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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2015 17:12:00 GMT -6
Have you ever felt like you have lived before? There was a story on the national news tonight about reincarnation....interesting.
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Post by samsara15 on Mar 24, 2015 19:20:36 GMT -6
We may have lived before, IMO. This very life we are living right now, repeated over and over again. Have you ever heard of the Eternal Return?
As for previous lives as some other person, I have serious doubts. Such claims have been made before.
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Post by carpathianpeasant on Jul 26, 2015 12:27:40 GMT -6
The mind is constantly re-creating the body and knows all its parts. To create another form it would have to be a different mind.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2015 13:08:30 GMT -6
I do believe in it although I don't fully understand it. John the Baptist was the reincarnate of Elijah.
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Post by carpathianpeasant on Jul 26, 2015 14:26:12 GMT -6
I do believe in it although I don't fully understand it. John the Baptist was the reincarnate of Elijah.
Sez who? (Or, maybe what?)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2015 14:41:26 GMT -6
I do believe in it although I don't fully understand it. John the Baptist was the reincarnate of Elijah.
Sez who? (Or, maybe what?)
If you have a Bible handy check out Matthew 11:7-14. Elijah was a prophet like no other. Elijah was to come and prepare the way of the Lord. Elijah never died but he had been gone a long, long time. He was taken up by a whirlwind to heaven as he rode in a chariot of fire.
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Post by lowell on Jul 26, 2015 17:16:03 GMT -6
"This saha world occupies the lowest position among all the worlds of the ten directions. Among these worlds, it holds a place like that of a prison within a nation. All the persons in the worlds of the ten directions who have committed any of the ten evil acts, the five cardinal sins, the grave offense of slandering the True Law or other terrible crimes and have been driven out by the Buddhas of those worlds have been brought together here in this saha land by Shakyamuni Buddha. These people, having fallen into the three evil paths or the great citadel of the hell of incessant suffering and there duly suffered for their offense, have been reborn in the realm of Humanity or Heaven. But, because they still retain certain vestiges of their former evil behavior, they are inclined to easily commit some further offense by slandering the True Law or speaking contemptuously of men of wisdom." Nichiren "The Learned Doctor Shan-Wu-Wei" 1270
'The Buddha said to Medicine King: "In addition, if after the Thus Come One has passed into extinction there should be someone who listens to the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, even one verse or one phrase, and for a moment thinks of it with joy, I will likewise bestow on him a prophesy that he will attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Again if there are persons who embrace, read, recite, expound and copy the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, even only one verse, and look upon this sutra with the same reverence as they would the Buddha, presenting various offerings of flowers, incense, necklaces, powdered incense, paste incense, incense for burning, silken canopies, streamers and banners, clothing and music, and pressing their palms together in reverence, then, Medicine King, you should understand that such person have already offered alms to a hundred thousand million Buddhas and in the place of the Buddhas have fulfilled their great vow, and because they take pity on living beings they have been born in this human world.' Lotus Sutra Chapter 10 (The Teacher of the Law)
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Post by carpathianpeasant on Jul 26, 2015 23:03:56 GMT -6
Sez who? (Or, maybe what?)
If you have a Bible handy check out Matthew 11:7-14. Elijah was a prophet like no other. Elijah was to come and prepare the way of the Lord. Elijah never died but he had been gone a long, long time. He was taken up by a whirlwind to heaven as he rode in a chariot of fire. I don't have a Bible handy. What is the exact quote that says John the Baptist was the reincarnate of Elijah.
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Post by lowell on Jul 27, 2015 1:42:02 GMT -6
Matthew 11: verse 13 through 15. 13"For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14"And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. 15"He who has ears to hear, let him hear.…
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Post by carpathianpeasant on Jul 27, 2015 2:49:58 GMT -6
Matthew 11: verse 13 through 15. 13"For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14"And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. 15"He who has ears to hear, let him hear.…
"And if you are willing to accept it...."
