Bodhisatta

Question : (Unedited)

Hello Justin Choo -

I enjoy reading your answers, and was wondering if you could answer something I have been pondering recently.

- If a modern day teacher was known to be well advanced spiritually, is it a possibility that at his death, he did not experience rebirth as a human, but rather as a spiritual guide?
　- Would this be considered breaking the cycle of rebirth and entering nirvana?
　- Is this a bodhisattva or an arhat?
　- If one is a bodhisattva living in a state of nirvana, how does one continue to help others achieve enlightenment?
- Must the bodhisattva experience rebirth as a human form to help others?
- Is so, should all great teachers be considered bodhisattvas that at their death, will be reborn in human form again as a teacher? 　

Thank you!

Thank you,

My comment,

Hi S,

I am glad you enjoy reading my answers.

“If a modern day teacher was known to be well advanced spiritually, is it a possibility that at his death, he did not experience rebirth as a human, but rather as a spiritual guide?”

I take it that "spiritual guide" is not a human. 　How then could he guide others if he is not a human? 　Maybe you mean, a higher being in a higher plane of existence.

Perhaps my recent comment will suffice:
"As you know, the law of kamma can be described very simply as cause and effect. 　However, it is impossible to quantify all our kamma. 　How then can we know what effects will come our way in this life and beyond? 　Based on this premise, it is not possible to predict accurately what our next life will be. 　On a wider spectrum, it is safe to assume that if one were to associate very strongly with a certain lifestyle, then the next life should be closely associated with that lifestyle."

“　Would this be considered breaking the cycle of rebirth and entering nirvana? “
Whatever rebirth a person takes, it is still a rebirth within the cycle of births and deaths. 　Nirvana is beyond births and deaths.

“Is this a bodhisattva or an arhat?
- If one is a bodhisattva living in a state of nirvana, how does one continue to help others achieve enlightenment?
- Must the bodhisattva experience rebirth as a human form to help others?
- Is so, should all great teachers be considered bodhisattvas that at their death, will be reborn in human form again as a teacher?”

There are two versions of Bodhisatta. 　In Theravada, a Bodhisatta is a Buddha-to-be. 　In Mahayana interpretation, anyone can be a Bodhisatta, and his vow is to save all sentient beings before he becomes a Buddha. 　Wikipedia has a good write-up; please click here: 　　　　http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva

Hope this helps. 　Please come back if you need further clarifications.

Blessing for baby

Question : (Unedited)

We recently adopted a beautiful girl from China. 　We are beginning to study Buddhism and will soon partake in the 3 refuges ceremony. 　However, we'd also like to have our little girl blessed in a Buddhist ceremony with friends and family present so that she can be welcomed into our lives, much the way a Christian baptism or Jewish naming ceremony welcomes a child. 　What options are there in Buddhism for us? 　Thank you so much for any answers you can give us.

My comment:

Hi G,

Thank you for asking me, and congratulations for your good deed. 　Hope this child will give you happiness and will grow up to be a responsible and happy person.

It depends on which Buddhist tradition you are following. 　The three main traditions of Theravada, Mahayana (mainly Chinese) and Tibetan Buddhism have their own blessing ceremonies. 　If you have been going to a temple then it's not a problem anymore as you can find out from the temple. 　Generally, the ceremony would involve the chanting of suttas. 　The Buddha did not introduce any rites and rituals into his teachings, bearing in mind that the Indian society already had its cultural practices long before the Buddha's time. 　The "Buddhist" rites and rituals were introduced by the followers after the Buddha had long passed away. 　These rites and rituals were introduced by incorporating the traditional practices of the followers which had nothing to do with the pristine teachings of the Buddha. 　They were performed to satisfy the psychological needs of the followers. 　As for Theravada Buddhists, most ceremonies involve the chanting of the suttas by the monks and usually followed by "thanksgiving" (Dana) of providing food for the monks.

Hope this helps.

Hell ( 3 of 3 )

Question : (Undited)

 Thanks I have a very good understanding now. But the ones slandering the Buddha and Dharma... do they end up in the Avicci too? And if you repent do you still have to go to hell?

My comment:

Hi P,

Welcome back. 　Slandering the Buddha and Dhamma is a very unwholesome act. 　As I said, there is no specific mention of what would exactly happen to the person. 　In fact it is impossible to pigeon-hole (state exactly) which act would　create which reaction because it is not the only action that one performs throughout one’s life. 　There are the good actions together with the bad ones. 　All intermingle; like the sand in the hour-glass. But all will pass through and "graded". 　To insist that every specific action will definitely cause a specific reaction is rather naive. 　Kamma doesn't work that way. 　Don't forget that we don't have to wait for the next life to experience the good and bad effects of our actions. 　They are experienced here and now. 　
To make a "calculated" guess to answer your question, I would say that landed into any hell realm is bad enough, not necessarily Avicci Hell. So let's say the person will most likely have a ticket to the hell realm! 　But be careful, evil retribution may occur in this life, here and now!

“And if you repent do you still have to go to hell?”

And if you slap someone, can you take away the pain from him, saying that you have repented? 　Kamma is amoral. 　A willful action will result in a reaction. 　The only consolation will be you will not repeat in future.

Smile from justinchoo :-)

Hell ( 2 of 3 )

Question : (Unedited)

QUESTION: Hi, Justin. Will slandering the Buddha or the Dharma also lead you to this hell? Does it say anywhere in Theravadan Buddhist texts how long one has to suffer there? If you go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diyu it says "Chamber of Avici

– Crooks who have committed heinous crimes, brought misery to the people and betrayed the ruler are placed on a platform above an inferno. The unlucky ones fall off the platform into the inferno and burn while the lucky ones remain on the platform. These spirits are NEVER to be reincarnated." Is this a different type of Buddhism?

My comment:

Hi P,

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To the best of my knowledge, there is no specific reference to the extent of kammic retribution. 　The reference you gave is most probably from one of the Mahayana text, which gives a more graphic description. 　I personally have reservation as to the validity. 　Not to be disrespectful, a question one may like to ask is "what happens after the unlucky ones fall off the platform, and being burnt?" 　There will be other questions as well, but let's just keep it at that. 　We can just safely assume that bad actions will result in bad rebirths; and very evil actions will result in a very hellish rebirth. 　As for the details, I think there is none in the Theravada text (However, I may be wrong).

Hope this helps.
justinchoo :-)

Hell (1 of 3)

Question : (Unedited)

It is said that a person who goes to the Avicci hell will have to stay there for "innumerable" kalpas. Does this mean it is eternal? Who are the type of people who end up in this hell? Will speaking harshly about the Buddha make you end up here?

My comment:

Hi P,

Avicci hell is the "mother" of all hells, the worst and deepest hell realm. 　It is said that when one commits patricide, matricide, hurts a Buddha, causes schism in the holy order of monks, or kills an arahant, one will surely end up in the avicci hell. 　The person will be subject to extreme suffering for a very long and unimaginable period of time. 　It is so long that it is thought to be eternal, but is not. 　When the kammic debt is exhausted the being will be reborn in other realm.