THE SORROWLESS FLOWERS
Thiện Phúc
VOLUME II
241. Death is Certain and Natural
242. Nine Types of Untimely Death
243. Rebirth
244. Rebirth Consciousness
245. The Wheel of Becoming
246. Six Last Warm Spots Represent the Place of Reincarnation
247. Eight Kinds of Rebirth Due To Generosity
248. Antecendent Existence Body
249. Intermediate Existence Body
250. Ten Reliances
241. Death is Certain and Natural
According to the story of Kisa Gotami in the Agama Sutra, the Buddha taught that “Death is Certain and Natural”. The story says: “Kisa Gotami’s son died. She loved him dearly, so she could not accept his death. So she carried the corpse and went from house to house to find medicine. Of course nobody could help her. Finally she went to the Buddha. The Buddha said: ‘If you can bring me a mustard seed, I can help you. The mustard seed, however, must come from a house in which no one in the family has ever died.’ Kisa Gotami visited every house in the city. Everywhere people took pity on her and offered her mustard seeds. But when she asked: ‘Has anyone in your family ever died?’ The answer was always the same. ‘Yes!’ Sometimes it was a parent or a brother or a sister that had died. In other family, it was like her, a child. She was very sad and returned to the Buddha empty-handed. The Buddha asked her to reflect on what people had told her. Slowly she realized that death was certain and natural and that all things are impermanent. She felt comforted. Later she returned to the Buddha and became one of his disciples.
242. Nine Types of Untimely Death
According to The Medicine Buddha Sutra, Salvation Bodhisattva told Ananda that the Tathagatas mentioned countless forms of untimely death; however, there nine major forms of untimely death. Some sentient beings contract a minor illness which goes untreated for lack of a physician or medicine; or else, even though there is a physician, he prescribes the wrong medicine, causing premature death. Or, the patients, believing the false pronouncements of earthly demons, heretics or practitioners of black magic, may panic, unable to calm their minds. They may then engage in divination or perform animal sacrifices in order to propitiate the spirits, praying for blessings and longevity, all in vain. Through ignorance, confusion and reliance on wrong, inverted views, they meet with untimely death and sink into the hells, with no end in sight. Second, excecuted by royal decree. Third, losing one’s vitality to the demons through hunting, gambling, debauchery, drunkenness or extreme dissipation. The fourth untimely death is the death by fire. The fifth untimely deathis the death by drowning. The sixth untimely death is being devoured by wild animals. The seventh untimely death is falling off a mountain or a cliff. The eighth untimely death is the death by poison, incantations, evil mantras or demons-raised-from-the-death. The ninth untimely death is the death from hunger or thirst, for lack of food and water.
243. Rebirth
The Buddha taught: “Not in the sky, nor in mid-ocean, nor in a mountain cave, nowhere on earth where one can escape from death (Dharmapada 128).” Rebirth is the result of karma. The doctrine of rebirth is upheld by all traditional schools of Buddhism. According to this doctrine, sentient beings (sattva) are caught up in a continuous round of birth, death, and rebirth, and their present state of existence is conditioned by their past volitional actions or karma. In Buddhist belief, there is no transmigration of soul or any substance from one body to another. According to the Buddha, rebirth takes place instantaneously after death, consciousness having the nature of arising and passing away unceasingly. There is no interval between death and the next birth. One moment we are dead and the next moment rebirth takes place, either in the human plane, the celestial plane, or the hell plane, the hungry ghost plane, the animal plane and the demon plane. What really happens is that the last active thought (Javana) process of dying man releases certain forces which vary in accordance with the purity of the five thought moments in that series. These forces are called karma vega or karmic energy which attracts itself to a material layer produced by parents in the mother’s’womb. The material aggregates in this germinal compound must possess such characteristics as are suitable for the reception of that particular type of karmic energy. Attraction in this manner of various types of physical aggregates produced by parents occurs through the operation of death and gives a favourable rebirth to the dying man. An unwholesome thought gives an unfavourable rebirth. Each and every type of sentient being will have different appearance whether it be beautiful or ugly, superior or inferior. This is determined and is manifested based solely on the various karma sentient beings created while alive with their antecedent bodies. Since the cycle inevitably involves suffering and death, Buddhism assumes that escape from it is a desirable goal. This is achieved by engaging in cultivating oneself, and the most important of which is meditation. The doctrine of rebirth has become problematic for many contemporary Buddhists, particularly for converts to Buddhism in Western countries whose culture does not accept the notion of rebirth. However, this doctrine is extremely important in Buddhism, for all sincere attitudes of cultivation originated from the thorough understanding of this doctrine.
