Pages

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Reborn

Master Hui Re
http://dharmainafrica.blogspot.com/
*
"In my last life I made an appointment to be born in this Saha world. So here I am fulfilling my vows in this life. Now I'm making an appointment to be born in the Pureland, in the Land of Lotuses, when this life ends."
Rebirth is difficult to believe in and can't be explained rationally.
*
The Wheel-of-Life illustrations show beings living, dying, and being reborn as they revolve in one after another of the Six Realms of Existence. To me, the Wheel-of-Life illustrations are wonderful and useful teachings of the Buddhist Dharma, illustrating psychological states in THIS LIFE, and there is no necessity of believing in past lives.
*
Even though I don't believe in previous lives, let me relate my own previous life, that is, two lives ago. I feel I was an ordinary lay follower of Saint Honen (1133-1212AD), a reciter of the nembutsu, a student of the writings of the Tendai priest Eshin Sozu (942-1017AD), wishing to be reborn in Amitabha's Pureland, and wishing to return to Earth after dwelling there, to be reborn in this Saha World and continue serving the Buddha by following the bodhisattva path. It's just a feeling.

No comments: