Expert: Anandapanyo Bhikkhu - 11/9/2009

Question
QUESTION: but laws are needed to prevent killing and stealing at some point?

what is the source of buddhist conscience? is it unique humans do have conscience?


i believe even there is no human laws there is karma will serve as universal law


by the way why sometimes karma is unfair like he killed my mom and he managed to escape to europe and lived the rest of his life in safety and fortune like crime lords or sometimes good things happened to evil people undeserving of good things?

what does it mean life is an illusion in buddhism i never understand it some authors say bec of impermanence some say literally illusion that there is nothing really called as a reality but energies are in flux? some schools even stressed that only nirvana is real and things are simply conditions or mirage like a passing cloud? my monk friends even said in an enligtened perspective nothing really existed or no one is really enligtened just awaked and gone from the suffering dream?

ANSWER: Dear Jaya,

"but laws are needed to prevent killing and stealing at some point?"

Laws are only needed by humans to prevent stealing and killing and they don't truly work. All they do is deter or discourage stealing and killing.

"what is the source of buddhist conscience? is it unique humans do have conscience?"

Buddhist conscience comes from our belief in karma. We do good in order to receive good results. We stay away from doing bad since we will receive bad results.

"i believe even there is no human laws there is karma will serve as universal law"

I'm not sure if you meant this to be a question. Karma will serve as a universal law, but not all people or animals will follow it, just like how not all people will follow the laws of the world. But just like the laws of the world, if you don't follow it, you will still be punished as long as you live in that country, you will have to live by those rules. Just like in life, as long as you are in the rounds of rebirth, you are subject to karma.

"by the way why sometimes karma is unfair like he killed my mom and he managed to escape to europe and lived the rest of his life in safety and fortune like crime lords or sometimes good things happened to evil people undeserving of good things?"

I am sorry to hear about what happened to your mother. My teacher once explained why sometimes it seems like some people who do bad don't get punished right away. The key phrase here is right away. For these particular people, the reason they don't get punished yet is because of their past good karma. They have done some good karma in the past and therefore have reached this life with good karma. However, they have made bad decisions and bad actions and have created bad karma. There good karma hasn't run out yet, so they don't have to pay for their karma yet. But don't worry, no one escapes karma. Some people have to pay it back right away, some people have to pay it back later, but NO ONE escapes karma. Have faith in that. The same things goes for people who do good, but are not rewarded right away. This is because they have bad karma that has not been paid off yet.

"what does it mean life is an illusion in buddhism i never understand it some authors say bec of impermanence some say literally illusion that there is nothing really called as a reality but energies are in flux? some schools even stressed that only nirvana is real and things are simply conditions or mirage like a passing cloud? my monk friends even said in an enligtened perspective nothing really existed or no one is really enligtened just awaked and gone from the suffering dream?"

Life is an illusion is a very abstract thought. What is important is that while you are here, IT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE AN ILLUSION. Seeing it as an illusion will only confuse you. When a car hits you, it is not an illusion. When you are sick and coughing and sneezing, it is not an illusion. When you get a cut, they blood that flows is not an illusion. Try not to think of life as an illusion, it will only make it complicated for you.

I hope I have answered your questions.

Sincerely,

Phra Anandapanyo





---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: sometimes even karma was escaped by a being such as an arahant he gained arahantship and eventually lived solace on a mountain then died peacefully no wonder 100 years ago he's on a killing spree?

how does the buddha see us beings in a true sense? bunch of energies on a flux?

so you mean if a woman was brutally raped last night and killed means she had a bad karma probably a male she was long ago and did some nasty things? like holocaust hitler is just acting as karma's executr on the jews thus the jews may be also mass murderers long ago?

if things are like that karma is simple cycle mass of suffering? does it sounds better if people just stop killng others or perpetrating crime? just be good and for the good of society?


like this A killed by hitler A reborn and befriended someone who killed the reincarnation of hitler vice versa endless...


how about animals killing each other how does karma works like darwinism strong always survives isnt that nature?


hey you can also cheat karma like being enligtened so other horrendous deeds long gao might be cancelled out

ANSWER: Dear Jaya,

"sometimes even karma was escaped by a being such as an arahant he gained arahantship and eventually lived solace on a mountain then died peacefully no wonder 100 years ago he's on a killing spree?"

I would not necessarily call it escaping, I would calling it earning your freedom.

"how does the buddha see us beings in a true sense? bunch of energies on a flux?"

Buddha sees us as human being that are fallible and have the potential for freeing ourselves from the cycle of rebirths.

"so you mean if a woman was brutally raped last night and killed means she had a bad karma probably a male she was long ago and did some nasty things? like holocaust hitler is just acting as karma's executr on the jews thus the jews may be also mass murderers long ago?

I can't tell you what she did, or what anyone did, only Buddhas can do that. There are no accidents or coincidences in Buddhism. Everything happens for a reason.

"if things are like that karma is simple cycle mass of suffering? does it sounds better if people just stop killng others or perpetrating crime? just be good and for the good of society?
like this A killed by hitler A reborn and befriended someone who killed the reincarnation of hitler vice versa endless...
how about animals killing each other how does karma works like darwinism strong always survives isnt that nature?"

That is the whole point of Buddhism. Karma is continuous and never-ending...as long as we do not change our wrong perceptions, but once we do, we have earned our freedom from suffering. As far as karma acting as darwinism, I do not see how this is, because the strong suffer also, so there is no survivor.

"hey you can also cheat karma like being enligtened so other horrendous deeds long gao might be cancelled out"

Like I mentioned above, it is not cheating karma, it is earning it. Just like when a criminal gets paroled for good behavior, it is not cheating, he has earned it. It is part of the system and therefore not considered cheating.

I hope I have answered your questions.

Sincerely,

Phra Anandapanyo


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: what does it mean in meditation that you cease thinking and just merely observe?

some friend say in meditation dont fight evil but just let it arise and decease?

is this true in meditation you should let go of the body just observe it as a third person not with an I, me or mine?

how does psychic powers attained are they direct product of meditation?

Answer
Dear Jaya,

"what does it mean in meditation that you cease thinking and just merely observe?

This is merely one type of meditation. This type of meditation is meant to center your focus and help you find tranquility.

There is the second type of meditation where you observe your thoughts as they arise and subside. You merely observe them and see what they do and where your thoughts take you.

"some friend say in meditation dont fight evil but just let it arise and decease?"

This is very dangerous. Many practitioners do this and watch the evil arise and decrease. However, they fail to understand WHY the evil decreases. The evil decreases because of the law of impermanence. Since everything is impermanent, nothing can stay in its current form forever, therefore it will seem as if evil has gone. However, it has only changed forms. The true cause of evil is still within the person. In order to truly make the evil decrease, you must attack and eradicate its cause, not just watch it.

"is this true in meditation you should let go of the body just observe it as a third person not with an I, me or mine?"

This is the second type of meditation mentioned earlier.

"how does psychic powers attained are they direct product of meditation?"

Yes, they are the direct product of many lifetimes of meditative absorptions and attainments. But keep in mind that the Buddha said that these powers do not help towards enlightenment, and can severely hurt your understanding in that they promote ego.

Sincerely,
Phra Anandapanyo