The original word for reincarnation is translated as transmigration. The passing away from one body to be reborn in another body. Where the being will be reborn depends on his accumulated good or bad karma. The belief that living beings, including man, have a series of bodily lives, only ceasing when they no longer base their happiness on any of the objects of the world. This come about when the Buddha-nature is found. This belief is very common to all Buddhists. Rebirth is the recombination of mind and matter. After passing away of the physical body or the matter, the mental forces or the mind recombine and assume a new combination in a different material form and condition in another existence. Rebirth is the result of karma. In Buddhist belief, there is no transmigration of soul or any substance from one body to another. What really happens is that the last active thought (Javana) process of dying man releases certain forces which vary in accordance with the purity of the five thought moments in that series. These forces are called karma vega or karmic energy which attracts itself to a material layer produced by parents in the mother’s’womb. The material aggregates in this germinal compound must possess such characteristics as are suitable for the reception of that particular type of karmic energy. Attraction in this manner of various types of physical aggregates produced by parents occurs through the operation of death and gives a favourable rebirth to the dying man. An unwholesome thought gives an unfavourable rebirth. Each and every type of sentient being will have different appearance whether it be beautiful or ugly, superior or inferior. This is determined and is manifested based solely on the various karma sentient beings created while alive with their antecedent bodies.
According to the Sangiti Sutta in the Long Discourses of the Buddha, there are four forms of birth by which the beings of the six modes of existence can be reborn (all births take place in four forms and in each case causing a sentient being to enter one of the six gati or paths of transmigration). The first type of birth is “Birth from the womb”, or uterine birth or womb-born, as with mammalia. This is one of the four modes of yoni. Uterine birth is a form of viviparous birth, as with mammalia. Before the differentiation of the sexes birth is supposed to have been transformation. In Buddhism, the term is also applied to beings enclosed in unopened lotuses in paradise, who have not had faith in the Amitabha but trusted to their own strength to attain salvation; there they remain for proportionate periods, happy, but without the presence of the Buddha, or Bodhisattvas, or the sacred host, and do not hear their teaching. The condition is also known as the womb-place. The second type of birth is “Egg-born”, or birth from eggs, as with birds. Egg-born, or birth from eggs. Oviparious, as is the case with chicken, goose, birds, etc. The third type of birth is the “Moisture or water born,” as with worms and fishes. Moist and Wet Conditions Born or, spawn-born, or birth from moisture (wetness). Moisture or water-born, as is the case with worms, fishes, shrimps, etc. The fourth type of birth is the “Metamorphic,” as with moths from the chrysalis. Birth by transformation as in the case of deities and superior beings of the Pure Lands. It is said that such beings, after the end of their previous lifetime, suddenly appear in this fashion due to their karma, without the help of parents or any other intermediary agency. Metamorphosis, as is the case with maggot transforms into fly, moths from the chrysalis, caterpillar becomes butterfly, or deities and superior beings of the Pure Land. It is said that such beings, after the end of their previous lifetime, suddenly appear in this fashion due to their karma, without the help of parents or any other intermediary agency. One of the four forms of birth. Any form of existence by which required form is attained in an instant in full maturity. By this birth bodhisattvas residing in Tusita can appear on earth any time at will to save beings (the dhyani-buddhas and bodhisattvas are also of such miraculous origin). Form of metamorphic birth, as with moths, asuras, hungry ghosts, and inhabitants of hells, and the Pure Lands, or first newly evolved world. One of the four forms of birth, which is by transforming, without parentage, attained in an instant in full maturity.
According to Tantric traditions, through his deep insight into how things exist, the Buddha observed that disturbing attitudes and karma cause our minds to take one rebirth after another. At the time of death, ordinary beings crave and grasp for bodies and at the same time afraid to lose bodies and separated from everything around us. When it becomes obvious that we’re departing from this body and life, we grasp for another body. The two attachments of craving and grasping act as the cooperative conditions for karmic imprints to ripen at the time of death. As these karmic imprints start to mature, our minds are attracted to other bodies and we seek to take rebirth in them. In the case of a human rebirth, after passing through an immediate state between one life and the next, our consciousness then enters a fertilized egg. We develop the aggregates of a human being, a human body and mind. In this new rebirth, we perceive people and things through our senses. Experiencing pleasant or unpleasant feelings from them, we generate attachment, aversion or indifference. These motivations cause us to act, and our actions leave more imprints on our mindstreams, and at the time of death, we’re again propelled to take rebirth in another body. This cycle of rebirth is called “Samsara.” Samsara isn’t a place, nor is it a world. It is a cyclic existence. It is our situation of taking one rebirth after another under the control of disturbing attitudes and karmic actions. Thus, our own energy causes us to be reborn who we are, in our present circumstance. However, karma isn’t “cast in concrete,” and our lives aren’t predetermined. Which karmic imprints ripen depends on our environment and our state of mind. In addition, we have the ability to control our actions, and thus shape our future. This is the law of karma, which is the functioning of cause and effect within our mindstreams. Whether we experience pain or pleasure depends on what we have done in the past. Our previous actions or karma were motivated by our minds. In this way, our minds are the principal creator of our experience.
