Expert: Anandapanyo Bhikkhu - 9/26/2009

Question
QUESTION: what is reborn in the next life? a soul, mind etc?

is nirvana eternal life?

i have catholic friends say that if historical records disproved christ existence christianity thesis will fall? do u buddhists rely on life a buddha as if hsitorical records will be at stake and once buddha's life just in case not historical will it damage buddhism?

ANSWER: Dear Jaya,

Thank you for the opportunity to answer your question.

What is reborn in the next life?
Simply, YOU. Many people immediately assume that the next life is one similar to the one we have now. However, that is not always the case. For some people who have done outstanding merit, they will have a rebirth in one of the levels of heaven depending on their actions and karma. For others, they will be born into one of the levels of hell, depending on their actions and their karma. For others, they will be born into the hungry ghost realm, depending on their actions and their karma. For others still, they will be born into the animal realm. And finally, some, very few, will be born into the human world.

Think of it like this, you work really hard and amass a fortune. In the process, you also have some outstanding debts. Well, when you go to a health spa, what goes? All your belongings? No, just you, not even your clothes get massaged! However, if you do default on your debts and loans, what will happen? You will have to go to jail. What goes to jail? Just you, not your house, belongings or friends. While you are in jail, the government settles up your tab. If when you come out, you have no money left, then you have to start all over. Sometimes you can amass a fortune again, some people can't.

When you go to the next life, where ever it is, only you go, the real you, not your impermanent body. Not the body that was a tiny 5lb mass when you were born, or the body that was soft and had little muscle as you were growing up, not the body that bore sickness and pain with you as you moved through your existence.

The important question is not what is reborn in the next life, but:

1. How can I get the best rebirth possible?
2. If it is so hard to get a preferable rebirth, is there any way to escape it?

Is nirvana eternal life?
This is a question that is often asked and is often debated. Does it exist? How do you know? Can you prove it? As I have not been there yet, I cannot tell you anything about it. However, I can help you infer.

If the world we live in and are reborn in is full of suffering and desires, then let us call a place that has no suffering or desires, Nirvana.

If our life results in unending suffering, would a place that had no suffering be a good place to go?

If our lives require work, pain and toiling, would a place where there was no more work be a good place?

If the world is a place where we are born and reborn, born and reborn, born and ....then nirvana would have to be a place we were are not born, not reborn, not born again, not reborn....

If the world has no true ever-lasting happiness (even when we are happy, we hope and strive that it doesn't leave us, when it does, we are left with more suffering), then would it be reasonable to assume that nirvana has to temporary happiness or suffering?, that is only has permanent happiness?

In our world, suffering comes from wanting and working and striving, then would nirvana be a place where we no longer want, need to work, or strive?

If we do not obtain nirvana (which is the opposite of our rounds of rebirth), then we are continuously born and reborn, born and reborn, born and ....., then if we get to nirvana, doesn't that mean we won't have to be born or reborn ever again? Is that eternal?

If life is suffering (every breath, every hunger pain, every desire and failure to get what you want), would you want an eternal "life." Wouldn't you rather just be eternal, without the life?

"i have catholic friends say that if historical records disproved christ existence christianity thesis will fall? do u buddhists rely on life a buddha as if hsitorical records will be at stake and once buddha's life just in case not historical will it damage buddhism?"

Allow me to paint you a visual image. Imagine a beautiful 6 story sand castle built on the beach. It is beautiful and is a place for all things to come and stay and enjoy. However, since it is built out of sand, when the tide comes in, what happens to the castle?

Now, imagine just sand, all of the sand in the world, no matter how much water comes in, the sand will still exist. No matter if there is an earthquake, fire or even human involvement, the sand would not ever disappear. Even the sand that is taken by the water, still exists in the water.

Even so, with or without the Buddha, the Dhamma (what the Buddha taught) would always exist. Why is this? Because Buddha did not invent it, he did not make it up. What he did was merely tell us what already exists in the world that we have not seen for ourselves (because we never really even knew to look). Buddha taught us from the nature around us, he taught us from the actions we have made and are making, he taught us from the way the world interacts within itself. So, without Buddha, the Dhamma would always exist, it has always existed and will always exist. We just wouldn't know it yet.

