremonies, to be careful not to go to other religions or deities for refuge discarding the Triple Gem; i.e., the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. If the refuge in the Three Gems is discarded, he will no longer be a Buddhist.

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Buddha and Happiness

For Buddha, the path to happiness starts from an understanding of the root causes of suffering. Those who consider Buddha a pessimist because of his concern with suffering have missed the point. In fact, he is a skillful doctor — he may break the bad news of our suffering, but he also prescribes a proactive course of treatment. In this metaphor, the medicine is the Buddha’s teachings of wisdom and compassion known as Dharma, and the nurses that encourage us and show us how to take the medicine are the Buddhist community or Sangha. The illness however, can only be cured if the patient follows the doctor’s advice and follows the course of treatment — the Eightfold Path, the core of which involves control of the mind. In Buddhism, this treatment is not a simple medicine to be swallowed, but a daily practice of mindful thought and action that we ourselves can test scientifically through our own experience. Meditation is, of course, the most well known tool of this practice, but contrary to popular belief, it is not about detaching from the world. Rather it is a tool to train the mind not to dwell in the past or the future, but to live in the here and now, the realm in which we can experience peace most readily. All that we are is the result of what we have thought. It is founded on our thoughts. It is made up of our thoughts. If one speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows one, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the wagon. All that we are is the result of what we have thought. It is founded on our thoughts. It is made up of our thoughts. If one speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows one, like a shadow that never leaves. (Dhammapada 1-2 / Müller & Maguire, 2002.)

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