The idea of rebirth is not unique to Buddhism, but it plays an important role in both its doctrine and its practice. The Buddha himself is said to have attained nirvana after a long series of rebirths, and on the night of his enlightenment, according to the Pali Canon, he remembered more than 100,000 previous lives. All beings are continuously reborn in a seemingly endless cycle of birth and death. Just as a person’s birth is not the beginning of his or her fortunes, so death is not the end, because all beings ‘wander’ through successive incarnations: gods can become humans, humans can become gods, animals or hell beings, animals can become humans or ‘hungry ghosts,’ and so on. Advanced beings, such as Bodhisattvas, are able to avoid disadvantageous rebirths, but only Buddhas and arhats are fully liberated from samsara, because after their last lives they will never again be reborn. The countless sentient beings who pass through samsara are accommodated in successive world systems “as numerous as there are sands on the banks of the Ganges.” Each world system is divided into three “spheres of existence. The crudest of these spheres is the World of Sense-Desire, governed by the five senses and inhabited by lesser gods or devas, humans, animals and the various hell beings. More refined is the World of Pure Form, where the greater gods dwell. This sphere corresponds to the four meditational absorptions and its beings are without the sense of touch, taste and smell. The most refined samsaric sphere of existence is the Formless World, a purely mental realm, devoid of physical. Accomplished great gods are born here, but even these rebirths end, because although these gods have reached “summits of existence,” they have not attained nirvana. Each of the world systems lasts incalculable aeons: the Samyutta Nikaya of the Pali Canon, part of the Buddha’s discourses, explained that if a mountain of granite, seven miles high, were stroked every century with a piece of silk, it would be worn away before such a great aeon would pass. Not every form of Buddhism subscribes to this exact cosmology, but all agree that rebirth is not a haphazard process. Just as a physical object is governed by a causal physical law, so a person’s “spiritual” development is governed by a natural law, karma, which is inherent in the cosmos. According to the law of karma, every action or deed “ripens” as a certain of result. This law in itself is neither normal nor retributive but merely a feature of the constituent elements of samsara. Without karma any talk of enlightenment would be senseless: one could not strive toward enlightenment if there were no way to affect one’s development. Karma operates on intentional deeds and creates residual impressions or tendencies that bear fruit or “ripen” with time. Its effects are not limited to the present life but unfold over longer periods by creating favorable or unfavorable rebirths. In the Milindapanha, around the first or second century A.D., a dialogue between the monk Nagasena and king Milinda. Nagasena explains that deeds are linked to their outcomes in the same way that a mango tree’s seed is linked to its fruit. A man who steals from another man’s tree deserves a beating, even though he did not take the seed of the tree, because the stolen fruit could not have grown if the seed had not been planted. The outcome of karma can be affected by good or bad deeds. Which bring about favorable or unfavorable results. This gives rise to the psychological and ethical dimensions of karma. Every intentional deed is accompanied by a different kind of state of mind. If these states of mind are rooted in empathy, wisdom and lack of greed, then they are considered morally unwholesome, and can lead to bad karma. For example, although generosity is a morally wholesome deed, it is the attitude behind the deed, be it mere friendliness or deep compassion, that determines the “karmic seed” which will generate the deed’s “fruit.” Ultimately, the goal of Buddhism is to teach sentient beings gradually to extinguish the fires of hatred, delusion and greed, thereby ceasing to generate bad karmic seeds, and finally, in realizing nirvana, to blow them out completely (nirvana literally means “blow out.”). We take rebirth according to our karma. If we have led a good life we will generally get a good rebirth. A wholesome state of mind at the death moment is likely to be enabling a good rebirth to come about. If we have led an evil life, then a bad rebirth is more than likely to come about. But whenever we may be reborn, we will not be there forever. On the expiry of our lifespan, we die and undergo new rebirth. Deaths and rebirths keep repeating forever in a cycle that we call “the cycle of birth and death.” Karma underscores the importance of human life, because most good or bad deeds are performed in the human realm. Gods enjoy the fruit of their previous good deeds, while those reborn in the sub-human realms have little scope for making virtuous deeds. As karma runs its course, these less fortunate beings may eventually obtain a more advantageous rebirth.
244. Rebirth Consciousness
In Buddhism, rebirth consciousness is not a Self or a Soul, or an Ego-entity that experiences the fruits of good and evil deeds. Consciousness is generated by conditions. Apart from condition there is no arising of consciousness. We call names such as birth, death, thought-processes, and so on, to a stream of consciousness. There are only thought-moments. The last thought-moment we call death, and the first thought-moment we call birth. Thus, birth and death occur in this stream of consciousness, which is only a series of ever continuing thought-moments. So long as man is attached to existence through his ignorance, craving and clinging, to him death is not the final end. He will continue his journey of whirling round the “Wheel of Existence.” This is the endless play of “cause and effect” or action and reaction kept in perpetual motion by karma concealed by ignorance propelled by craving or thirst. As karma, or action, is of our own making, we have the power to break this endless chain. It is through the eradication of ignorance and of this driving force, craving, this thirst for existence, this will to live, that the “Cycle of Existence” ceases. In the Majjhima Nikaya, the Buddha explained: “How is there not re-becoming in the future? By the cessation of ignorance, by the arising of knowledge, by the cessation of craving there is thus no re-becoming in the future.” In the Dhammapada (153-154), on attaining Enlightenment, the Buddha spoke these joyful words:
“Repeated births are each a torment.
