If we all can see and know our past lives!

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If we all can see and know our past life!

1) The world will be a better place
5
50%
2) The world will be a worse place
0
No votes
3) No difference
3
30%
4) Don't know
2
20%
5) Don't care
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 10

SarathW
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If we all can see and know our past lives!

Post by SarathW »

If we all can see and know our past lives!

I just wonder the significance of this knowledge of knowing your past life.

Will you practice better than now?

I voted no difference.

Please give your reason for the vote.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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mario92
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Re: If we all can see and know our past lives!

Post by mario92 »

I think it would be a lot of fun knowing what i was, and some knowledge of that age, also what i did in past lives and its result in this life, etc.There is a doctor that makes past lives regressions and he teaches how to do it his name is Brian weiss. Also you can do it if you do upacara samadhi which is similar to hipnosis, the method of this doctor.
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confusedlayman
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Re: If we all can see and know our past lives!

Post by confusedlayman »

people will never do bad things
I may be slow learner but im at least learning...
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DNS
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Re: If we all can see and know our past lives!

Post by DNS »

Definitely a better place. For those of us without full awakening, there will still be some lingering doubt, curiosity that maybe this is all there is. We're all here by some fluke of chemicals, rna, dna floating around and mixing in some right way that made life and evolved from there to what we are today; no kamma, no kamma-vipaka, no heaven, no hell. So people do all kinds of bad things thinking there are no consequences. If we all saw with certainty how we ended up as a cockroach, a fish, a dog, a human, a deva; we would follow precepts and wholesome behavior more easily.
Bundokji
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Re: If we all can see and know our past lives!

Post by Bundokji »

I guess it would lead to the extinction of the race as it would be difficult to vividly remember a close relative from previous and still copulate. Also our legal system would be quite busy dealing with proceedings from past lives, and the issue whether vipaka already ripen in the cosmic justice system or should the worldly legal system be in charge would be quite controversial issue to solve. :popcorn:
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"

This was the last word of the Tathagata.
Sha Bac
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Re: If we all can see and know our past lives!

Post by Sha Bac »

I really don't think it would make the world a better place, in the sense of morality. There would be less disagreement between different religions on the question. But would it make people better? I don't think so. Devadatta and Kokalika were both in the Buddha's presence, and they both went to hell. It seems like mental afflictions are more powerful than knowledge. People aren't rational, and pride, hatred, and anger cause people to do things which are completely insane. People throw their entire lives away in a single moment of anger. Furthermore, knowing previous lives doesn't allow for a person to connect the dots or understand karma. Some people think making changes in the world is good, even though they try to bring about change with anger and hatred. Look at Hitler. He was extremely influential and powerful and charismatic, but he didn't understand morality. Just because you can influence change doesn't mean you're doing it right. Knowledge of rebirth wouldn't necessarily give understanding.

You would think if a person was so advanced as to have iddhi power, nothing else would matter. But that's just not true. Everyday life is more powerful than these subtle spiritual advancements. What I mean is, if you don't actualize your potential and do what you were meant to do, no amount of meditation is going to take away your disappointment. And powers and the like aren't anything to speak of. What I mean is, to be at that level requires so much concentration and equanimity, you don't get excited about powers. Getting excited about powers is an oxymoron.

So no, I don't think it would really change the world all that much. People would be the same. But I did vote that it would make the world a better place, because it would reconcile certain traditions on a certain doctrine. But what then? The Christians would just insist that believing in Jesus brings you to a permanent tusita or something. They would corrupt knowledge of rebirth with the God doctrine.
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DNS
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Re: If we all can see and know our past lives!

Post by DNS »

Bundokji wrote: Fri Jun 02, 2023 8:24 pm I guess it would lead to the extinction of the race as it would be difficult to vividly remember a close relative from previous and still copulate.
:lol:
Also our legal system would be quite busy dealing with proceedings from past lives, and the issue whether vipaka already ripen in the cosmic justice system or should the worldly legal system be in charge would be quite controversial issue to solve. :popcorn:
Sounds like a good outline for a future minority report-matrix-style movie screenplay.
Bundokji
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Re: If we all can see and know our past lives!

Post by Bundokji »

DNS wrote: Fri Jun 02, 2023 9:15 pm Sounds like a good outline for a future minority report-matrix-style movie screenplay.
It is in fact inspired by the following movie (relevant section begins at 4:28)

And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"

This was the last word of the Tathagata.
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Ceisiwr
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Re: If we all can see and know our past lives!

Post by Ceisiwr »

The Buddha said that if people knew the fruits of giving there is nothing they wouldn’t give. A world of less greed, hate and delusion would be a good thing.
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
SarathW
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Re: If we all can see and know our past lives!

Post by SarathW »

Bundokji wrote: Fri Jun 02, 2023 8:24 pm I guess it would lead to the extinction of the race as it would be difficult to vividly remember a close relative from previous and still copulate. Also our legal system would be quite busy dealing with proceedings from past lives, and the issue whether vipaka already ripen in the cosmic justice system or should the worldly legal system be in charge would be quite controversial issue to solve. :popcorn:
:clap:
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
SarathW
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Re: If we all can see and know our past lives!