For example, say we are all walking in the hot desert, we are HOT and dehydrated, we are all so thirsty, but there is no water left. All we see are these ugly, prickly cacti. We all feel sad and depressed. Some of us pretend to be happy and put on a happy face. However, we all feel the undeniable heat from the sun and the fatigue of walking on the sand. What is someone came and told us that if we cut the cacti open, there would be some water in there? Would we thank him? Would we appreciate it? What would happen if he didn't come along? Would we ever know that the cactus had moisture in there? Maybe, but not likely.

So, it doesn't matter who teaches you the truth, it doesn't matter who's religion you profess, what matters is that what you are doing is the undeniable truth and that it doesn't hurt anyone AND creates benefit for the world and yourself.

Sincerely,

Phra Anandapanyo

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

QUESTION: ah nice answers but technical

i just read narada's book that nirvana is deathless means we are glorified beings there that dont die and perish? im just uncomfortable what walpola rahula said that parinirvana is not another some sort of existence but extinction it is not nothingness because nothing real is gone?


sir im just confused of the readings that bhavanga is assumed that is transferred to the fetus or some say karma energy sounds like souls?

how many lifetimes assumed to gain nirvana? is it possible one lifetime? why the buddha's disciples and family immediately attained arahantship after death meant they did it one lifetime?

sir i want to ask if we wanted to be liberated, are good deeds required for realization or just realize the 4 noble truths? one friend of mine say attaching to good deeds is attachment just let it go, so even having many karma unpaid lets understand the 3 marks of existence and bingo! a halo on the back of my head  

Answer
Dear Jaya,

Thank you for your questions and the opportunity to answer them.

I do not blame you for being confused about Nirvana. In my honest opinion, I would recommend not trying to figure out what it is. No one alive can know about Nirvana. No one who has gone to Nirvana can come back and tell us. Therefore, no matter how much you read, or how much you ask, you can never find any information about Nirvana, other than what the Buddha said.

Nirvana is like when you turn off a light. When you turn it off, where does the light go? Can you answer that? You could say there is no more light, but that is not true, where did the light go? No one knows.

The important thing is do we believe in the Buddha? If we do, then we believe in the Nirvana that he talked about. The important thing is not WHAT Nirvana is, but how can we achieve it?

The spectacular thing about Buddhism is that if you walk the true path of the Buddha, you can see real, lasting results in yourself. That way, YOU will know that his teachings are REAL, YOU will know that the PATH is real. If you know the PATH is real, therefore, we can confidently assume that the ENDING will also be real. Even if the ending is not real, if we stay on the PATH we have become better people and that in itself is its own reward.

No one can know what the Nirvana is, but the Buddha says it exists. The Buddha also teaches how to walk the path to Nirvana. Since we can't know or grasp the concept of Nirvana, let us first learn the path.

Personally, I have practiced what the Buddha taught, and so far he has not been wrong about a single thing. I have seen the improvements in my life from my practice. I have seen the extinguishing of certain undesired personality traits. I have experienced the freedom of changing wrong perceptions to right perceptions. And with those right perceptions, I have truly seen the PATH.

Personally, I have practiced and studied many many methods, Just in the practice of meditation, there are over 40 different ways of practice, however, 10 years ago, I started practicing under Luang Por Thoon. He passed away on Nov 11, 2008, and he his remains proved that he was an Arahant. Through his teachings, I and others practicing in this method have been able to see the truth that the Buddha taught and also the release that comes from the destruction of wrong perceptions and wrong views. Not many real Arahants exist in the world and I count myself amongst the lucky few who get to practice with one. The benefit of practicing in the footsteps of an Arahant is that you know his teachings are aligned with Sammaditthi (right views)since he was able to liberate himself. This saves a lot of time from guessing whether your method of practice is right or wrong and we can wholly dedicate ourselves to vigorous practice.

"How many lifetimes assumed to gain nirvana:"
The lifetimes that it takes to gain Nirvana can not be counted, it is based on the parami (perfections) that each person has built. In a sense you could say it takes ALL of our lives to reach Nirvana. There are many factors that come into play. Things that can postpone your enlightenment are evil deeds, not diligently working at becoming enlightened and not having dedication to the path, and wanting to be a Bodhisattva or one of a Buddha's direct disciples(they have to wait even longer until enlightenment).

In the Buddha's time, some people have cultivated enough Parami to be enlightened. They even had the Buddha there to teach them. But because they made a huge mistake, they had to receive the punishment for their actions. For example, both Devadatta and Prince Ajasattu had cultivated enough merit to be enlightened, however, they both committed heinous crimes (Injuring the Buddha and killing one's parents, respectively) which results in an immediate rebirth in the lowest Hell realm. However, when they finish their punishment, they will be born as humans and achieve enlightenment as foretold by the Buddha himself. However, their evil deeds postponed their enlightenment for many uncountable lives.