Seeking but not finding the “House Builder”,
I wandered through many a Samsaric birth.
O “House Builder”, thou art seen,
Thou wilt not rebuild the house.
All thy rafters have been shattered,
Demolished has thy ridge pole been.
My mind has won the Unconditioned (Nirvana),
The extinction of craving is achieved.” (fruit of Arhat).
245. The Wheel of Becoming
A Sanskrit term which means the “wheel of becoming.” A pictorial representation of the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, which has images of the six destinies (gati) into which sentient beings may be born: gods, demi-gods, humans, animals, hungry-ghosts, and hell-beings. In Tibetan versions of this motif, Yama, the god of death, is often shown with fangs hanging over a wheel divided into six parts. Yama symbolizes the ever-present reality of death, the inevitable end of all beings caught up in cyclic existence (samsara). In the center of the wheel one commonly finds animals representing the forces that perpetuate the cycle: 1) a pig, which represents ignorance; 2) a cock, which represents desire; and 3) a snake, which represents hatred or aversion. The outer rim of the wheel commonly contains representations of the twelve links of the cycle of dependent arising (pratitya-samutpada). “Bhava” is a state of existence (being), or the process of existence. Sometimes translated as “Dharma.” Sometimes translated as “Lakshana.” Every kind of being in the three worlds (in the desire, desireless and formless). The tenth link in the chain of conditioned arising. In Mahayana, Bhava (becoming) is brought into opposition with nothingness (shunyata). Here, “Bhava” is anything that can be relied upon in the visible or invisible realm. It mans any state which lies betwee birth and death, or beginning and end. According to the Path of Purification, there are two kinds of becoming: karma-process becoming and rebirth-process becoming. There are three other kinds of existence, or three states of mortal existence in the trailikya. They are qualities (good, bad, length, shortness), phenomenal things (things which exist only in name, i.e. all things are combinations of other things and are empirically named), and real things (the false view of Hinayana that things, or elements of which they are made, are real; the noumenal or imaginary, understood as facts and not as illusions).
According to The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, Chapter Esanavaggo (Searches), there are three kinds of existence. They are sense-sphere existence (existence in the realm of desire), form-sphere existence (existence in the realm of form), and formless-sphere existence (existence in the realm of formlessness or immaterial realm). Besides, there are three other kinds of becoming. They are the present existence or the present body and mind, the intermediate state of existence, and existence in the future state. According to the Mind-Only School, according to the Buddhist idea, all things are born from mind and consist of mind only. Especially in the idealistic theory, what we generally call existence proceeds from consciousness. According to the Mind-Only School, everything that exists is classified as to the nature of its origin into three species. First, false existence (parikalpita-laksana), also called “Character of Sole Imagination.” Those of false existence which are at the same time bereft of an original substance (adravya), just like a ghost that exists merely in one’s imagination but not in reality. Second, temporary or transitory existence (paratantra-laksana), also called “Character of Dependence upon others.” Those of temporary or transitory existence, having no permanent character (asvabhava), like a house that is built by timbers, stones, tiles, etc. It exists only by a combination of causes or causal combination, and is not self-existent. It has no permanent reality. Third, true existence (parinispanna-laksana), also called “Character of Ultimate Reality.” Those of true existence, that is to say, non-existent in the highest sense of the word, bereft of all false and temporary nature (alaksana). This is, in truth, not non-existence but transcendental existence. This is also called the “Substratum of all” and can be known only by a person of supreme knowledge. It represents merely the remainder after the elimination of the first two. Rebirth is becoming since it becomes. Rebirth-process becoming briefly is aggregates generated by karma. It is of nine kinds. First, sense-desire becoming, the kind of becoming possessed of sense-desires; second, fine-material becoming, the kind of becoming possessed of fine material; third, immaterial becoming, the kind of becoming possessed of immaterial; fourth, percipient becoming, the kind of becoming possessed of perception; fifth, non-percipient becoming, the kind of becoming possessed of non-perception; sixth, neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient becoming, the kind of becoming possessed of neither perception nor non-perception; seventh, one-constituent becoming, the kind of becoming possessed of one constituent; eighth, four-constituent becoming, the kind of becoming possessed of four constituents; ninth, five-constituent becoming, the kind of becoming possessed of five constituents.
