Fw: Rigpa Glimpse of the Day for Nov 21 2010
palani
Something on Karma
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Karma means that whatever we do, with our bodies, speech, or minds, will have a corresponding result. Each action, even the smallest, is pregnant with its consequences. It is said by the masters that even a little poison can cause death, and even a tiny seed can become a huge tree. And as Buddha said: “Do not overlook negative actions merely because they are small; however small a spark may be, it can burn down a haystack as big as a mountain.” Similarly he said: “Do not overlook tiny good actions, thinking they are of no benefit even tiny drops of water in the end will fill a huge vessel.” Karma does not decay like external things, or ever become inoperative. It cannot be destroyed “by time, fire, or water.” Its power will never disappear, until it is ripened. 
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palani
Hi - Here are some more questions from KC. Please take a look and feel free to add your comments.
10 November 2010
DHARMA QUESTIONS
1) If a illiterate person who performed dharma practice piously daily throughout his entire life time just by reciting the mantra of Om Mani Padme Hum or Om Muni Muni Maha Muniye Soha -What are the positive effect on this person ?
Whether a person is illiterate or not does not affect whether the person is an ethically sound person. There are many very intelligent people who have done nothing but scheme to cheat others. As for chanting the mantra – there are different aspects associated with it:-
· If you chant with no faith, then I believe there will little benefit.
· If you chant it with no perseverance – that is only when you need to get out of trouble, I also believe there will be little benefit
· If you chant with faith and understanding, then you gain much more benefits
The overall effect of mantras chanted with faith and understanding is to lead you to accumulate more merits or white karma. This is one of the means towards better life or living conditions in the future. I also believe such chanting will lead to better situations in the future including becoming more educated and wise.
Some have faith but little understanding, and some have understanding but little faith and those with no faith nor understanding will not chant at all in the first place. There are many stories of people with low intellectual abilities attaining liberation such as the monk, of very low mental capabilities, who was taught by the Buddha to sweep and say at the time “sweep, sweep, clean, clean” or something to that effect. The effect of this mantra was to produce the level of concentration that enabled to realise that he was sweeping away his obscurations and cleaning up his defilements.
2) In some sutra texts indicated that ,if a person in the dying moment ( the last few minutes ) recite the Amitabha mantra or Six syllables mantra of Arya Avalokiteshvara will be born in any one of three upper realm or pure lands –How is that possible ?
We discussed this at our Saturday’s discussion (20/11). You need a little understanding of the death process to appreciate this. Your last moment of mind in this life is the continuation for the first moment of your next life. By using this principle, if you are able to chant Amitabha or Avalokiteshvara or any other Buddha’s mantra, you are likely to be born there. The trick, though, as we discussed it, is that you need a calm and peaceful mind at the moment of death. This is the only way to maintain the clarity and power of concentration required to focus on the mantra. The average person, who has not prepared himself/herself spiritually, is unlikely to be able to maintain this calmness. The fear of death, anxiety of the unknown, worries about the unfinished, anger or other negative emotions are likely to distract this person and this he/she is unlikely to achieve this benefit.
That is why to be able to do this at death, we need to continue our regular practices of meditation, chanting and being of service to others with the right motivation and dedication. With this, at the time of our death, we are more likely to be peaceful and thus able to concentrate on the mantras or Buddhas. Our basic Buddhist practices prepare us for this, and that is why we should not overlook even the simple practices that our lamas or Gurus give us.
3) During funeral , mantras from Cd or Cassette were played beside the coffin throughout days and nights – What are positive effect on this dead person ?
We also discussed this. The mind does not leave the body immediately and thus the chanting and prayers do benefit the dead for a while immediately after death. Once we die, we enter the intermediate state between this and the next life known as “bardo”. Depending on our karma, we shall usually have to take rebirth within 49 days. Thus, to be safe and sure, after death prayers are conducted for 49 days in case the dead are still roaming as spirits due to their heavy karma.
On the other hand, even if the dead have taken rebirth and there is no “person or spirit” to receive the blessings of the prayers or pujas, we do benefit from our intention to help them take a better rebirth by conducting these prayers and pujas. Since, this is one way to help another sentient being – it is all in our mind and motivation – to repay their kindness while they were alive.
4) What is the last positive thought should the person have when going into the process of dying ? Can the person just by remembering the six syllables mantra help to propels him or her into any one of the three higher realm ?
