Post # 62 – SAMSARA, the CYCLE OF BIRTH  AND  DEATH, IN THERAVADA BUDDHISM – Part 3

It would be good if you could visit the 1st Post to know about this Blog. 

You need to read Post # 60 and Post # 61, before reading this. We are now in the position to discuss the escape from the unsatisfactory samsaric cycle. That is to engage in activities that lead to the complete cessation of suffering, the realization of Nibbana.

The conventional death is just one phase of a continuous cycle of existence, linking our present life and the next, and is a direct result of our accumulated kamma. The past accumulated kamma acts in a subtle way to condition the new life. A person who has acquired wholesome kamma may well be born into happy circumstances, enjoying good health, wealth and family connections. Although the inherited genes from parents play an important part in determining physical and some mental characteristics, kamma may be considered as the driving force. It may well be argued that rebirth to particular parents was the appropriate result of past kamma.

On the other hand, beings born into higher planes than human are said to enjoy blissful existence and thoughts of release from the cycle of re-birth are furthest from their minds. The human plane provides a more balanced environment, where beings experience both happiness as well as unhappiness, and therefore are able to, if they wish, enter the path to liberation. The attainment is not overnight, but has to be obtained step by step in an incremental process.

Bhikku Bodhi the scholar monk from US, in a Dhamma talk stated that: “The cause for unhappiness, discontent and suffering is the tension between desire and the lack of what is desired. The two possible approaches to overcome this tension are to obtain what is desired or eliminate desire. Usually man goes for the first option by believing that happiness can be found by satisfying desire. Getting things from outside is vulnerable for failure. When they are not permanent, the loss is painful. The second option of eliminating desire is independent of external objects and therefore not vulnerable for failure. It is a happiness and inner satisfaction that can never be destroyed. Full freedom from suffering is elimination of craving and ending re-becoming.  It is the state of Nibbana, the ultimate goal of a Buddhist”.

It was seen from the previous posts on Punnya Kamma and Kusala Kamma that acquisition of these virtues were necessary for the well-being in our present life and future lives. Understanding that escape from Samsara advocated in Buddha-Dhamma is the main objective of dhamma practice, one knows that this escape can be difficult to realize in this life, although not impossible. Therefore it is essential to have an insurance to ensure ourselves with a birth in a happy realm in the next birth endowed with necessary means (paramithas) to continue the practice for reaching liberation at the earliest. This particular human life is a rare opportunity we have to make some progress in the path. The clear steps described have to be learned in detail and the practical way to engage in them in a household life has to be worked out.

Upon reaching enlightenment the Buddha discovered the four Noble Truths, consisting of Dhukka or the unsatisfactory nature of existence, the cause, the liberation or Nibbana, and the path of practice to liberation. If one were to single out one truth out of above for the realization of liberation, it is the fourth. Not that it is more important than the others, but because one can engage in a practice to experience the truth when compared to the other three which are more focused on intellectual understanding of the truths. It is a path to spiritual development.  

 When a Buddha arises in this world he discovers this path which has up to then been shrouded in spiritual darkness. He then commits himself to teach this to the people to help them escape from entrapment in the samsara. In his teaching in the Pattica Samupadda (Dependent Origination) Buddha explains the process of re-becoming, pinpointing to the cause, as the clinging rooted in ignorance. By developing right view and other spiritual qualities in the ‘Path’, ignorance (and clinging) is eliminated giving rise to liberating wisdom.

In an article written by Dr. Ari Ubeysekara in 2018 on - Cycle of Birth and Death (samsara) in Theravada Buddhism, this author says that- “According to Buddhist scriptures, it is believed that through meditation, the Buddha gained firsthand knowledge of rebirth and the cycle of birth and death,  before declaring it to the world. During the process of attaining full enlightenment through deep meditation on that night, the Buddha is said to have developed three special types of supreme knowledge, two of which revealed the knowledge of rebirth. During the first watch of the night, the Buddha developed the supreme knowledge (pubbe-nivasanussati nana) through which it was possible to recollect the past lives that the Buddha himself had gone through during the cycle of birth and death. During the second watch of the night, the Buddha developed the divine eye (cutupapatha nana), which revealed how from an inconceivable beginning, other beings were reborn into happy or unhappy existences dependent on their previous skillful and unskillful actions, based on the natural law of cause and effect (kamma)”.