246. Six Last Warm Spots Represent the Place of Reincarnation
Buddhism teaches that man is not surely reborn upon our earth. As the result of good deeds, a man may attain certain advantages of better place, body, environment and education in his next life. In other words, the world upon which a person is to have his next birth is decided by the preponderance of the individual’s mreit and demerit or the individual’s karma power. The Buddha taught in the Agama sutra that once death arrives, the body will turn cold because the ‘great fire’ has already burned out. Even so, after all breathing has ceased, in the body there is one last warm spot before the entire body turns cold. The last warm spot represents the place where the conciousness of the deceased escaped the mortal body, and these warm spots may be at the crown of the head, the eye, the chest, the stomach, the knee, or the soles of both feet. Sometimes this warm spot will remain for as long as four to five hours after the person has died. There are six places in the body that represent the six paths of rebirth. In the Agama sutra, the Buddha’s teachings, there are six places in the body that represent the six paths of rebirth. The first spot is the crown (warm spot) which stands for Sainthood or Corwn Enlightenment. When the body of the deceased (a person who has died for three or four hours) is completely cold except for the crown. That means the spirit of the dead has left the body by the way of the crown and the person has been reborn in the realm of saint. In other words, if the spirit left the body through the crown of the head, we are absolutely certain the spirit of the person who has just died has attained liberation to the enlightened realm. The second spot is the “eyes and forehead” which represents the rebirth in the celestial realm. When the person’s eyes and forehead are the last to remain warm, the spirit of that person has been reborn in the celestial (heaven) realms. The third spot is the heart which stands for the rebirth in the human realm. When the person’s heart is the last to remain warm, the spirit of that person has been reborn back among human beings. The fourth spot is the “belly” which stands for the rebirth in the realm of the hungry ghosts. When the person’s belly is the last to remain warm, the spirit of that person has been reborn among hungry ghosts. The fifth spot is the “knee” which stands for the rebirth in the realm of animals. When the person’s knees are the last to remain warm, the spirit of that person has been reborn among animals. The sixth spot is the “sole of feet” which stands for the rebirth in the realm of hells. When the person’s soles of the feet are the last to remain warm, the spirit of that person has been fallen in the hell.
According to Great Master Yin-Kuang, when we take our last breath, our spirits or Alaya Consciousness will leave the body. Thus the area of the body that remains warm is where the spirit left the body. The first spot is the crown (warm spot) stands for Sainthood or Corwn Enlightenment. When the body of the deceased (a person who has died for three or four hours) is completely cold except for the crown. That means the spirit of the dead has left the body by the way of the crown and the person has been reborn in the realm of saint. In other words, if the spirit left the body through the crown of the head, we are absolutely certain the spirit of the person who has just died has attained liberation to the enlightened realm, i.e., the Western Pureland of the Amitabha Buddha. The second spot is the “eyes for celestials”. When the person’s eyes and forehead are the last to remain warm, the spirit of that person has been reborn in the celestial (heaven) realms. When all other parts of the body have turned cold but the eyes and forehead remain warm, then the spirit of the person who has just died left the body through the eyes. In this case, the person will be born in Heaven. When nearing death, people who will be born in Heaven will exhibit the following signs and characteristics: having compassion for others; give rise to a whole some mind; often happy and contented; proper thoughts are apparent; no longer having greed and attachment for money, possessions, spouse, children, etc…; the eyes are clear and shiny; eyes staring into space, smiling, ears hearing heavenly music or eyes seeing heavenly landscape; body does not emit odor; nose bridge remains straight without crookedness; and mind does not exhibit hate and resentment. The third spot is the “heart for human”. When the person’s heart is the last to remain warm, the spirit of that person has been reborn back among human beings. When other parts of the body have turned cold, but the chest and heart remain as the last ‘warm spot,’ the spirit of that dead person will return to the human realm. When nearing death, those who will be reborn to the human realm will exhibit the following signs and characteristics: body is not burdened with major illnesses; give rise to good and wholesome thoughts, have peace and happiness, enjoy practicing meritorious and virtuous deeds; there is little boasting, thinking of mother, father, spouse, and children; with regard to good and evil, their minds are capable of discriminating clearly; give rise to pure faith, requesting the Triple Jewels to be present to take refuge; sons and daughters are near and adore them just as before without showing indifference; ears are fond of hearing the names of brothers, sisters, and friends; remaining dignified and having integrity instead of being petty and sycophant; clearly recognize helping friends, when seeing family members take care of them, they are happy and contented; advise and give responsibilities to loved ones before making the last goodbye. The fourth spot is the “belly for the hungry ghosts”. When the person’s belly is the last to remain warm, the spirit of that person has been reborn among hungry ghosts. The fifth spot is the “knee for animals”. When the person’s knees are the last to remain warm, the spirit of that person has been reborn among animals. The sixth spot is the “sole of feet for hells”. When the person’s soles of the feet are the last to remain warm, the spirit of that person has been fallen in the hell.