Please see Question 2 above. We should strive to practice the teachings given by our Lamas and Gurus so that we can have a peaceful death that would enable us to have the presence of mind to concentrate on our spiritual practice at the time of our death.
5) In the Tibetan sutra text indicated that, when a person just recently died ( just few minutes or hours ) we are not allow to touch or move the body because of the consciousness may leave at the spot of contact and may causes the person to be reborn in any one of the three lower realm. The best spot is to touch or tap the crown area of the head or either to pull a single strand of hair from the crown area to expel the consciousness to the higher realm – How is that possible, if that person committed so many negative karma in his life time ?
Good question! As discussed on Saturday, the reason we are recommended not to move or jerk the dead body is because it takes some time for our consciousness or mind to finally leave our body. Our last breath is not usually the last moment of our consciousness even though legally or medically we might be pronounced dead. Since it also common for the average person to die in fear, due to lack of spiritual practices or lack of awareness of death, jerking or moving the body does not help them.
As for which part of the body to touch, I have heard that it is good to massage the crown. However, my understanding is that the dead person’s karma shall determine which way, the head or the foot, the mind shall leave after their death. If a head massage can cause the consciousness to leave through the crown and give a better birth, then it defeats the teachings on karma!
6) If a person dies in sudden accidents or in the hospital operation ward - what is the effect on the consciousness ?
This type of death is known as unfortunate death – unfortunate as it does not provide us the opportunity to manage the death process, even if we are spiritually capable of doing it. Such deaths usually happen due to the heavy karma that we have created. My understanding is that it usually leads to lower rebirths as the mind, at the moment of such deaths, is usually in an agitated state of fear, anger or revenge.
Tham PP
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palani
On Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:43:40 +0800, Tham PP wrote
> Hi Palani:
>
> How did the 49 days (before the next rebirth) come about in the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism? I thought this was a Taoist belief? In some spiritual teachings, it was believed that the next rebirth does not happen immediately. It may take a while for some cases. Although this belief may seem conflicting from various schools, but I believe there are some reasons leading to this?
This 49 day belief is found in Hinduism to some extent as well not just Buddhism or Taoism. The time taken to rebirth is dependent on the karma of the beings and thus the time is also dependent on that but it is believed to be no more than 49 days in total. The reason that it sometimes take a while is that the causes and conditions for rebirth do not come together quickly enough for the rebirth.
In some cases, the rebirth is instant such as when committing the 5 grave crimes we had spoken about - killing one's mother, father, Bodhisattva, drawing the Buddha's blood or splitting the Sangha.
Tham PP
Angeline Lim
Tks for all the Q & A.
Can I ask you, sometimes the Taoism still do a ritual of burning car, houses, treasure
boxes and papers for the dead at 100 days or 1 year later.
Do you think the dead can receive? or this is not necessary as they have already
been reborn after 49 days.
Thanks
Angeline
Palani
Hi Palani,
Tks for all the Q & A.
Can I ask you, sometimes the Taoism still do a ritual of burning car, houses, treasure boxes and papers for the dead at 100 days or 1 year later.
I do not know much about Taoism. I also only know a little about Buddhism and Hinduism. Thus, my theories about these would only be speculations and not too wise for me to expound on! :-) I hope you understand.
Do you think the dead can receive? or this is not necessary as they have already been reborn after 49 days.
The best gift for the deceased would the gift of Dharma, where possible, or the dedication of merits from the Dharma practice. So even if they are reborn, they could be reborn anywhere their karma dictates. We are not likely to know exactly where. However, if we continue to conduct these prayers, we are fulfilling our wish to repay or show our gratitude for their kindness to us when they were alive.
In my limited opinion, if we follow the Mahayana Buddhist practice then by praying for not only our parents or relatives of this life, but also for all our parents and relatives of all our past lives, we would then be working towards their enlightenment. If we could also pray for all the others who are alive but do not or are not able to offer prayers to their dead relatives, then we shall also be benefitting them. In this way, whether they receive benefits or not, we definitely will due to our generosity towards all the others. Now, every Ghost month or Hindu prayers on the 15th day etc, if we continue the Taoist or Hindu prayers with such Buddhist motivation, we shall benefit many more sentient beings.
Angeline Lim
Good idea !
Ya we should always make our prayers for all sentient beings.
Take care
Angeline