During one’s life there is a recurring succession of streams of consciousness. Each incidence of consciousness goes through three stages. It originates (uppada), persists (tithi), and ceases (bhanga), all in a minute duration of time only to be followed by the origin of another incidence of consciousness. The first consciousness transmits its kammic form and energy over to the next. The subsequent consciousness is completely new and not the same as its predecessor. However, it is not completely independent of the predecessor either, as the new consciousness is conditioned by the kammic form and energy of the previous one.

The recurring stream of consciousness is said to continue on between the end of one life process (death of one life as we know it) and the beginning of another life process (birth of one life as we know it). The newly born being in the next life is described as being neither the same person nor a different person. This process has sometimes been equated to what happens when one candle is lit from another candle where nothing substantial passes from the first candle to the second, but still the flame of the first candle is the cause of the flame in the second candle.

According to Buddhist teaching, one who cultivates the Noble Eight-fold Path with diligence, will sooner or later pass through four progressive stages of spiritual development, finally attaining full enlightenment or Nibbana. The four progressive stages of spiritual development are Stream Enterer (sotapanna); Once Returner (sakadagami); Non-Returner (anagami); Arahat (Noble Being). The way to attain these stages of development was described in Posts #s 16 to 20.

By following virtuous qualities of associating with noble friends; learning the Dhamma;  being always mindful and acting wisely with clear comprehension in accordance with Dhamma; and following  the Noble Eightfold Path and  also developing unwavering trust (Sradda) in the Buddha, Dhamma, the Sanga (the noble community) and the Seela - physical and verbal restraint from doing unwholesome deeds,  one enters Sothapatthi Margaya - stream entry, the  path. This path and the attainment of its fruition, the Sothapatthi - (stream enterer) state, is the first stage in realizing Nibbana.  Upon entering the path one develops Saddha (trust), Viriya (ardent effort), Sathi (mindfulness and clear comprehension), Samadhi (concentrated attention) and Panna (wisdom for understanding reality) as faculties and strengths progressively to higher levels. These progressive attainments of the different stages in the realization Nibbana, helps to eliminate various fetters or shackles (sanyojanas) that chain you down to the Samsaric process. Further, once you are established in the Sothapatthi Margaya, you will reach an important intermediate state before you attain its fruition. That is either becoming a Sadda-nu-sari (one driven by trust) or Dhamma-nu-sari (one driven by understanding of the Dhamma).  In the former, unwavering trust in the Noble Triple Gem is the driver which takes you forwards towards the Sothapatthi state. In the case of the latter, the driver is the inspiration gained from the understanding of the Dhamma. This inspiration carries you forward. Any one of these intermediate states is quite achievable in this life and can be the first target to aim at.

From the Sothapatthi state and continuing on with the above practice to a higher degree of qualitative progress, one reaches the Sakadagami (once returner) state, the Anagami (no returner) state and thereafter the final state of Arahanthood (an enlightened one), ending the Samsaric journey and attaining Nibbana.

I hope with these descriptions I have been able to create in your minds the inspiration to engage in the Dhamma Practice to escape from this dangerous Samsaric Cycle. In the following  Posts I will try to give some more details on Nibbana for your study.

May you get the necessary inspiration!.....

Post # 61 – SAMSARA, the CYCLE OF BIRTH   AND DEATH, IN THERAVADA BUDDHISM – Part 2

Are you visiting this Blog for the first time? It would be good if you could visit the 1st Post to know about this Blog and then read the others in sequence. 

You need to read Post # 60 before reading this.