247. Eight Kinds of Rebirth Due To Generosity
According to the Sangiti Sutta in the Long Discourses of the Buddha, there are eight kinds of rebirth due to generosity. First, the mental aspiration of a moral person which is to wish to become a rich Khattiya, Brahmin or Householder, is effective through its purity. Here, someone gives an ascetic or Brahmin food, drink, clothes, transport, garlands, perfumes and ointments, sleeping accommodation, a dwelling, or lights, and he hopes to receive a return for his gifts. He sees a rich Khattiya or Brahmin or householder living in full enjoyment of the pleasures of the five senses, and he thinks: “If only when I die I may be reborn as one of these rich people!” He sets his heart on this thought, fixes it and develops it. And this thought, being launched at such a low level, and not developed to a higher level, leads to rebirth right there. But I say this of a moral person, not of an immoral one. The mental aspiration of a moral person to become a rich Khattiya, Brahmin, or Householder is effective through its purity. Second, the aspiration of a moral person which is to wish to become a deva in the realm of the Four Great Kings is effective through its purity. Here a person who gives such gifts and, having heard that the devas in the realm of the Four Great Kings live long, are good-looking and lead a happy life, he thinks: “If only I could be reborn there!” Or he simply aspires to rebirth in the heavens the Four Great Kings. The last part is similar to the last part of Eight kinds of rebirth due to generosity (1). Third, the aspiration of a moral person which is to wish to be reborn as one of the devas in the heavens of the Thirty-Three God (same as in 1). Fourth, the aspiration of a moral person which is to wish to become one of the devas in the heavens of the Yama devas (same as in 1). Fifth, the aspiration of a moral person which is to become one of the devas in the heavens of the Tusita devas (same as in 1). Sixth, the aspiration of a moral person which is to become one of the devas in the heavens of the Nimmanarati devas (same as in 1). Seventh, the aspiration of a moral person which is to become one of the devas in the heavens of the Parammita-vasavatti devas (same as in 1). Eighth, the aspiration of a moral person which is to be rebirth in the world of Brahma (same as in 1).
248. Antecendent Existence Body
Antecedent means before, the origin, or the beginning, etc. Existence means it is inhabited currently, and used presently, etc. The antecedent existence body is the present form body, physical or non-physical, created from various karmasand predestined affinities that each sentient being accumulated in the past. In turn, this antecedent existence body will pass through these four stages of impermanence: birth, old age, sickness, and death. The antecedent existence body will remain only for a definite period of time, but it will not be permanent or eternal because there is birth, then there must be death. There is absolutely no being of the four types of sentient beings, with an antecedent existence body, can overcome this inevitable fate of these four unchanging laws of impermanence including the Heavenly Fairies.
249. Intermediate Existence Body
The intermediate stage between death and rebirth. It’s the 49-day-long process death and rebirth. If there is an antecedent existence body, then, naturally, there has to be an Intermediate Existence Body and an After Existence Body. Intermediate means middle, or in between two lives of the present and future. Existence means present, or currently inhabitating. Because the karmic retribution are concrete and not emptiness. Thus, because of the genuineness of karmic consequences, it is called Existence. The intermediate existence body means the body to be inhabited after the antecedent body. In other words,once a sentient being’s dstiny ends, he or she must abandon the antecedent existence body. Once this happens, that body will decay, the five aggregates will separate, and that person’s spirit will leave the antecedent existence body. And before inhabiting the after existence body or the body of the future life, the spirit of this individual will exist in a period where it will take on a new realm. During this time, the spirit will enter a transitional period as they immediately exist as another entity or inhabit a different body called intermediate existence body. According to Venerable Thích Hải Quang in the Philosophical Conversations with Buddhist Followers, the intermediate existence body is formed by five infinitesimally small aggregates; therefore, it is also called the Intermediate Skandha Body. The intermediate skandha body has many different characteristics, but, in general, there are two types of form appearances: one is having a beautiful form appearance, the other is having a dreadful form appearance. Before the intermediate skandha body assumes the after existence body or the future body, it must pass through a period of forty-nine days in order to determine each individual’s karmic retribution, i.e., judgment day. This is to assume responsibilities for the various karmic activities, whether wholesome or unwholesome, taken when the individual still had the antecedent existence body or when still alive. The Ksitigarbha Sutra taught: “The great demon of impermanence makes no appointments yet it comes, the spirits of the dead are confused and delirious not knowing whether meritorious or transgression. For forty-nine days, their existence is like darkness and deafness, not knowing what will happen, or they may be at various underworld courthouses to go on trials for their karma. Once decisions are made, they will follow their karma to reap the karmic retributions.”
The antecedent existence body or the skandha existence body is not reborn (reincarnated) into another life, but must pass through a period of 49 days of determination of karmic retributions or transition between life. In other words, right after the spirit escapes from the antecedent existence body and becomes the intermediate existence body, it is led by that individual’s karmic effect, depending on the karmic retributions (various merits and transgressions created when that being still had the antecedent existence body) to get reborn into the next life in the six realms of existence. Thus, the Ksitigarbha Sutra taught: “Supposing once a person dies, within the first forty-nine days, for that person’s benefit, loved ones are willing to cultivate and form many meritorious and wholesome practices, then it is possible to free completely that spirit of the dead from the various evil paths to be reborn in Heaven or in the Human realm to reap the various luxuries and hapiness. Not only that, but the curently living loved ones will also benefit greatly. Family and friends know when alive, their loved one who died recently, had created many unwholesome karmic deeds, and will have to endure the karmic retributions of hell. Through love and compassion for their loved one, they follow the Buddha’s ’eachings, take the person’s place to practice various virtuous, meritorious, and wholesome deeds such as make donations, charity work, free trapped animals, chant sutras, recite Buddha’s name and mantras, etc. Thereafter, use thse merits and virtues to dedicate and pray for the deceased spirit when that spirit still exists with the intermediate existence body and has not yet been reborn or reincarnated to another life. If family and friends are able to do all these, the deceased’s intermediate skandha body will be able to eradicate and overcome his or her transgressions to varying degrees. That person will be able to abandon the evil paths and be reborn to Heaven or Human realms to enjoy the various happiness and luxuries.
