Don't believe in electricity; just use it.

Question: (Unedited)

I asked you just yesterday about the compatibility of Karma and God and I would like to ask just a few more questions which would clear up this issue for me.
I greatly appreciate your responses which greatly assisted my understanding of Buddhism and I thank you so much for your time and trouble. After this, I believe I will have a better understanding
One; What is the evidence that there is rebirth and Karma? How do we Know "subtle consciousness" exist?
Two; If there is no God, how is karma determined? Throughout history there have been evil people who thought they were doing the right thing, Stalin was deluded by conspiracies and therefore thought the purges were justified and Hitler was so ignorant, he died honestly believing what he did was in the best interest of Germany. If deluded people are under ignorance, they cannot determine their own next life, and yet you said there is no God. Who then determines karma and the next life?
Three; If one lives in ignorance and therefore must burn off negative karma in the next existence, then as a result, in that existence he may have frustrations with his situation. How is anything supposed to improve?
And lastly, Four; Isn't accepting the idea of compassion, accepting the 3 jewels on some level enough, without going into Buddhist theories which can be complicated, can you be a Buddhist by accepting compassion and discipline without karma? Or, does that just make you "like a Buddhist."
Thank you again for your time and trouble and I'm sure this will clear up any questions I have. I am very grateful for all you've done. Mc

My comment:

Hi Mc,

Your qn: "What is the evidence that there is rebirth and Karma? How do we know "subtle consciousness" exists?"

My comment:
A word of caution is that no one will be fully satisfied with the answers on Kamma. The Buddha had warned us that we could not fully understand kamma. But we can try to better understand kamma, that's all. Take empirical experiences. When we do something really bad, we are mentally affected. The fear and guilt confront us. This is the immediate effect of kamma. Likewise, when we do something really wholesome, we immediately enjoy the bliss of happiness. Those who live by the swords die by the swords. Irrespective of whether we believe in kamma or not, Buddhism teaches us to be good moral humans. The Buddha advised us to use our common sense and human intelligence to know what is right and what is wrong. We actually do not need any teacher to tell us what is right and what is wrong. Killing is wrong, stealing is wrong, telling lies is wrong, sexual misconduct is wrong, and getting intoxicated is wrong. These are universal truths. What is important is for humans to conduct their lives in a harmless, peaceful and fair manner.

Case studies on rebirth experiences have been documented. You can google "case studies on rebirth" and go from there. The Tibetan lamas (monks) have countless documentations on rebirth. That's how they search for their leading monks when the latter pass away. Actually, it depends on the person's mindset. If he stubbornly refuses to believe, no amount of proofs will convince him.

Your qn: "If there is no God, how is karma determined?......If deluded people are under ignorance, they cannot determine their own next life, and yet you said there is no God. Who then determines karma and the next life?"

My comment: Let's assume that there is this God who determines whether we go to eternal heaven or to hell. How does he do it? Do you think everyone will accept whatever answer there is to it? Again, it depends on the person's mindset. If one can really and honestly have an open mind, then there is hope for some acceptance based on common sense and some human intelligence. We can say, which is more plausible. To believe in an all-powerful God who has full control over our conduct, or to believe that good begets good and evil begets evil, irrespective of who one is or what one believes? Can God have all the time to judge each and everyone of us? Is it fair for God to send us to eternal hell just because we do not believe in him? Is it fair for God to reward us to be in heaven just because we believe in him, even though we may be bad? And there are millions of questions that we can ask. But does this questioning exercise lead us to any consensus? NO. Likewise, no amount of reasoning and answering will convince anyone to believe in rebirth and kamma if the person is dead set not to believe! Likewise the concept of creator God!

To answer your question, again you need to have an open mind. The Buddha's explanation of the nature of life and existence was very alien to Western mind, especially when the person has been indoctrinated since birth to believe in the Creator God. We have 2 components in us. The physical body and the mind which is the storehouse of consciousness. This storehouse is the accumulation of all our kammic force. From here I quote a passage from an article:
"As long as this kammic force exists there is rebirth, for beings are merely the visible manifestation of this invisible kammic force. Death is nothing but the temporary end of this temporary phenomenon. It is not the complete annihilation of this so-called being. The organic life has ceased, but the kammic force which hitherto actuated it has not been destroyed. As the kammic force remains entirely undisturbed by the disintegration of the fleeting body, the passing away of the present dying thought-moment only conditions a fresh consciousness in another birth. It is kamma, rooted in ignorance and craving, that conditions rebirth. Past kamma conditions the present birth; and present kamma, in combination with past kamma, conditions the future. The present is the offspring of the past, and becomes, in turn, the parent of the future."


