[miss manson]

I have been studying the dharma, and have recently finished reading the tibetan book of the dead. They say if we are an enlightened individual we will be liberated, and are born no more. But most of us are born again either in a god like realm, or as a human again, or an animal, a hungry ghost or in one of the hell realms. Until the good or bad karma has run its course then we start again on the wheel of life. The longest period after death, is any thing up to 49 days of perpetual wandering before we. Take rebirth, but it can also happen immediately upon death. I also attend a spiritual group. I have had a message from my grandad, I was aware of his presence months before as I smelt cigar smoke on two seprate occasions and he used to smoke them. The message the lady gave me, well I knew it was him. I don't understand how spirits can be,how they pass messages from the other side. I:confused: f we are reborn and in a continual cycle. Its confusing me. That is why I thought id ask you as I don't happen to have a buddhist monk to hand.

[Thomas1970]

Hi Miss Mansion,
I think to some degree, you are dealing with two different views here on the nature of existence, and I'm not sure they are wholly reconcilable. In some part, it depends largely on what your view of "spirit" is. Buddhists do not believe in a soul per se, as this denotes something largely independent and unchanging. This is where the doctrine of rebirth differs from that of reincarnation. In rebirth nothing much carries over but a mindstream laden with unripened karmic potentials as you alluded to. It is much the way that modern science tells us that matter can become energy, and energy can once again become matter, but nothing can ever truly become annhialated. Matter is never destroyed, it only changes form and manifestation.
It is due to a certain "psychic momentum", a tendency to identify as physical form, that we adopt an energetic body in the bardos, much the way we do in dreams. This allows us to continue to interact, though ultimately, with an environment that neither exists outside the projections of the mind. We stumble through the bardo, terrified of what we see and hear, drawn toward the light that comforts us most, based on our primary affliction in our former existence. The job of the bodhisattvas we thus encounter, is to awaken us to the fact that all is but dream-like and insubstantial, and unable to harm us. All is already perfected, and there was never anything to strive for. Nothing exists outside of us, and yet, we exist within all. When we see this true or "ultimate" nature of mind, we will be instantly liberated, and no longer continue to "falsely" incarnate, limited lifetime after lifetime.
The purpose of reading the Tibetan Book of the Dead to the recently deceased is to help them not to fear their own karmic projections, to sever all attachments to their former existence, and to help them realize their truest nature. And though it is believed the recently deceased can hear all words spoken by those seated around the body, much as a person in a deep coma, they are, to the best of my knowledge, considered unable to reach out to those they left behind, in any way; though they may have difficulty moving on, due to very strong attachments.
What does have to be understood, is that your grandfather is not truly gone. As well as many other forms, he lives on through all his biological and spiritual descendants. You are one of his strongest continuations, and he is very much alive in you. As he is in all the lives of any people he has ever touched intellectually or emotionally, no matter how briefly. And some day, his very body will become part of many other things as well. As well as his gentic traits, he passed on many karmic dispositions to you as well. Perhaps what you are now experiencing are some of these inheritances now ripening in your own mindstream, causing you to have such sensorily vivid memories or experiences.
Depending on your beliefs there are certainly multiple explanations, but know that as his granddaughter, you will never truly be separated from him.
I'm not sure what translation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead you read, but I have always been fond of Robert Thurman's. A great book I could recommend that helps to further elucidate the teachings is "Luminous Emptiness" by Francesca Fremantle, herself a co-translator of an earlier English edition.
You have an excellent grasp of the work. I, by no means whatsoever am an authoritative source, though have been studying Buddhist teachings for roughly 16 years. I wish you great merit, success and enjoyment in your continued studies.
Take care. :)

[magprob]

"Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name, But what's puzzling you is just the nature of my game. Just as every cop is a criminal And all the sinners saints, As heads is tails, Just call me Lucifer 'Cause I'm in need of some restraint."
Rolling Stones

[VBNomad]

What a great response Thomas1970. I am humbled by your thoughtful discourse, and look forward to your postings. Thanks. Buddhism is a beautiful faith isn't it.

Yeah. magprob, the Stones wrote a great song back in the day. Too bad from a social or political point of view no one took heed. The politicians we put in office still dance with the devil every chance they get. And we give them plenty.

[Thomas1970]

Hi VBNomad. Thanks. It is indeed a beautiful faith. Great song as well. :)

[vipul chaudhary]

There is need to do help other living beings or don't hurt the living beings is only the best way to understand their reality of life ,only by feeling that situation.u need dyan or all of that person who want to know about the reality of life.

[valinors_sorrow]

Wow, that explained to me why I have what I have always considered "ancestrial memories" -- memories that are clearly not mine or of this lifetime but ones that I can attribute to my parents, grandparents even. It shows me where I get if from when I don't have a logical answer to why I know what I know. Is it also why it seems that I got what I feared? To teach me not to fear it? Are those karmic projections as well?