As usual, the intermediate existence body must go through seven cycles with seven days in each cycle. Only thereafter, the spirit is able to receive the future body. However, there are special situations where the intermediate body does not need to go through that ordinary transitional period. These sentient beings, after leaving their antecedent bodies, their spirits will immediately be liberated to the appropriate heavens accordingly to their merits and spiritual achievements, or be condemned to hell immediately without having to pass through the ordinary transitional period of forty-nine days of the intermediate skandha body. When the sentient beings were alive with antecedent body, they created an extraordinary amount of wholesome karma, planted the fruit of the ten wholesome deeds to the highest level with regard to the various Heavens of Desires, Form, and Formlessness. When the sentient beings were alive with antecedent body, they created an extraordinary amount of unwholesome karma, the most evil and wicked deeds, such as guilty of violating the four offenses, five betrayals, ten evils, belonging to the great Avichi Hell. Besides, there is one more type of sentient beings who are beyond limits; they also do not need to go through the transition period, do not experience having the intermediate body, nor are they a part of the three worlds and the six realms of existences. These sentient beings are those when alive with the antecedent body, followed the Buddha Dharma to cultivate and practice Buddha Recitation by developing Faith and Vow to gain rebirth to the Ultimate Bliss World. After abandoning the antecedent body, their spirits will transcend through the Three Worlds, relying on the rescuing vow powers of the Bodhisattvas and Buddhas. Within a split moment, they will transform to gain rebirth to the Ultimate Bliss World of the Amitabha Buddha and attain a place in the jeweled lotus throne and eternally escape from the conditions of the cycle of rebirths, life, death, etc.
Usually, the intermediate body will remain only for seven days. If it is unable to find a place to get reborn within that time, then it must die and come back to life again as an intermediate body. But, in general, this period will not last more than seven cycles of seve days each before it is able to be reborn and acquire an after existence body. When the intermediate body dies, it can return just as it was before or depending on the karmic reflection, it can transform and change into an intermediate body of another realm before it acquires an after existence body through reincarnation. When the intermediate body is nearing extinction and is about to be reincarnated, at that time, depending on the various karma created by the individual, each will see and perceive different realities, i.e., while living those who created many karma of killing various animals such as slaughtering pigs, goats, etc., then at this time, suddenly all they will see is those various animals they have killed in the past. They may see butchers slaughtering animals or the sounds of animals screaming in agony. Because this is a reflection of the karma they created. Suddenly, the intermediate body will give rise to the state of joy and yearning to be near what they are seeing and hearing. Upon reaching their destination, they will be impeded by their environment and will no longer be able to free themselves from it. In a split moment, their intermediate body is dead as they acquire the after existence body.
According Tibetan Buddhism, after death beings enter a so-called “intermediate state” in which they acquire a subtle body that endures until they experience various intense sounds, sights, etc…, which are products of their own minds. This is considered to be a time of great danger, as beings may react to their experiences in ways that cause them to be reborn in lower rebirth situations (gati). It can also be a time of great opportunity, as beings may make choices that lead them to higher rebirths, or even buddhahood. There are six Bardo states, according to the Kagyupa order: 1) Bardo between birth and death, which refers to the normal waking state between birth and death; 2) Dream Bardo, the period between falling asleep and awakening; 3) Meditation Bardo, a state of cessation in which the senses are withdrawn from external objects of observation; 4) Bardo of becoming, the period between the moment of death and rebirth; 5) Reality Bardo, the time of unconsciousness that beings experience when overwhelmed by death, so called because during this time the mind returns to its primordial nature; and 6) Bardo of birth, which begins at the moment of rebirth into a new lifetime, immediately after the bardo of becoming.
