reaching the western heaven

E.Y.A.J SG

just wandering does an elderly died and his son or daughter perform the toaist rites and possession during the furneral wake.

1 ) will he reach the western unverisal or heaven ?

2) when the taoist priest sing and praise about him does that mean that he will be surly in entry into the heaven and become a deity?

what is your point toward this from buddhist's view?

2009novice SG

May I know why ask a taoist questions here in a buddhist forum...?

It's quite irrelevant... sorry

Weychin SG

If he have done good deeds and reaped good karma, he can be born in higher realms, however, if he in his lifetime chanted Amitabha and able to singularly hold to that thought then, he can be born in Western Paradise.

sinweiy SG

just wandering does an elderly died and his son or daughter perform the toaist rites and possession during the furneral wake.

1 ) will he reach the western unverisal or heaven ?

2) when the taoist priest sing and praise about him does that mean that he will be surly in entry into the heaven and become a deity?

what is your point toward this from buddhist's view?

yea, u must be mixing Buddhism view and folk "Taoism" view. got to make sure first.
western unverisal as in western pureland/Land of Ultimate Bliss 西方极乐世界?

in Buddhism, 西方极乐世界 is way different from the concept of heaven. heaven is a realm of happiness. Land of Ultimate Bliss is beyond happiness and suffering. beyond happiness doesn't really mean more than happiness. as happiness will also end up in suffering, in Buddhist teaching . Land of Ultimate Bliss is no more happiness, hence it's "Ultimate Bliss".

for example, imagine u have ur favourite food, u feel happy when eating it. first few day u eat the same food over and over again. at first u feel happy, then u become sick of it and u suffer. hence this kind of happiness is what we call heavenly happiness. it's not lasting happiness. deity will also "die" one day and be reborn in human or other realms.

sinweiy SG

Comparison between heavens and the Pure Land

[19] The Buddha said to Ananda, "What you say is true. Even though a

king is the noblest of all men and has a regal countenance, if he is

compared with a wheel-turning monarch, he will appear as base and

inferior as a beggar beside a king. Likewise, however excellent and

unrivaled the majestic appearance of such a monarch may be, [272a] if

he is compared with the lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods,

he will also appear incomparably inferior, even ten thousands kotis

of times more so. Again, if this heavenly lord is compared with the

lord of the Sixth Heaven, he will appear a hundred thousand kotis of

times inferior. If the lord of the Sixth Heaven is compared with a

bodhisattva or a shravaka dwelling in the land of Amitayus, his

countenance and appearance will be far from matching those of the

bodhisattva or shravaka, being a thousand million kotis of times or

even incalculable times inferior."

http://www.shinuglyblog.com/larger_sutra_1.htm

Amitayus48 SG

Amitabha and its Western Paradise in fact is the collections and subsequently developed based on all varying degrees of joys, peace, harmony, serenity of all sentient beings as well as super calm of all Buddha. It encompassed the unsurpassed vow of liberating sentient beings to its Buddha stage.

邊地疑城第四十

佛告慈氏：若有眾生，以疑惑心修諸功德，願生彼國。不了佛智、不思議智、不可稱智、大乘廣智、無等無倫最上勝智，於此諸智，疑惑不信。猶信罪福，修習善本，願生其國。復有眾生，積集善根，希求佛智、普遍智、無等智、威德廣大不思議智。於自善根，不能生信。故於往生清淨佛國，意志猶豫，無所專據。然猶續念不絕。結其善願為本，續得往生。是諸人等，以此因緣，雖生彼國，不能前至無量壽所。道止佛國界邊，七寶城中。佛不使爾，身行所作，心自趣向。亦有寶池蓮華，自然受身。飲食快樂，如忉利天。於其城中，不能得出。所居舍宅在地，不能隨意高大。於五百歲，常不見佛，不聞經法，不見菩薩聲聞聖眾。其人智慧不明，知經復少。心不開解，意不歡樂。是故於彼謂之胎生。若有眾生，明信佛智，乃至勝智，斷除疑惑，信己善根，作諸功德，至心回向。皆於七寶華中，自然化生，跏趺而坐。須臾之頃，身相光明，智慧功德，如諸菩薩，具足成就。彌勒當知，彼化生者，智慧勝故。其胎生者，五百歲中，不見三寶，不知菩薩法式，不得修習功德，無因奉事無量壽佛。當知此人，宿世之時，無有智慧，疑惑所致。

Then the Buddha said to Ananda and the Bodhisattva Maitreya, “Have you seen that land filled with excellent and glorious manifestations, all spontaneously produced, from the ground to the Heaven of Pure Abode?” Ananda replied, “Yes, I have.” The Buddha asked, “Have you also heard the great voice of Amitayus expound the Dharma to all the worlds, guiding sentient beings to the Way of the Buddha?” Ananda replied, “Yes, I have.” The Buddha further asked, “Have you also seen the inhabitants of that land move freely, riding in seven-jewelled airborne palaces as large as a hundred thousand yojanas, to worship the Buddhas of the lands in the ten quarters?“Yes, I have,” replied Ananda. “Have you also seen that some of the inhabitants are in the embryonic state?” “Yes, I have. Those in the embryonic state dwell in palaces as high as a hundred yojanas or five hundred yojanas, where they spontaneously enjoy pleasures as do those in the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods.” – http://www.fodian.net/world/360.html

An Eternal Now SG

just wandering does an elderly died and his son or daughter perform the toaist rites and possession during the furneral wake.

1 ) will he reach the western unverisal or heaven ?

2) when the taoist priest sing and praise about him does that mean that he will be surly in entry into the heaven and become a deity?

what is your point toward this from buddhist's view?

1) No. You can only reach Amitabha's Western Pure Land by chanting Namo Amituofuo until a state of undistractedness and one-mindedness. Furthermore you must acquire the following conditions:

http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol7no2e.htm

9. Besides chanting Amitabha Buddha, what else should one practise?

Practitioners of the method of chanting the Buddha's name not only recite "Amitabha Buddha", but in addition should also cultivate merits. It is stated in the Amitabha Sutra that rebirth in the Western Pure Land is not possible via conditions that are lacking in virtuous roots, blessings and merits. For instance, when we have practised and perfected the Six Parameters (1. Observing the Precepts, 2. Endurance, 3. Giving, 4. Zeal and Progress, 5. Meditation, and 6. Wisdom), then to be reborn in the Western Pure Land is a simple matter. If you have accomplished a mind that is as pure as the Amitabha Buddha's, then there is no necessity for Amitabha Buddha to come and guide you to the Western Pure Land. At that time you are already a great Bodhisattva. Not only can a great Bodhisattva go the Western Pure Land; he can go to any pure land as he pleases. .

2) No. A person is reborn according to his wholesome and unwholesome karma, and rituals cannot help. Also: heaven is not ultimate, as others have pointed out. You still pass away in heaven and become reborn in other realms eventually, you still end up in suffering.

E.Y.A.J SG

thank. _(|)_ amitofo