Your qn: "If one lives in ignorance and therefore must burn off negative karma in the next existence, then as a result, in that existence he may have frustrations with his situation. How is anything supposed to improve?

My comment: It is not in the improving, but in the paying-back of past debts. Having paid up, you are free to start with a clean slate.


Your last qn: "Isn't accepting the idea of compassion, accepting the 3 jewels on some level enough, without going into Buddhist theories which can be complicated, can you be a Buddhist by accepting compassion and discipline without karma? Or, does that just make you "like a Buddhist."? "

My comment: Whether you believe in electricity or not, that does not exempt you from being electrocuted if you place your bare hand on a life wire! Being a Buddhist actually does not require one to believe in anything. It just requires one to reduce one's greed, hatred and delusion; and to have inner peace living a harmless and peaceful life. Can we do that? (Across the room I've just heard from the TV news that the Israelis have fired another of their rockets into Palestinian territories!)

See, I told you so. You are still not fully satisfied with my answers!! Just the same, have peace.

Actions and rebirth.

Question:(Unedited)

I reviewed your responses to my questions on karma and I would like clarrification to better my understanding.
I had thought that karma was a "moral" force, such that if you lived under delusions and caused great harm in this life, in the next life because of cause and effect,you would be made to pay for that in some way. But this is not entirely so. It is more of a "natural" force. Is this a fair assumption?
Also, in the case of a Hitler or Stalin, what would happen to them in a next life? I had thought that karma would dictate, that because they caused others to suffer, either in their actual existence, or, in their next existence,because of cause and effect, they would in some way, suffer themselves. What would happen under such an example?
And finally, I'm confused how subtle consciousness after death, because of cause and effect, is somehow given a new life, by the natural process of karma.
Could you please answer these three questions?

My comment:

Hi Mc,

Your qn: "I had thought that karma was a "moral" force, such that if you lived under delusions and caused great harm in this life, in the next life because of cause and effect,you would be made to pay for that in some way. But this is not entirely so. It is more of a "natural" force. Is this a fair assumption?"

My comment: Kamma is an Amoral force. It is the natural universal law of retribution. A good action will yield a good result; and a bad action will reap bad consequence. The big question is "When"? It may be immediate, next life, or future lives. We do not know for sure when the result or reaction will actualize. This is the "natural force" which we refer to as "natural phenomenon". I concur with you that it is a fair assumption.


Your qn: "Also, in the case of a Hitler or Stalin, what would happen to them in a next life? I had thought that karma would dictate that because they caused others to suffer, either in their actual existence, or, in their next existence. Because of cause and effect, they would in some way, suffer themselves. What would happen under such an example?"

My comment: You are correct. Without exception, our lives are dictated by the sum of all our past and present actions (kamma). Certain kammic actions take precedence in their fruition. For example, the killing of one's mother or father is a very grave kamma which will have immediate fruition, having rebirth in hell. As for the others, we can say kamma works in mysterious ways! But be forwarned, there is no escape from dire retributions from evil actions.

Your qn: "And finally, I'm confused how subtle consciousness after death, because of cause and effect, is somehow given a new life, by the natural process of karma."

My comment: Take the example of the electric current. When we fix a 1000-watt bulb it lights up brightly. After a period of time it blows up and a new bulb replaces it. Assume that the new bulb is only 5 watts, then the light will be very dim. Our storehouse of kammic actions is like the different wattage bulbs. Our consciousness is like the electric current, which does not change. The manifestation of our consciousness depends on our kamma, that is the wattage of the bulb. If our kamma is very wholesome and pure then the wattage of the bulb will be great. If our kamma is very negative and evil, then we will have the 5-watt bulb!

How do I choose a religion?

