The vow to be reborn

last SG · 2011-08-31T10:18:39+00:00

Can I ask something?If you vow to reborn to pureland (that is no suffering anymore), will you still remember your family members? Can you help to bring them...

likeyou SG

Oh....then wouldnt I will be heartbroken again at pureland if I know my family members?

Dawnfirstlight SG

Oh....then wouldnt I will be heartbroken again at pureland if I know my family members?

If you understand the Dharma, you will not be heartbroken because you will realise that you have countless of family members. Not only in this life, you have countless of past lives. When you see the truth, you will only try your best to help. You will not be heart broken but you will have the same compassion for them and other sentiment beings as Bodhisattvas.

likeyou SG

Thanks again.

I dont know why when reach certain age, my thinking change, I rather dont born to this world as it bring sufferring and pains than happiness. In the pureland, you wont have this at all. But in pureland, will I hv feeling? Just like what I have now?

Dawnfirstlight SG

Thanks again.

Yes, you will still have feelings but not the same feelings as now but feelings just like Buddha. It is because in Pureland, Amituofo and Bodhisattvas will preach Dharma to you. By seeing the truth, you will have the same deep inner calm like Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In fact, you don't need to go to Pureland to have that inner peace.There are many Buddhists who have already realised the truth and understand the Dharma. Though they have feelings but they have inner peace and calm like Buddha.

Before I know the Dharma, I was also a very attached and revengeful person. After understanding Buddha's teachings, I can feel the inner peace and happiness which I did not have in the past.

You can read my other post "Heavenly Rebirth Is Not The Ultimate Aim."

realization SG

Dawnfirstlight and likeyou... thanks for this discussion :) I learnt much from it this morning.

Amituofo /\

likeyou SG

Can I ask another questions, you mentioned that we have many past life with past family members , kids, grandkids etc.

You also mentioned that we have feeling too.

Is the feeling same (I mean now) with the past life feeling?

The way I feel and touch and senses is exactly the same as the past life of me?

Sorry if I am asking stupid question. I apologised.

Dawnfirstlight SG

Can I ask another questions, you mentioned that we have many past life with past family members , kids, grandkids etc.

You also mentioned that we have feeling too.

Is the feeling same (I mean now) with the past life feeling?

The way I feel and touch and senses is exactly the same as the past life of me?

Sorry if I am asking stupid question. I apologised.

Yes, we have the same feelings as past life. If we had let go of attachments, hatred, love etc. in our past life, we will not be reborn in this world. There is a Buddhist saying :

爱不重，不生娑婆。

念不一，不生极乐。

The 1st verse means if your love and attachments are not strong, you will not be reborn within samsara (our world).

The 2nd verse means if you chant Amituofo but your love and attachments are still strong, you will not be born in Amituofo's Pureland.

Dawnfirstlight SG

Dawnfirstlight and likeyou... thanks for this discussion :) I learnt much from it this morning.

Amituofo /\

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Amituofo

2009novice SG

Hi guys,

I thought of the 48 vows of Amituofo... and used abit of imagination to string up some of the Vows (LoL please click this link 48 vows in pictures :) 1st before reading)

Need to use abit of your imagination when u are reading this:

Imagine right now u are at Pure Land right now... enjoying the greenery and birds etc

OK.. then in accordance with Vow 7- Divine eyes (for example- Mu Lian used his supernatural powers and saw his mother suffering in the Hungry Ghost realm)

u can see where your past loved ones are in which realm... u seek to teach them about Pure Land to bring them here.

then next... with Amituofo's Vow 36- ability to travel different universes and realms to spread Dharma (one of my favourite Vows... sound like an adventure to me... can go many universes and realms lol...)

U go down to where your loved ones are and teach them about Pure land

Then lastly... in accordance with Vow 22- perhap some of your female family members... sporting moustaches or beards... learning Dharma with you.... lol

as stated in Amituo Sutra: 聚会一处 gathering together at one place

Amituofo... lol

realization SG

Novice, yes indeed. If you cultivate in the Pureland, sooner or later you will be able to help deliver all those who ever were your relatives in many, many lives past... not just this life.

The compassion that one will develop while treading the path towards bodhisattva-hood or Buddhahood is a larger, more all-encompassing type of compassion than mere concern about earthly matters. We will want to help deliver sentient beings from suffering, not just put a band-aid (or handyplast) on a minor wound... only to have the wound fester again, or appear on another part of the body. Suffering will keep assailing us unless we become awakened.

That's not to say that we shouldn't love those around us, but that we should realise that the only way all suffering can stop is to get enlightened. Hence, we get enlightened so that we may help others along the path. Along the way too, we should help friends along; who are also working towards the same goal of liberation.

大家有何感想？

Amitayus48 SG

I understand that making vows to be reborn in pureland is very important, but I do not know if making a vow for pureland is the same as having and expressing the desire to be reborn.

If possible, I would like to know how vows are taken. Because currently, my vows consist of wishing that amitabha buddha will welcome and escort me to pureland.

Basically, in layman term is conscience divided into two categories - Absolute and Relative. Expressing desire is necessary, until it reaches the progress of natural desire. Unlike samsara, for Pureland, though relative is absolute as well, varied in grades and levels. Similarly to conscience in samsara, not many could specifically relate conscience in absolute term flawlessly, besides master venerables dharma talks sharing like Patriarch Hui neng, Zen Master yong ming yan shou among others. Absolutely magnificent and attributing to the glory of all buddhas.

May all enjoy pleasantness and harmony _/\_