So it's not really a claim that John is Elijah. it's a (then) popular notion based on the fact that John didn't prophesy. (But decide for yourself based on what you hear, etc.)
Thanks, Lowell.
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Post by lowell on Jul 27, 2015 2:57:10 GMT -6
I can see how the reader can accept these alleged words of Jesus, that John himself is Elijah and that a prophecy existed that Elijah would come again to this world. I can also understand as Jesus was able to understand, that some will be unwilling to accept it.
Of course, all the words alleged to have been said by Jesus are subject to the same acceptance or unwillingness to accept. We can consider the commandment of Jesus that you love your enemy.
That is a very unpopular one today. Yet it is the essence of the practice of true Buddhism.
Consider Chapter 20 of the Lotus Sutra. The Bodhisattva Never Disparaging
----- "After the original Awesome sound King Thus Come One had passed into extinction, and after his Correct Law had also passed away, in the period of his Counterfeit Law, monks of overbearing arrogance exercised great authority and power. At this time there was a bodhisattva monk named Never Disparaging. Now, Gainer of Great Authority, for what reason was he named Never Disparaging? This monk, whatever persons he happened to meet, whether monks, nuns, Laymen or laywomen, would bow in obeisance to all of them and speak words of praise, saying, 'I have profound reverence for you, I would never dare treat you with disparaging and arrogance. Why? Because you are all practicing the bodhisattva way and are certain to attain Buddhahood.'
"This monk did not devote his time to reading or reciting the scriptures, but simply went about bowing to people. And if he happened to see any of the four kinds of believers far off in the distance, he would purposely go to where they were, bow to them and speak words of praise, saying, 'I would never dare disparage you, because you are all certain to attain Buddhahood!'
"Among the four kinds of believers there were the those who gave way to anger, their minds lacking in purity, and they spoke ill of him and cursed him, saying, 'This ignorant monk - were does he come from, presuming to declare that he does not disparage us and bestowing on us a prediction that we will attain Buddhahood? We have no use for such vain and irresponsible predictions!'
"Many years passed in this way, during which this monk was constantly subjected to curses and abuse. He did not give way to anger, however, but each time spoke the same words, 'You are certain to attain Buddhahood.' When he spoke in this manner, some among the group would take sticks of wood or tiles and stones and beat and pelt him. But even as he ran away and took up his stance at a distance, he continued to call out in a loud voice, ' I would never dare disparage you, for you are all certain to attain Buddhahood!' And because he always spoke these words, the overbearing arrogant monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen gave him the name Never Disparaging.
"When this monk was on the point of death, he heard up in the sky fully twenty thousand, ten thousand, a million verses of the Lotus Sutra that had been previously preached by the Buddha Awesome Sound King, and he was able to accept and uphold them all. Immediately he gained the kind of purity of vision and purity of the faculties of the ear, nose, tongue, body and mind that have been described above. Having gained this purity of the six faculties, his life span was increased by two hundred ten million nayutas of years, and he went about widely preaching the Lotus Sutra for people.
"At that time, when the four kinds of believers who were overbearingly arrogant, the monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen who had looked with contempt on this monk and given him the name Never Disparaging - when they saw that he had gained great transcendental powers, the power to preach pleasingly and eloquently, the power of great goodness and tranquility, and when they heard his preaching, they all took faith in him and willingly became his followers.
"This bodhisattva converted a multitude of a thousand, ten thousand, a million, causing them to abide in the state of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. After his life came to an end, he was able to encounter two thousand million Buddhas, all bearing the name Sun Moon Bright, and in the midst of their Law he preached this Lotus Sutra. Through the causes and conditions created thereby, he was also able to encounter two thousand million Buddhas, all with the identical name Cloud Freedom Lamp King. In the midst of the Law of these Buddhas, he accepted, upheld, read, recited and preached this sutra for the four kinds of believers. For that reason he was able to gain perfection of his ordinary eyes, and the faculties of his ears, nose, tongue, body and mind were likewise purified. Among the four kinds of believers he preached the Law with no fear in his mind.