Question (Unedited)

My question im looking to build a better base within my self but don't know which religion would be the best for me.My question is how did you come to the point that you knew Buddishm was and is for you?

Hi T,

Thank you for asking me.

Most people are born with a religion of their parents. I was born as a Buddhist, but that didn't mean a thing. Most people take for granted or simply regard it as just a label. While others are brainwashed to be fanatics or simply subservient fools.

I had the freedom to seek truth and knowledge without any inhibition. My country has substantial population practising the world's major religions, and it is very easy for me to compare them. However it all depends on the individual's inclination to religion. Most people are not really interested. For me, I have always been very interested to know about religions, and Buddhism in particular. So I did indepth studies of Buddhism and attended numerous talks by learned monks and lay Buddhists.

I knew Buddhism was for me because it answered all the "mysteries" of life. The answers were logical and there was no contradiction in all the answers, unlike other religions. The most salient point in Buddhism is the freedom given to its followers to analyze its teachings and to accept only when they agree. This is real freedom from fear, from dogmas, and from coercion.

As for you, the choice is yours. But first you must really open your mind to study the religions of your interest and then use your common sense and human intelligence to analyze them and then decide. Don't allow the authors to influence you. Study and analyze their teachings.

Quick answers to confusing questions.

Question (Unedited):
hi im really confused about my essay due, its about the belifs and perception on death spirituality physicals need on the buddishim religion im so desperate to pass this for my nursing course, can you help my putting it into easy terms for me on all the above so i can answer my assignments i have the books on it but its confusing to me could you help please!!!!!

My comment:
Hi C,

OK, I'll try. Since it's homework, I'll put in point-form.

A being = body + consciousness.
Death = physical body not functioning any more.
Consciousness is not terminated. It simply seeks a new medium to express itself = rebirth.
Death is not the end; birth takes place after death.
Birth is not the beginning, death came before it.

Buddhist realism = birth, growth, sickness, old age, and death. Pain and sorrow, no escape in this life. This is the Universal Truth, a natural phenomenon. No matter who you are or what you believe!

From here, if you need more info, please come back.

Let your cat be your teacher in life.

Question (Unedited):

Our 11 year old cat suffered a stroke on Tuesday and we brought him home on Friday hoping he would recover. He could not walk or swallow very well. Saturday after he had a bath he got anxious and wanted to be with me. He was crying and we felt it was best to take him to the Vets. The vet said the stroke had affected his internal organs and he would not recover. I decided to have him euthanized. This decision was terrible difficult for me as he was very close to me since he was a kitten. He was as close to me as any child. I feel so empty inside and do not know how to deal with the pain of losing him and I have cried for days. I feel I let him down and should have tried to do more to help him. I need help in dealing with his loss and as I have just started my study of Buddhism I do not know how to do this. What can I do to help with the pain and suffering I am feeling for my cherished cat?

My comment:
Hi J,

Thank you for asking me.

Since you have just started studying Buddhism, I am sure the first thing you have studied would be the 4 Noble Truths as expounded by the Buddha. The first universal truth is that this world is by its very nature very unsatisfactory. It pervades to the core of everything existing in this world. The ultimate unsatisfactoriness is death. Lurking in every corner is the thief of death. If we were to rise above the world and look down, we will see beings wallowing in the quagmire of sorrow. Beings include every living thing. Read the newspapers, watch the news, watch the National Geographic and Discovery programmes.....Lives being eaten, lives getting killed, some for no valid reason at all. Innocent people, including pitiful babies and children suffer in the hands of humanity and the wrath of nature. Go for a "tour" to Iraq, to Afghanistan, to the warring states in Africa, to the slums of Asia and South America. Then you will realize that your beloved cat had indeed lived a very good life and "died" at a ripe old age.

On a more practical approach, you can always start again the "vicious" cycle of getting a new kitten, and all your miseries will be forgotten in a matter of time. But be forewarned, this kitten will suffer old age, sickness, and death in time to come. This is the Buddha's revelation of the Truth of life. When there is life, there is old age, sickness and ultimate death. If we can realize and accept this unrefutable truth of life, then we can try our best to live in peace in the midst of this "Dukkha"...unsatisfactoriness, sorrow and misery. We can have inner peace because now we understand the nature of life and accept that which are natural and cannot be changed.