In Post # 60 you saw an outline of the references made by learned scholars on the topic of Samsara and the need to escape from its entrapment. In this post I will continue such descriptions with reference to the realms of re-birth etc… as described in Theravada Buddha-Dhamma

Realms of Rebirth - Buddhist cosmology, typically describe six realms in which re-becoming may occur. They are the realms of divine beings, humans, animals, demi-gods, hungry ghosts and hells. The six realms are typically divided into higher realms (good and fortunate) and lower realms (evil and unfortunate). The higher realms are the realms of the divine beings and humans; the lower realms are the realms of the animals, demi-gods, hungry ghosts and hell beings. The six realms are organized into thirty one levels. Buddhist texts describe these realms as follows:

Higher Realms (good and fortunate)

Divine realms - those of gods (devas) is the most pleasure-filled among six realms, and typically subdivided into twenty six sub-realms. A rebirth in this heavenly realm is believed to be due to very good kamma accumulation. A Deva does not need to work, and is able to enjoy in the heavenly realm all pleasures found on earth. However, the pleasures of this realm lead to attachment (Upādāna), lack of spiritual pursuits and therefore Samsara.  The vast majority of Buddhist lay people have historically pursued rituals and practices motivated with rebirth into Deva realm. The life period in these realms are quite long compared to the human life span.

Human realm:  Buddhism asserts that one is reborn in this realm with vastly different physical endowments and moral natures because of a being's past kamma. A rebirth in this realm is considered as fortunate because it offers an opportunity to attain Nibbana and end the Saṃsāra cycle.

Lower Realms (evil and unfortunate)

Animal realm: This is a state of existence of a being as an animal. This realm is traditionally thought to be similar to a hellish realm, because animals are believed in Buddhist texts to be driven by impulse and instinct.  They prey on each other and suffer. They accumulate kamma, and are reborn in Samsara.

Demi-god realm (Asura): This is the forth realm of existence in Buddhism. Asura are notable for their anger and some supernormal powers. They fight with the Devas (divine beings), or trouble the Manusya (humans) through illnesses and natural disasters. They accumulate kamma, and are reborn in Samsara. The life period in these realms are quite long compared to human life

Hungry ghost realm: The hungry ghosts and other restless spirits (preta) are rebirths caused by kamma of excessive craving and attachments. They do not have a tangible body, are invisible and constitute only "subtle matter" of a being. Buddhist texts describe them as beings that are extremely thirsty and hungry.  Buddhist traditions in Asia attempt to care for them on ritual days every year, by leaving food and drinks in the open, to feed any hungry ghosts nearby. When their bad kamma runs out, these beings are reborn into another realm. The suffering of the beings born in the realm of the hungry ghosts is far more intense than those born in the animal realm. The life period in these realms are quite long compared to human life

Hell realm: The beings in hell (naraka) enter this realm for serious evil kamma such as theft, lying, adultery and others. The texts vary in their details, but typically describe numerous hellish regions each with different forms of intense suffering. These beings are reborn in another realm after their evil kamma has run its course.  They die, and they get another rebirth. The life period in these realms are quite long compared to human life.

These descriptions may seem to some, as ancient mystic creations that have been passed down the generations for purposes of restraining people from engaging in bad ethical acts, due to fear of such consequences. While this moral objective is tenable and may appeal to a reasonable mind, the validity of these descriptions and their reality per se has to be analyzed intellectually before any judgment is made.

We are prepared to accept that something is real if it can be established by the conventional scientific theories. Also if something is perceptible and can be experienced through our sense faculties of eye, ear etc. we are prepared to accept them. While this is reasonable, we have to know that scientific postulations are ever changing with new discoveries and research. Therefore relying entirely on what science says as presently established about the world outside of its domain is not very wise, given the serious nature of what we are trying to understand. We are all too aware that our sensory perceptions are limited to a regime determined by the strengths of our faculties and the supporting instrumentation and aids presently available. As worldly beings, our domain of experiences is thus limited as aforesaid. However a human being with special intellectual capacity and wisdom and a trained mind can arguably see and understand many phenomena that are not perceptible to an ordinary human mind.

