Tu Viện Quảng Đức105 Lynch Rd, Fawkner, Vic 3060. Australia. Tel: 9357 3544. quangduc@quangduc.com* Viện Chủ: HT Tâm Phương, Trụ Trì: TT Nguyên Tạng   

19. Rebirth

12/05/202016:52(Xem: 2910)
19. Rebirth

Duc The Ton-3

REBIRTH

Venerable Sumangalo


We cannot understand the teaching concerning rebirth unless we have first understood how the Law of Karma works. Rebirth depends on karma. If we think good thoughts and do only good acts in this life, we not only get good results here and now, but we also get a better rebirth when our life in this world is finished.

A person’s karma, good or bad, is actually that person and it is the karma that is reborn in some other life, either in a heaven or a hell, or again in this world. In some cases, a person with extremely bad karma might be reborn as an animal. Let us imagine a man so cruel and bloodthirsty that he is like a tiger in all his thought and action. It is quite possible that such a person might be reborn as a tiger. Or to imagine another case – a person whose habits make him seem very much like a pig. How could we expect such a person to be reborn as a heavenly being, or even as a good, normal, decent human being?

All of us know the ancient saying: “Straws show which way the wind is blowing.” It is the same with our own lives. Our habits show what kind of people we really are. Those whose habits in this life show that they are very closely akin to pigs, will probably be reborn in the animal world – as pigs. Everything connected with rebirth depends on karma.

There is more than one kind of rebirth, and one variety is a sort of rebirth here and now in this life. When a bad person changes and becomes good, that is a type of rebirth. The same is true of a good person who changes and becomes evil. But, as a rule, when we speak of rebirth, we are thinking of what happens to us when we die. If we want to know what kind of life we shall have when we die and leave this world, we need only look at our present lives. If we are lazy and do not study the Buddha’s teachings, and do not follow the Five Precepts and the Eightfold Noble Path, then we cannot expect a good and happy rebirth into a world better than this one. On the other hand, those who study the Dharma and live the Dharma, who are kind and unselfish, such persons can expect a happy rebirth into a heaven-world or some other good rebirth.

Our lives move very swiftly. Now we are boys and girls, still going to school. But, almost before we know what has happened, we find we are grown-ups and soon we are old. Not many persons live to age one hundred, but, even if we do live to that age, there comes the time when we must leave this life. Therefore, it is very important for each of us to be very careful about all we think and do. Our thoughts and actions are our karma, good or bad, and it is our karma that is reborn.

Any boy or girl who begins to lead a good Buddhist life in childhood and continues to be a good Buddhist all through his or her life, need never worry about rebirth. But the really important thing to do is to make an early start. If we create only good karma in our lives, we do not have to wait until we die to receive benefits. We shall surely obtain happiness in this life as well as in the life to come.

 

SONG OF THE PILGRIM

No sentient life in all the worlds,
Will ever cease to be;
Unending all as thou and I,
Though forms change constantly.

 

The life imprisoned in the earth,
May bloom as lovely flower;
So all evolve a fairer birth,
When law brings forth the hour.

 

On through the endless aeons of time,
Through forms from stone to man,
All beings to perfection climb;
Such is the faultless plan.

 

Perfected men the Masters are,
And we shall also climb
To starry height in worlds afar
And know the Truth Sublime.

 

Remembering always “That thou art,”
The path will lighter grow;
The Buddha seed within our heart
Will guide to those who know.

                                 -A. C. Constable.

 

QUESTIONS

  1. What does rebirth mean to you?
  2. What law governs rebirth?
  3. What is the meaning in English of Karma?
  4. Name some ways of being reborn, both good ways and bad ones.
  5. If we change our way of living, is that a kind of rebirth?
  6. If we follow the Five Precepts and the Eightfold Path, can we make good karma and have a happy rebirth?
  7. Will unkindness, selfishness, cruelty and other evil acts cause a person to be reborn in a happy world?
  8. What could cause a human being to be reborn as an animal?
  9. When is the best time to start making good karma for a good rebirth?
  10. If we lead good lives and follow Lord Buddha’s teachings, need we worry about rebirth?