This is the real nature of life.

Have peace from justinchoo.

Got God or not?

Question : (Unedited)

Buddhism does not accept the idea of a creator God, but did the original Buddha expressly state that, or, is it implied by the logic of his teachings?

My comment:

Hi Mc,

This is a follow-up comment to my previous answer which you can ignore for I have included it in here. My earlier answer was done on the spur of the moment without in-depth thinking. As I said I need to check the text. So here is the full answer.

If you mean creator God to be the Christian concept of God, then your question will have no answer because this creator God was not "known" during the Buddha's time; in fact this God was not "created" yet, bearing in mind that Christianity came into being during the time of Jesus. Even if you mean a Judaic God, it was also not known in India during the Buddha's time.

Actually when one asks a Buddhist of his opinion about the Creator God, it will be a nondescript terminology because this Creator God idea was never a contention in Buddhist teachings. So to believe or not is never a problem to the Buddhist. It is just like asking a Christian whether the scriptures reject the concept of Nibbana. As far as he is concerned this concept is irrelevant and a non-entity. He will tell us that what is not written in the Bible is not truth. There is not a need to reject specifically, as such.

Likewise, if we study the Buddha's teachings we will come to realize that if we agree with the Buddha, then the creator God is irrelevent and a non-entity. The Buddha did not need to specifically refute, because as far as he was concerned the creator God idea was not in his teachings. As a matter of interest, there was indeed mentioned by the Buddha of a different Creator God which in Brahmanism (the original form of present Hinduism) is called Brahma, the Creator God. In the first sutta of the Digha Nikaya, called the Brahmajala Sutta, it is said along these lines:
"DN I (Sutta 1) Brahmajala (The Perfect Net)
The world system will pass away. Then after a long time, this world system begins to re-evolve. Palace of Brahma appears but empty. Then some being falls from the World of Radiance and comes to live in the Palace. Being lonely he wishes that other beings might come to join him. Just then other beings also fall into this Palace. This Brahma thinks that he has created the others, and the others also think likewise, and Brahma being regarded as the Creator."


So in this context, the Buddha did expressly state that the concept of Brahma as the creator god was false. In the Judaic context we may conclude that it is implied.

Conversion

Question : (Unedited)
Hello, I am about to convert to Buddhism. What do I need to practice my religion. I live in a very small town and the nearest big city is about 3 hours away and i dont have a car. So what would i need to get? Thank you very much.

My comment:
Hi Z,

I wonder whether you are the same Z who was here before? Just the same, welcome to the path of inner peace and happiness. It is going to be a very long journey but a pleasant one. I don't know how much you have learnt about Buddhism to have influenced you to become a Buddhist.

Changing one's religion is a very serious matter because it may most probably affect people close to oneself. Changing one's religion inadvertently involves some external changes which others will take notice and may feel threatened or offended. We must tread this sensitive path with great caution and sensitivity.

The Buddha taught universal truths which have no boundaries and which transcend space, time, belief, and race. Truth IS truth. We still can practise universal values based on universal truths without outwardly changing our religion. We can practise Buddhism in our heart. It is the practice that is important, not the external physical exhibition.

You can continue to study Buddhism and practise the Buddha's teachings. In this way, you build up your SPIRITUAL awareness and maturity. You can practise Buddhism just like any Buddhist; by keeping the 5 precepts, and paying homage to the Buddha and taking refuge in the Buddha, his teachings, and his holy order of monks.

You have not given me sufficient info to guide you further. May I suggest that you spend some time surfing through the web sites below which would give you all the info you need. Please come back if you need further clarifications, but please be specific with your questions.

http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/whatbelieve.pdf
"What Buddhist Believe" by Ven. K Sri Dhammananda. This book explains the Buddhist perspective on life's general questions.


There is this site in Western Australia where Ajahn Brahmawamso resides. He is an English monk and is a very popular speaker. You can listen to his talk through this site: www.bswa.org
If you need further clarifications, please come back.


http://www.abhayagiri.org/
Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery, the first monastery in the United States to be established by followers of Ajahn Chah, was founded in 1996 in the mountainous forests north of Ukiah, California.


www.buddhanet.net : the "mother" of all buddhist sites.