Originally posted by Short Ninja:
falling into the animal realm? Rebirth means being reborn as a
human being right?
Not always. There are six realms of rebirth, which can be
divided into 31 planes of existence. Whta are the six realms?
The 3 higher realms: Humans, Asura, Devas (Heaven)
3 lower realms: Hell, Ghost, Animal
That makes up the six realms of existence in samsara. Every single
sentient being who are still not enlightened and liberated from
samsara, at the time of death, will undergo rebirth to the six
destinations of rebirth, depending on what karma he has.
One who is evil -- i.e never keep 5 precepts, does unwholesome
deeds, these beings will fall into the 3 lower realms and undergo
much suffering until that karma has exhausted, then he can be
reborn in the higher realms again.
One who has wholesome karma, i.e having abided by the 5 precepts,
done the 10 virtuous deeds, practised generosity, filiality, etc,
these people can be reborn in the higher realms, human realm, and
even the deva (celestial) realm in the afterlife.
Therefore we must avoid doing all that is evil and do all that is
good. In this way we will not accumulate any unwholesome karma that
will affect our next birth negatively.
But not only that! Because by avoiding evil and doing all that is
good, you are only accumulating good karma for future lifetimes. No
matter what amount of good karma you accumulate, one day they will
be used up, and you might then fall back into the lower realms.
Samsara is a world of sufferings, everyone here will undergo the
pain of birth, ageing, sickness, death, the 8 distresses, and so
on, and even those in heaven will eventually suffer the pain of
death, etc. One who can recall his countless previous lives will
realise how much sufferings one undergoes through the many
lifetimes of being in samsara. Therefore we must also practise
purifying our mind, developing wisdom, to become liberated from the
cycles of birth and death, and liberate from the wheel of
samsara.
Through practising the dharma, we can then liberate from all the
sufferings in our lives, attain everlasting bliss of nirvana and
clarity.
I also believe that when you die your mental state does not end
there it goes into the different bardo state of mind just like when
you are in a dream state.
That is right. Our mental continuum does not cease at the time
of death, and will go through the process and cycles in the bardo
state and eventually be reborn into the 6 realms of
existence.
Unless -- we practise the dharma, we may be reborn in pure
lands/buddha lands of the Buddhas (i.e Amitabha's Western Pure
Land), or best, if we recognise our innate Mind of Clear Light at
the time of death as our true nature, we will then be liberated
into this Clear Light, our primordial Buddha essence. However this
requires us to practise right now.. when we are alive. If we are
not even liberated in daily living, don't think it's likely to be
liberated at death.