"Is it possible in One Lifetime"
According to Luang Por Thoon you need:
1. Enough Parami, (can be achieved through good deeds and right effort, amongst other things)

2. To meet a teacher with Sammaditthi(Right View - if your teacher teaches you wrongly, even if you are dedicated and diligent, you will just go the wrong way. That is why Siddartha had to leave his tapasa teachers, and Sariputta and Moggallana left Sanjaya)

3. You have the right concentration (You need to take what you know and put it into action consistently and continuously in order to see proper results)

If you have these three qualities, you stand to have a very good change of obtaining your goal.

It is just like getting a degree:
1. You need to have enough money, family support, desire, respect, brains and opportunity to go to school.

2. You need to find a school that can actually give degrees and can teach you properly what you need to learn. (You can't just go to any school)

3. Once you are in school, you need to continuously do the work, study, go to class and learn how to ask questions. If you skip class, take long extended vacations, your graduation date will be further and further away.

However, on the brighter side, if you have all three of these steps, you have a very high chance of graduating.

"Why did the Buddha's disciples and family immediately attain Arahantship after death meant they did it in one lifetime?"

Every single disciple had been cultivating and building up to this life for over millions and millions and millions of uncountable lifetimes. Each person's enlightenment had been predicted by a past Buddha. They achieved Arahantship in this life, but this is not the first life they have practiced. If we read the Jataka and/or Tipitaka, we see that they have been working towards this goal for many many lives.

"If we want to be liberated, are good deeds required for realization or just realize the 4 Noble truths"

As I presented above, good deeds are need to cultivate Parami. Good Deeds and Good Practice go hand in hand.

Say you want to cross a river from one side to the other, we need a boat. If we don't have a boat, we need to swim. If the river is wide, then we might need a small raft. People need to rely on others to either lend them a boat, teach them to swim or provide life rafts in order to cross the river. As such, we need to do good, to get the results of our own actions in order to help us with our practice and concentration. Even the Buddha had to spend infinite amounts of lifetimes in order to fill his Parami in order to become the fully self-enlightened Buddha.

Understanding the 4 Noble Truths is very important, however, it is not easy.
According to the Venerable Acariya Thoon Khippanyo, it is not hard to KNOW of the Four Noble Truths, however, it is very difficult to have DIRECT EMPIRICAL KNOWLEDGE of the Four Noble Truths. Anyone who wants to know of the Four Noble Truths only has to ask someone, read a book, or search the internet. However, someone who wants to have direct empirical knowledge has to analyze themselves, their unique faults, their unique wrongdoing and THEN find a way to fix their wrong views to right views.
According to Phra Ajahn Thoon, the key element to the Four Noble Truths is in the First Truth. Without personally experiencing and/or seeing direct suffering, one will not truly desire escape from it. Just as people look for food when they are hungry, even so, when one is suffering, one will try to find a way out.

Many people teach that you should detach yourself from anger, greed and delusion. For anyone who has practiced they will know that this is hard to understand and even harder to do. However Phra Ajahn Thoon gives a very interesting parallel. Imagine that you need to pick fish out of a barrel. As you blindly reach into the barrel, you do not realize it, but you have picked up a poisonous snake. As you slowly take it out you see that you are holding a dangerous snake and not a fish. At that point, do you need to even think about or train how to release the snake? No, the important thing is to KNOW and DIRECTLY understand the danger, the LETTING GO is automatic, it does not need to be practiced. However, the KNOWING and DIRECTLY UNDERSTANDING must be practiced.

As for the Four Noble Truths, KNOWING of the 3 Characteristics of existance (Dukkha, Annicam, Annata)is easy, but DIRECTLY and EMPIRICALLY understanding them is hard. If you wish for further clarification, I would be more than happy to help you with your practice. I was lucky enough to have an Arahant for a teacher.

If you want more information about Phra Ajahn Thoon Khippapanyo, you can search for his books on Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com, just search under "Acariya Thoon Khippapanyo". or you can visit www.kpyusa.org and read the blogs that are posted by disciples of Acariya Thoon.

I hope I have sufficiently answered your questions,

Sincerely,
Phra Anandapanyo