How could our effort be continued in our future lives

 

Question :(Unedited)

If a being in this existence spends their whole life trying to reach enlightenment but die before it is attained then would their lifetimes work be for nothing as they will not remember all they have learned in their new life?

My comment:

Hi C,

Within us there is this store-house of consciousness which stores all the data that we had accumulated since time immemorial. These data comprise the sum of all our past kamma, both good and bad. It is said that we are what we were, and we will be what we are. It is this store-house of consciousness that direct the life force. We may not remember our past lives and past experiences, but our store-house has all the data waiting to actualize when appropriate conditions surface. What a person achieves now is not the complete effort of this life alone, but the contributions of past lives as well. Likewise the achievements of his next life will be dependent on this present life.

There is danger in this world

Question:(Unedited)

 hi Justin,

from a lot of what i have read Buddhism stresses we should not buy into duality. there is no i or you, no right or wrong, no good or evil, there just is.

this morning a person almost broke into my house. he was crow-barring his way into our basement door. i yelled, he ran to his truck, and drove away.

about 10 yrs ago my wife and i had another house we lived in broke into. they didnt damage the house or kill our cats, just took computer, tv, vcr type stuff.

this morning's incident is bringing back a lot of that old anger about being invaded like this.

this is clearly wrong. there is right and wrong in the world. there are sides to choose. he had no right to break into our house.

i am having difficulty thinking about this. especially knowing that my wife and 2 daughters are usually home by themselves most of the time.

as a lay, wannabe, zen practicioner what should i think? what should i do? obviously i am replacing the door. we already have an alarm system. but how do i not let this consume the majority of my thoughts/thinking? what would you do? how would you move past something like this knowing that the guy is still out there (he's obviously staked our house out) and knowing that my wife and 2 small daughters will be here and more at risk than i am?

any help or advice would be appreciated Justin.

thank you.

My comment:

Hi P,

What you have read should not be taken as "Gospel" truths. Sometimes we have to use our common sense to live our worldly life. The real world is actually very vividly described by the Buddha. The first Noble Truth of "Unsatisfactoriness" or "Suffering" is what we are facing in our daily lives. The dangers we face are for real. There are millions of evil people out there to hurt us. We have to protect ourselves by intelligent means, just like when we cross the road we have to look out for traffic. Security is one of the top priorities amongst us. Let us not be good-hearted fools thinking that all will be well. Having done the necessary to protect our family and belongings, we then shift to the next level.

The natural law of attractions looms at every corner. Let not your mind occupy the fearful and negative thoughts. Train your mind to think positive and have the confidence that you have done your best and no harm will come to you. It is better to think such than to be negative. The Buddha reminded us that one who practises the Dhamma (the natural moral laws), the Dhamma will protect him. In one of his discourses, he spoke of the "Auspicious Day":

You shouldn't chase after the past or pin your hopes on the future. 

What is past is left behind. The future hasn't yet arrived.
What experience is present you clearly see..

Right There, Right There, not taken in, unshaken:
That's how you develop your heart.
Ardently doing what should be done today, for who knows tomorrow death may come. 

There is no bargaining with Death & his mighty hordes.
Whoever lives thus ardently, relentlessly both day and night has truly had an Auspicious Day!"
Smile from justinchoo :-)