Post by SarathW »

Adam1234 wrote: Fri Jun 02, 2023 8:48 pm I really don't think it would make the world a better place, in the sense of morality. There would be less disagreement between different religions on the question. But would it make people better? I don't think so. Devadatta and Kokalika were both in the Buddha's presence, and they both went to hell. It seems like mental afflictions are more powerful than knowledge. People aren't rational, and pride, hatred, and anger cause people to do things which are completely insane. People throw their entire lives away in a single moment of anger. Furthermore, knowing previous lives doesn't allow for a person to connect the dots or understand karma. Some people think making changes in the world is good, even though they try to bring about change with anger and hatred. Look at Hitler. He was extremely influential and powerful and charismatic, but he didn't understand morality. Just because you can influence change doesn't mean you're doing it right. Knowledge of rebirth wouldn't necessarily give understanding.

You would think if a person was so advanced as to have iddhi power, nothing else would matter. But that's just not true. Everyday life is more powerful than these subtle spiritual advancements. What I mean is, if you don't actualize your potential and do what you were meant to do, no amount of meditation is going to take away your disappointment. And powers and the like aren't anything to speak of. What I mean is, to be at that level requires so much concentration and equanimity, you don't get excited about powers. Getting excited about powers is an oxymoron.

So no, I don't think it would really change the world all that much. People would be the same. But I did vote that it would make the world a better place, because it would reconcile certain traditions on a certain doctrine. But what then? The Christians would just insist that believing in Jesus brings you to a permanent tusita or something. They would corrupt knowledge of rebirth with the God doctrine.
Totally agree.
We all have the rules (jail, fines, etc.) under the sun but people still do bad things.
The other thing is nobody can predict how Kamma ripens.
A murderer can be reborn as Deva and a good man can go to hell.
I think the majority of people enjoy today not tomorrow.

So what the heck - eat, drink, and dance?
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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confusedlayman
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Re: If we all can see and know our past lives!

Post by confusedlayman »

Bundokji wrote: Fri Jun 02, 2023 8:24 pm I guess it would lead to the extinction of the race as it would be difficult to vividly remember a close relative from previous and still copulate. Also our legal system would be quite busy dealing with proceedings from past lives, and the issue whether vipaka already ripen in the cosmic justice system or should the worldly legal system be in charge would be quite controversial issue to solve. :popcorn:
legal system will be abolished. if people see past lives, judge will quit their jobs because they know if they send people to jail it is bad karma... there wont be jail or anything... people will atleast give few rice to monk and ready to die for heavenly mansion atleast.
I may be slow learner but im at least learning...
SarathW
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Re: If we all can see and know our past lives!

Post by SarathW »

Perhaps one benefit of knowing the past lives will eliminate the nihilist from this planet.
Am I correct?
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
Bundokji
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Re: If we all can see and know our past lives!

Post by Bundokji »

confusedlayman wrote: Sat Jun 03, 2023 6:26 am legal system will be abolished. if people see past lives, judge will quit their jobs because they know if they send people to jail it is bad karma... there wont be jail or anything... people will atleast give few rice to monk and ready to die for heavenly mansion atleast.
The legal system would be abolished only if you believe that remembering past lives would necessarily translate into knowing how actions lead to future destinations. This does not seem to be the case, otherwise, why pubbe-nivāsanussati is a separate knowledge from dibba-cakkhu?

Also in DN1, it is mentioned that some ascetics develop the ability to remember past lives, and they still fall into eternalism. Eternalism would give a blow to those who are overly future oriented with no end in-sight. This would translate into giving weight (or appeal) to immediate pleasures and breaking the precepts, so the legal system would still be needed.

Having the divine eye would still be needed in a court of law. For example, if i remembered that you stole my money in a previous life, and you somehow managed to get away with it, and i want to go to the court to rectify the situation, i would need witnesses. Now, to locate those witnesses in the current life who were "there" so to speak, i would need a divine eye.

This is why, any knowledge short of āsavakkhaya seems to be a lost cause in terms of liberation.
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"

This was the last word of the Tathagata.
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Dhamma Chameleon
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Re: If we all can see and know our past lives!

Post by Dhamma Chameleon »

Bundokji wrote: Sat Jun 03, 2023 2:19 pm [...] only if you believe that remembering past lives would necessarily translate into knowing how actions lead to future destinations. This does not seem to be the case, otherwise, why pubbe-nivāsanussati is a separate knowledge from dibba-cakkhu?
I agree, you would need insight into causality to make sense of your past life memories. Otherwise they're just memories and we have plenty of those in this life already. I suspect there's good reason that we can't remember unless we really try.

Human nature is human nature so I don't think much would change. Some might see patterns or causality and decide to live more heedfully. Many will misunderstand, find something to cling to and use it to justify claims and views.
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