[Thomas1970]

Hi Val,
I'm sorry it has taken me a bit to answer your questions here. Just a bit under the weather all day yesterday, and having some difficulty stringing my thoughts together, thus my relative lack of posting. So I'll try to be as coherent as possible, and answer as best I can from what I feel to understand. But please do bear with me. :)
Yes, according to Buddhist teachings on karma, we not only inherent our genetic coding from our ancestors, but much of their learned behaviors and habitual tendencies, perhaps even memories, as well. And this includes their fears.
This has always been the great debate in Western psychology, nature vs. nuture. Are children really born as "clean slates", or is much of their personality already latently pre-programmed. How much of an influence is upbringing in shaping things, and how much does life circumstance simply reinforce, or not, latent potentialities.
From a Buddhist perspective all phenomena and circumstance encountered in life is the direct result of karma. When a situation manifests it is the culmination of near countless individual causes and conditions. It "is" because circumstances were adequate for it to now "be". And when constituent factors can no longer support such, such will cease to manifest actively. The situation or object will change and become something seemingly else.
According to Buddhist thought, fears have no more solidity or permanence than any other manifestation or projection of the mind. It is primarily our strong reflexive aversion in light of a perceived concrete, individualized self that essentially so empowers them. As the teachings often state, "Emptiness can not harm emptiness." Fears have no real ability to hurt us in and of themselves. It is the often unconscious choices that we make in light of our fear, that ultimately play a far greater role in shaping the circumstances that we subsequently encounter.
As to being taught not to fear, it is said that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can adopt virtually any form in order to remedy any errant or erroneous views we may possess. Though we are no more separate from such beings than any other aspect of nature. They are essentially archetypes for colorful facets of our deepest wisdom, and our truest nature. Thus, as with all things, resolution is ultimately to be found within ourselves.
Eventually karma runs its course or is skillfully uprooted, and thus our perceptions can change. I do suppose our fears operate in much the way as the Dalai Lama often notes that we should embrace our enemies as we would our most cherished spiritual teacher -- for they alone offer us the greatest opportunities for learning patience and tolerance; unparalleled opportunities for spiritual growth, largely beyond what our loved ones could ever present us with. Fears, as well as enemies, indeed can be great gifts if properly employed on the spiritual path. Though true happiness is ultimately achieved in transcending all such dualistic thoughts or concerns.

[angel mage]

I have been studying the dharma, and have recently finished reading the tibetan book of the dead. They say if we are an enlightened individual we will be liberated, and are born no more. But most of us are born again either in a god like realm, or as a human again, or an animal, a hungry ghost or in one of the hell realms. Untill the good or bad karma has run its course then we start again on the wheel of life. The longest period after death, is any thing up to 49 days of perpetual wandering before we. Take rebirth, but it can also happen immediatley upon death. I also attend a spiritual group. I have had a message from my grandad, i was aware of his presence months before as i smelt cigar smoke on two seprate occasions and he used to smoke them. The message the lady gave me, well i knew it was him. I dont understand how spirits can be,how they pass messages from the other side. I:confused: f we are reborn and in a continual cycle. Its confusing me. that is why i thought id ask you as i dont happen to have a buddhist monk to hand.

In my oppion we are rencarnated over and over again until our soul is pure enough for Angels to open the gates of Heaven to us

[valinors_sorrow]

Thank you Thomas, in your usual fashion you have more than answered it and raised a few more curioisities I shall just have to save for later when you are feeling better. I did know already about how things come and go, manifesting and transforming, if that is how its put. And I believe there have been occasions where I experienced the bliss of emptiness and can recall looking back at those moments as being not only remarkably pleasant and ordinary on one level but also rather mundanely extraordinary in the no fear part, at least for me--- as if this was where I was meant to be all along. I don't know how that state of being comes and goes with me exactly but some part of me knows when it arrives to just be and nothing else, since anything else will make it go. There are apparently many ways to meditate LOL and that delights me. I send you wishes of abundant health to help balance the deficit, even though I know it doesn't really work that way.

[magprob]

The Buddhist religion has many great teachings, If Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior was one of them, I would be on the band wagon pronto. The thing is, they put Buddha over Jesus Christ. I shy away from anyone that puts anything before Christ. Now don't get me wrong, I went to see the Dali Lama in Sun Valley, Idaho two years ago. He is a wonderful man. But again, Jesus is not his Lord and Savior. Now you can call me old fashion or whatever but, I just have a real problem with that. I suppose it is because I am of the Christian persuasion? Come to think of it, New Agers and Muslims do not profess Jesus Christ to be their Lord and Savior either, right?
As far as I am concerned, there are only two camps on this earth. The good and the evil. You cannot be in between and you can't be both. When the Dookie hits the fan, and it is going to sooner than later, I know which camp I'm in.

[VBNomad]

And just to be clear, let's finish that thought... There are only two camps on this earth of 8 billion souls - good and evil. And Muslims, Jews, New Agers, and Buddhists (including the Dali Lama) are all in the evil camp because they don't profess that Jesus is their lord and savior.

"Evil". That's quite a label to assign to someone who doesn't see an unprovable theory the way you do.

[tylo]

So if we are reincarnated over and over again, how would buddism explain ghosts and spirits?

[Thomas1970]

Pretas or "Hungry Ghosts" are one of the six major classes of possible incarnation according to Buddhism, along with Gods, Asuras (Demi-Gods), Humans, Animals and Hell Beings. One is traditionally said to rebirth as a ghost due to insatiable appetites, whether it be for material possesions, emotional or sexual fulfillment, or whatever... Essentially they are characterized by a hunger that can never be satiated. This is not wholly out of sync with many Western teachings, that often believe souls do not fully cross over, most often due to traumatic events -- essentially something is left or felt to be unresolved.
"Spirit" can probably take on many definitions in Buddhism, but would probably be most closely associated with the three "kayas", particularly Sambhogakaya and Dharmakaya. Nirmanakaya can be referred to as an "earthly body", Sambhogaya as a "dream body" or one we may possess in the transitional states after death. Dharmakaya is a body beyond all relative limitations.

Six realms - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Trikaya - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rainbow body - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shambhala Sun - Three in One: A Buddhist Trinity

Hope this is of some help. :)