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Buddhist Heavens..
- Thread starter lemo
- Start date
joea
Oshoyoi
The Four Noble truths will still apply to you in these heavens..
TurkeyOnRye
Well-Known Member
Why settle?
Indeed, the OP's question lacks a bit of context IMO.
Engyo
Prince of Dorkness!
What's the difference? "I" would still be working towards enlightenment, whether "I" am reborn here or there. Besides, it's not like "I" can choose specifically where "I" will be reborn anyway, let alone the question of identity.
Hagbard
Member
I have found the concepts of heavenly realms to generally be a curious one. It has generally been my understanding that the point of the Dharma (or perhaps it would be more accurate to say, one of the points of the Dharma) would be the end of illusion/ignorance, and the experience of liberation/enlightenment. I would hope that a being emmersed in such expereinces or states of "being" would be indifferent to existence in heavenly or hellish realms...hopefully all would have "one taste".
On another hand...it might be wonderfully blissful to experience the richness of a heavenly realm and such bliss could be significant for its own sake, a worthwhile experience to have. Of course one could say the same about a hellish realm.
Ultimately would this all just be speculation? What looks through the eyes and hears through the ears right now, in this heaven or hell realm of existence?
On another hand...it might be wonderfully blissful to experience the richness of a heavenly realm and such bliss could be significant for its own sake, a worthwhile experience to have. Of course one could say the same about a hellish realm.
Ultimately would this all just be speculation? What looks through the eyes and hears through the ears right now, in this heaven or hell realm of existence?
Engyo
Prince of Dorkness!
From that standpoint, the founder of my Buddhist order wrote: "Some Sutras state that heaven lies in the west, or that hell is located underground. In reality, heaven and hell exist nowhere else than our five foot body."
Engyo
Prince of Dorkness!
Hello, Hagbard -
That would be Nichiren (1222-1282), a Japanese monk from the Kamakura era. He was trained as a Tendai monk, tried reforming the Tendai establishment, and eventually founded his own school of Buddhism based on the Lotus Sutra. He is often seen as a polarizing figure; but I find that if his more seemingly strident works are read in the context of his times, both socially and politically, then his passion and compassion become quite clear.
That would be Nichiren (1222-1282), a Japanese monk from the Kamakura era. He was trained as a Tendai monk, tried reforming the Tendai establishment, and eventually founded his own school of Buddhism based on the Lotus Sutra. He is often seen as a polarizing figure; but I find that if his more seemingly strident works are read in the context of his times, both socially and politically, then his passion and compassion become quite clear.
Smoke
Done here.
I don't believe in all that stuff, but people who do generally say that it's better to be born human, because it's only humans who achieve enlightenment. Gods are still subject to karma and rebirth.
