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Buddhism views on death & reincarnation...

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 2:12 pm
by mystique
Hi,

I am still learning buddhism, because this religion is the most make sense & comforting me. But I still have unanswered question in my mind till today:

1. Can dead person comunicate with us? let say before ian die, he lock a safetybox with a passcode. Then after he die can his spirit/soul tell this code to any alive person so his son can open that box?
This is real life example of psychiatrist who research about reincarnation when he still alive and prepared that kind of test before he died:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/18/healt ... enson.html

2. In buddhism stated the bardo phase is generally said to last a maximum of 49 days, but from one research about reincarnation done by Jim B. Tucker, indicates that the time between death and apparent rebirth is, on average, sixteen months:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_B._Tucker

3. In buddhism there's no god and buddha said not to worship buddha only respect. but why most chinese buddhist in my country looks like worshipping buddha when they are in trouble to ask for help or asking for fortune, divining from Guanyin?
is it acceptable for us to worship/pray to buddha when we are in danger situation?
Can buddha or bodhisattva help to prevent danger in human world?


Thanks

Re: Buddhism views on death & reincarnation...

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 4:25 pm
by Schrödinger’s Yidam
1. Can dead person comunicate with us?
Generally no.
2. In buddhism stated the bardo phase is generally said to last a maximum of 49 days,
In the Tibetan forms I believe that the connection the recently deceased has to his past life is thought to be 49 days and therefore prayers on his behalf can help him. However sometimes it is many years before the next birth.
3. In buddhism there's no god and buddha said not to worship buddha only respect. but why most chinese buddhist in my country looks like worshipping buddha when they are in trouble to ask for help or asking for fortune, divining from Guanyin?
is it acceptable for us to worship/pray to buddha when we are in danger situation?
Can buddha or bodhisattva help to prevent danger in human world?
There are some forms of Buddhism that believe bodhisattvas such as Guanyin can be of help, but not all of them.

Re: Buddhism views on death & reincarnation...

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 10:57 pm
by Wayfarer
In Asian cultures belief in re-birth is widespread. When Ian Stevenson did his research on children who remember their past lives, he found many more such cases in cultures where belief in re-birth was popular than in the West where it is not. People in the West would say 'why do you bother researching past-life memories? Everyone knows it's a myth.' People in the East would say 'why do you bother researching past-life memories? Everyone knows it happens frequently'.

I think Stephenson' research is very sound and his documented cases are very hard to explain away but it will never gain widespread acceptance in Western culture, regardless of its merits.

It is not the main point of the Buddhist teaching, either, which is chiefly concerned with morality, wisdom and meditation and overcoming the three poisons of greed, hatred and delusion. Becoming fascinated with such topics as re-incarnation can become a distraction.

It is true that in some forms, the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas are regarded as a Deity. I think that is human nature.