 

Gửi ý kiến của bạn
Tắt
Telex
VNI
Tên của bạn
Email của bạn
30/05/2024(Xem: 769)
Most Ven Dr. Bokunoruwe Devananda Thero will give a Dharma talk in Singapore: True happiness comes from within but not external
14/10/2023(Xem: 4505)
Our immense pleasure is to present to you this remarkable conference book – Buddhism: A Historical and Practical Vision. Inside these pages lies a stunning tapestry of wisdom created by the joint dedication and hard work of young Vietnamese Buddhist monks and nuns scholars who have explored the legacy of Buddhism in depth. From exploring the compatibility and integration of Mahāyāna Buddhism’s teachings with realistic political theory on leadership and the introduction Buddhist philosophy and the establishment and significance of Buddhist universities in the United States, each paper stands as a testament to the vibrant diversity and enduring relevance of Buddhist thought. Among the thought-provoking papers, you will discover insightful investigations into the practical theory of impermanence as a means to enhance one’s own living experience. Additionally, a critical interpretation of Nibbāna from Dr. Ambedkar’s perspective in the Indian Engaged Buddhist Movement sheds light
25/07/2023(Xem: 5005)
Dealing with the chosen work, I observe that a puggala has been present in the world because of dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda) or continuity of change (santāna). The five masses of elements (pañcakkhandhā), which constitute the puggala and the world around him, are without any substance (anattā), impermanent (anicca) and they are really causes of grief (dukkha)...
20/07/2023(Xem: 1779)
During his recent visit to Melbourne, Australia to attend the Conference on Sociology, at the Melbourne Convention Centre. Professor Dr. Ryushun Kiyofuji visited Quang Duc Monastery, 30 minutes from downtown Melbourne. On this occasion, I had the chance to interview him about the current situation of Buddhism in Japan.
12/06/2023(Xem: 3467)
“One person, mendicants, arises in the world for the welfare and happiness of the people, out of compassion for the world, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans. What one person? The Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. This is the one person, mendicants, who arises in the world for the welfare and happiness of the people, out of compassion for the world, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans.” *
30/03/2023(Xem: 4039)
War - we all know this word. There were too many battles in this world since we were the nomads, wandering over sea and land up to the time when the acquisition of material goods increased over time and possession became more powerful in their desire to master and dominate the world. In family and society, from the young to the dignitary, none of them want to give up possession but always to get more. The more assets, the greater desire. The more one tries to get, the stronger greed and selfishness fortifies.
14/01/2023(Xem: 10002)
Lunar New Year 2023 Festival at Quang Duc Monastery, Fawkner, Victoria, Australia
10/12/2022(Xem: 2371)
There can be no success in getting happiness out of Lord Buddha’s Dharma until we understand and use ‘Sila’, which is a Pali-Sanskrit word meaning morality. The Five Precepts are often called ‘Pancasila’, which means ‘the Five Moralities’. As a rule, these five moralities are recited after the Three Refuges, and are usually considered as a necessary part of the ceremony of becoming a Buddhist. Everyone who understands these rules knows it is good and wise to follow them all, but many persons have weak characters and do not make a real attempt to be guided by these Five Rules that all Buddhists must follow. They are:
facebook youtube google-plus linkedin twitter blog
Nguyện đem công đức này, trang nghiêm Phật Tịnh Độ, trên đền bốn ơn nặng, dưới cứu khổ ba đường,
nếu có người thấy nghe, đều phát lòng Bồ Đề, hết một báo thân này, sinh qua cõi Cực Lạc.

May the Merit and virtue,accrued from this work, adorn the Buddhas pureland,
Repay the four great kindnesses above, andrelieve the suffering of those on the three paths below,
may those who see or hear of these efforts generates Bodhi Mind, spend their lives devoted to the Buddha Dharma,
the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Quang Duc Buddhist Welfare Association of Victoria
Tu Viện Quảng Đức | Quang Duc Monastery
Most Venerable Thich Tam Phuong | Senior Venerable Thich Nguyen Tang
Address: Quang Duc Monastery, 105 Lynch Road, Fawkner, Vic.3060 Australia
Tel: 61.03.9357 3544 ; Fax: 61.03.9357 3600
Website: http://www.quangduc.com
http://www.tuvienquangduc.com.au (old)
Xin gửi Xin gửi bài mới và ý kiến đóng góp đến Ban Biên Tập qua địa chỉ:
quangduc@quangduc.com