In the Great Heap Sutra, the Buddha taught: “Those sentient beings who committed evil karma, when they are about to die, and are going to fall into evil paths. They will feel extremely sad and terrified. Depending on the reflection of their individual karma, they will see different images of the various evil paths appear.” The intermediate body is about to be born in the Asura realm will see various beautiful and irresistible gardens. In these gardens, there are a variety of rings of flames rolling around everywhere. When seeing these images and they bring joy and elation to the spirit, this means that spirit will be born in this realm. The intermediate body about to enter the Asuras, through a recollections of the spirit karmic power, suddenly will see a large area of dim light, develop a yearning for it, go into that domain and reborn. The intermediate body is about to be born as a dog or pig will often see amny beautiful young ladies; the spirit will give rise to attachment and yearning to chase after them. Consequently, this spirit will be born in that realm. The intermediate body is about to be born as other types of animals will feel suddenly there is a gust of wind twisting so forcefully it is impossible to oppose it. Or it may see infinite demons spreading and coming closer, or terrifying thunders and lightening overhead, etc. Or it may see fog covering, mountain splitting, water crashing, and the spirit will be terrified as it runs away into trees, bushes, and caves, in order to hide or it may see three large holes with the colors of white, red, and black, and will jump to hide. At that very moment, the spirit has entered the womb, when eyes are open, it will realize it has acquired the body of various animals such as a fox, leopard, snake, etc. Those intermediate bodies about to be condemned to the path of hungry ghost suddenly will see before them appear a vast and endless desert, without any vegetation or see only holes, dead and dry weeds, etc. The intermediate body which sees a great area of faded red light, feels a yearning and a wish to go there to play. The moment of entry is when the spirit is at at the point of rebirth in the realm of Hungry Ghosts. The intermediate body is about to be born in Hell suddenly will begin hearing sounds of very sad and melancholy songs, these are the sounds of prisoners aginizing and screaming in hell; next darkness will appear, houses made out of black and white iron, very melancholy looking, similar to being at a funeral. It may see deep holes and caves; the roads are unclear. At that time, it will see itself getting chased by ferocious demons with weapons in hand forcing it to enter these areas. Once it is in there, it will lose all freedom and will be reborn in the realm of hell. Depending on each spirits’ karmic retribution, it must endure infinite pains and sufferings. The intermediate body which sees a great area of murky light similar to black smokes, feels a yearning and a wish to go there to play. The moment of entry is when the spirit is at the point of rebirth in Hell. The intermediate body about to be condemned to glacial hell through the reflection of the spirit’s karmic power, suddenly will feel like an intolerable inferno. It then encounters the cold air rising from the glacial hell and will feel cool and refreshed. Its thoughts give rise to yearning and immediately will fly in search of that place to be cool. Once reaching this place, it is reborn. Intermediate body is about to be condemned to the inferno hell, through the reflection of the spirit’s karmic power, suddenly will feel an extreme and intolerable cold. It then encounters the hot air rising from the inferno hell and will feel warm and comfortable. Its thoughts give rise to yearming and immediately will fly in search for that warmth. Once reaching this place, it is reborn. The intermediate body about to be condemned to the odorous hell (foul smelling hell), through the reflection of the spirit’s karmic power, suddenly will sense and intolerable and strong fragrance (perfume wishes to fine that it becomes nauseous. At that time, its mind wishes to find other foul smelling odor to neutralize that good scent. It then encoulters the foul odor rising from odorour. As a result, it is reborn in the odorous hell.
250. Ten Reliances
Bodhisattvas take all Buddhas as a reliance because they teach ceaselessly like benevolent parents. This is one of the ten kinds of reliance of Great Enlightening Beings. According to The Flower Adornment Sutra, chapter 38 (Detachment from the World), the Great Enlightening Being Universally Good told Unversal Wisdom that Offsprings of Buddha, Great Enlightening Beings have ten kinds of reliance which help them be able to obtain abodes of the unexcelled great knowledge of Buddhas. First, Great Enlightened Beings take the determination for enlightenment as a reliance, as they never forget it. Second, Great Enlightened Beings take spiritual friends as a reliance, harmonizing as one. Third, they take roots of goodness as a reliance, cultivating, gathering, and increasing them. Fourth, they take the transcendent ways as a reliance, fully practicing them. Fifth, they take all truths as a reliance, as they ultimately end in emancipation. Sixth, they take great vows as a reliance, as they enhance enlightenment. Seventh, Great Enlightened Beings take practice as a reliance, consummating them all. Eighth, Great Enlightened Beings take all Enlightening Beings as a reliance because they have the same one wisdom. Ninth, Great Enlightened Beings take honoring the Buddhas as a reliance because their faith is purified. Tenth, Great Enlightened Beings take all Buddhas as a reliance because they teach ceaselessly like benevolent parents.
According to the Flower Adornment Sutra, chapter 38, there are ten kinds of basis on which Great Enlightening Beings carry out their practices. First, Enlightening Beings carry out the practices of Enlightening Beings based on honoring all Buddhas. Second, Enlightening Beings carry out the practices of taming all sentient beings. Third, Enlightening Beings associate with all good companions. Fourth, Enlightening Beings accumulate all roots of goodness. Fifth, Enlightening Beings purify all Buddha-lands. Sixth, Enlightening Beings do not abandon all sentient beings. Seventh, Enlightening Beings enter deeply into all transcendent ways. Eighth, Enlightening Beings fulfill vows of Enlightening Beings. Ninth, Enlightening Beings have infinite will for enlightenment. Tenth, Enlightening Beings rely on enlightenment of all Buddhas.