"Gainer of Great Authority, this bodhisattva and mahasattvas Never Disparaging in this manner offered alms to a vast number of Buddhas, treating them with reverence and honor and praising them. Having planted these good roots, he was later able to encounter a thousand, ten thousand, a million Buddhas, and in the midst of the Law of these Buddhas, he preached this sutra, gaining benefits that allowed him to attain Buddhahood.
"Gainer of Great Authority, what do you think? The bodhisattva Never Disparaging who lived at that time - could he be unknown to you? In fact he was none other than I myself! If in my previous existences I had not accepted, upheld, read and recited this sutra and preached it for others, I would never have been able to attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi so quickly. Because in the presence of those earlier Buddhas I accepted, upheld, read and recited this sutra and preached it for others, I was able quickly to attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
"Gainer of Great Authority, at that time the four kinds of believers, the monks, nuns, laymen and many women, because anger arose in their minds and they treated me with disparagement and contempt, were for two hundred million kalpas never able to encounter a Buddha, to hear the Law, or to see the community of monks. For a thousand kalpas they underwent great suffering in the Avichi hell. After they had finished paying for their offenses, they once more encountered the bodhisattva Never Disparaging, who instructed them in anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
"Gainer of Great Authority, what do you think? The four kinds of believers who at that time constantly disparaged this bodhisattva - could they be unknown to you? They are in this assembly now, Bhadrapala and his group, five hundred bodhisattvas; Lion Moon and her group, five hundred nuns; and Thinking of Buddha and his group, five hundred laymen, all having reached the state where they will never regress in their search for anuttara-samyak-sambodhi!
"Gainer of Great Authority, you should understand that this Lotus Sutra richly benefits the bodhisattvas and mahasattvas, for it can cause them to obtain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. For this reason, after the Thus Come One has passed into extinction, the bodhisattvas and mahasattvas should at all times accept, uphold, read, recite, explain, preach and transcribe this sutra."
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Post by carpathianpeasant on Jul 27, 2015 3:10:58 GMT -6
I can see how the reader can accept these alleged words of Jesus, that John himself is Elijah and that a prophecy existed that Elijah would come again to this world. I can also understand as Jesus was able to understand, that some will be unwilling to accept it.
As I read it, there's no claim John is Elijah -- just that some people would think that. In my vague recollections it seems like Jesus spoke and acted with the same observational method on other matters. Consider the writing in the sand(?) of the sins of those would stone that woman that one time.
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Post by lowell on Jul 27, 2015 3:36:03 GMT -6
Jesus himself is alleged to have said " John himself is Elijah ". Of course as you have mentioned, Jesus did not write his teachings down, except in sand. Even his disciples did not write his teachings down. It was at least a hundred years before the first teachings began to be written. In fact it was 300 years before the first bible was compiled. Some say this was because Jesus had indicated that he would return by that time. A person named Mani did appear in Persia 300 years later and did claim to be Jesus. He also had twelve disciples and was crucified though he did not die on the cross, he died in prison later with symptoms of pneumonia. Mani also incorporated Buddhist teachings into his belief system. It is known today as Manichaeism. Interestingly, Mani said the God of the Torah is the Devil.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2015 18:02:28 GMT -6
I used to have a recurring dream when I was a child that I was running away from someone who wanted to kill me. As I grew older, I stopped having that dream.
I wonder if animals reincarnate too. I often wonder if animals are souls that get to 'graduate' to humans.
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Post by lowell on Sept 16, 2015 1:26:05 GMT -6
The Aborigines in Australia have a greater respect for animals than many in our society. When they kill an animal, they note where the death blow pierced it. Then when a child is born, if it has a birthmark in the same relative place, they conclude that the spirit of the animal they killed has been born as their child.
The aborigines also have a unique ability to lower their body temperature. They frequently lay down on the desert ground without a blanket or a tent and when the night gets cold, there body temperature lowers accordingly. They don't seem to suffer any ill effect from this.
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