Subash@uh.edu (Subash S. Jayawardena) (02/12/91)
>> Since I do not get any explanation from Keith's statements as to *why* >> he keeps saying buddha is reborn again and again my possible explanations >Maybe you should answer the question of why you think a buddha is not >reborn again. After reading your this latest long response I thought of not answering under this topic. Because it looks like this had become a revolving door. But as a courtsey I thought I should write few lines again. (This concludes my answers under this thread of arguments, no more circles) My last posting and the previous two were my explanations as to why people who have attained final enlightenment are not subject to rebirth (in the sense we worldlings normally use, I was not refering to other mystical concepts etc.). Therefore, if you want to find my answers to these please re-read them, try to find the meaning of them, read them carefully with mental reflection (or yoniso manasikara). > Life is eternal. The life of a common mortal and the life >of a buddha are not separate. Buddhahood is inherent to all life. The >life a buddha lived was demonstrated by Shakyamuni and Nichiren, to help >people overcome thier sufferings. The statement or belief that life is eternal is a view. In essense you are grasping onto a view of eternity. Along with this view of eternal existense there arises in your mind a 'desire' which is named in buddhist teachings as Bhava Thanha. A cause of unsatisfactoriness. How can you claim eternity in life even it changes from moment to moment? (I do not expect a written answer from you. This is posed just as a provacation of thoughts. Even if you elect to answer please answer it in your terms as you understand - because just words of Nichiren or Shakyamuni's Lotus Sutra need not be mentioned again here) > Thinking that you have to >spend many lifetimes eradicating karma is Shakyamunui's Buddhism. If you do not understand Shakyamuni's Buddhism (as you've claimed you are following Nichiren's Buddhism), please do not make false statements about it. Because Buddha has clearly stated that all the buddhist practices are laid down because it is possible to attain enlightenment. (a person do not have spend countless lives eradicating karma if the teachings are practiced - spending many lifetimes eradicating Karma is not Shakyamuni's buddhism as I've learnt. Because the attempts to eradicate Karma will be an unending process. Because as worldlings, people gather more and more karma as life goes on.) >> So you meant buddha also after attaining enlightenment and final >> enlightenment are being born again and again? This seems like a >> quite distorted view of the concept of enlightenment itself (not to >Yes, the question is whose misconception is it? ....... > Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. > Respectfully, > Keith Evans kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov It is not finding whose misconception, that is important. Because to find if another has any misconception a person has to find out clearly and perfectly if oneself does not have any misconceptions. If our own misconceptions are removed it is easy to point out others' misconceptions positively. My original explanations etc. were not answers to misconceptions,but explanations of enlightenement, what is it relative to rebirth and karma etc. Then in the last posting I explained why it becomes a distorted view to say the people who had attained final enlightenment are reborn. (Both in terms of the use of words as well as according to the meanings of them). Sound of single handed clapping. none of the following terms refer to eternity or eternal life. Misconception or straight fact? The unconditioned, the unborn, the release, the peace, the freedom from bondage, the liberation. Bandula