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Good afternoon, everyone. I would like to share a reflection that came to me while meditating on rebirth. Sometimes I find it hard to grasp the motivation for freeing oneself from suffering in future lives, given that “I” won’t be the one experiencing that suffering. Then I thought: I don’t know what I was before this life—that past life feels foreign to me—yet I enjoy the fruits of that life because I have a very good life now. Similarly, when I die, I will bequeath the fruits of my actions in this life to my next birth. It is like having a child (which I don’t, by the way): you love them, you care for them, and you want the best for them—for them to be happy and lack nothing—so you try to leave them an inheritance that ensures their happiness. Why? Because they are part of you; they carry your genes, they are a life that came from you, they are your creation. It should be the same with your next birth: it is like your child, possessing your essence and being part of you. So, if you want to leave it good things, you must perform good deeds and fill your heart with kindness; yet that will only bring a few blessings, and eventually, that life will still be exposed to suffering. Therefore, the best inheritance you can leave it is the fruit of the Dhamma.
I would like to know what you think of this reflection—is it useful, or are there flaws in this line of thinking?I speak Spanish and am using Google Translate; I hope the idea comes across clearly.
Best regards. -
Hello Carlos,
1. I think you meant to discuss the topic “Interpretation of Rebirth,” not “Interpretation of the Renaissance.”
- The Renaissance was a period in European civilization immediately following the Middle Ages and is conventionally characterized by a surge of interest in Classical scholarship and values.
2. Rebirth, in general, cannot be considered such an ‘upgrade’ or a ‘renewal’.
- The Buddha taught that most rebirths are ‘downgrades’, meaning most humans are reborn in the animal realm or even worse realms in the Buddha’s teachings. I am not sure whether you are familiar with that concept of a ‘wider world’ with 31 realms. We are aware of only two of the 31 realms: the human and animal realms.
- Out of the 31 realms, four realms (including the animal realm) are worse than the human realm. The human realm and the other realms above it are better.
- However, most rebirths are in the four lowest realms.
3. It is also important to note that ‘rebirth’ in Buddha’s teachings is different from ‘reincarnation’ in Hinduism. Reincarnation involves a permanent entity (called ‘ātman‘), much like a soul in Christianity. While a soul in Christianity either goes to a permanent existence in hell or heaven, the ‘ātman‘ in Hinduism is supposed to attain a permanent existence as a Brahma, which is also a heavenly existence as in Christianity.
- No such ‘permanent existence’ can be attained according to the Buddha’s teachings.
- See “What Reincarnates? – Concept of a Lifestream“
4. You wrote: “Sometimes I find it hard to grasp the motivation for freeing oneself from suffering in future lives, given that “I” won’t be the one experiencing that suffering.”
- Yes. This is the impression most people get when they hear about the concept of ‘rebirth’ taught by the Buddha.
- You probably remember your childhood experiences. Memories about past events, even from past lives, are possible. See “Evidence for Rebirth.”
- This is a somewhat complex subject, but I hope you can get some ideas from the above.
- More advanced concepts are discussed in “Buddha Dhamma – A Scientific Approach.”
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That’s true; I was referring to rebirth.
So, there is no way to leave a good legacy for future rebirths; remaining in samsara means perpetuating suffering.
I know the topic of the “self” is complex and shouldn’t be tackled in the early stages of the path.
So, I will hold onto this reflection: the motivation to attain liberation is compassion for all beings—starting with myself and my future rebirths.
Is it correct to think this way?
Thank you.
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First, my responses may sometimes be delayed because I am in a different time zone (in the USA).
Carlos wrote: “So, there is no way to leave a good legacy for future rebirths; remaining in samsara means perpetuating suffering.”
- Yes. You can avoid bad rebirths. That is done by understanding the ‘true nature of the world’ and the ‘true nature of sensory experiences’.
- That is the deeper aspect of Buddha’s teachings.
Carlos asked: “So, I will hold onto this reflection: the motivation to attain liberation is compassion for all beings—starting with myself and my future rebirths. Is it correct to think this way?”
- Yes. That would be a good start.
- All living beings undergo suffering, especially when born in those ‘bad realms’.
- Most rebirths in such ‘bad realms’ are due to one’s actions with anger. For example, killing or physically or verbally harming others generates potent ‘kammic energy’ that leads to such rebirths.
- ‘Kamma‘ (not ‘karma‘) in Buddha’s teachings refers to one’s actions done with greed, anger, and ignorance of the true nature of the world, as I mentioned above. Here, ‘karma‘ is a Sanskrit word and comes in Hinduism, and ‘kamma‘ is a Pali word used by the Buddha.
- I am still working on the weekly post, and the above is a brief response. I suggest scanning the following section and reading any posts that interest you: Moral Living And Fundamentals | Pure Dhamma
- You can refer to specific posts and ask questions. That is probably a good way to get started.
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