Thus if we can have trust in Buddha’s special abilities as described, we may be well advised to look at what Buddha has experienced and taught  in his search for the truth of the nature of life of all beings. This option therefore is the favored stand point for our decision making in the present context in our pursuit of a specific Practice that we must follow.

Samsara is perpetuated by one's kamma, which is caused by craving and ignorance (avidya). Kamma or 'action' results from an intentional physical, verbal or mental act, which causes a future consequence. Thus acts of body and speech are driven by an underlying intention or will (cetanā), and they are unwholesome or wholesome because they are motivated by unwholesome or wholesome intentions. Acts of body and speech are, then, the end products of particular kinds of mentality. At the same time kamma can exist as a simple 'act of will', a forceful mental intention or volition that does not lead to an act of body or speech.

In the Buddhist view, therefore, the type of birth one has in this life is determined by actions or kamma from the previous lives; and the circumstances of the future rebirth are determined by the actions in the current and previous lives.

Buddhist tradition considers ignorance (avidya) to be the root cause of samsara.  Avidya is misconception and ignorance about reality, leading to grasping and clinging, and repeated rebirth. It is the not-knowingness of things as they truly are. It can be overcome by insight into the true nature of phenomena or reality. The recognition and acceptance of non-self, is called the anatta.  One who no longer sees any soul or self, concludes Ven. Walpola Rahula quoting the Buddha, is the one who has been liberated from the samsara cycles.

Buddhist texts suggest that rebirth occurs through the transfer of vinnana (consciousness) from one life to another. When this transfer of consciousness ceases, then liberation is attained. There is a connection between consciousness, kammic activities, and the cycle of rebirth. With the ceasing of vinnana transfer, there is cessation of "kammic activities", which are considered in Buddhism to be "the cause for the continued perpetuation of cyclic existence.

It is clear that the number of times a person may be reborn is almost infinite. This process of repeated rebirth in saṃsāra is an 'endless wandering'. All living creatures are part of this cyclic movement and will continue to be reborn until they attain Nibbana. While Buddhism considers the liberation from samsara as the ultimate spiritual goal, in traditional practice still Buddhists seek and accumulate merit through good deeds, offerings to monks and various other rituals in order to gain better rebirths rather than nibbana.

Due to the need to limit the contents of each post to facilitate easy reading, I will end these descriptions here. 

Please see the continuation in Post # 62, where reference is made to the escape from the Samsaric Cycle.   

Post # 60 – SAMSARA, the CYCLE OF BIRTH  AND DEATH, IN THERAVADA BUDDHISM – Part 1 

It would also be good if you could visit the 1st Post to know about this Blog before reading this Post. 

The discussions up to the Post # 13 were aimed at consolidating the knowledge we have on some salient features of Buddha Dhamma. We then attempted to agree upon a method to translate this Dhamma knowledge, into an effective practice. We also discussed the unsatisfactory nature of the Samsaric (re-becoming) cycle and the need to escape by engaging in activities that lead to the complete cessation of suffering. That is the realization of Nibbana.

As we said before, we are leading busy household lives and needs to know the activities that will yield the optimum benefits given the limited time that we can spare for Dhamma work. We said that the ethical practice of Buddha-Dhamma can be grouped for our purpose, into three parts. They are engaging in Punya Kamma (Meritorious Acts), engaging in the practice of Kusala Kamma (developing Ethical Skills) and following the Marga Prathi Padawa (the Path to Liberation).

It is always better to know why we are doing any Buddhist practices at all. Many devotees follow practices based on encouragement from others. We have heard that the Samsara cycle is very unsatisfactory and dangerous. Let us get our minds around this declaration in order to get the necessary inspiration to seek a release from the entrapment in this eternal cycle. ….

 I will first highlight some of the explanations given on this topic in the discourses by the learned scholars, who were mentioned in the Post # 12 & Post # 13.

There are three ideas about what happens after death. Materialism says that we cease to exist. The major theistic religions maintain that we go to either everlasting paradise or damnation according to our beliefs and/or our actions. Jainism, and some versions of Hinduism and several minor religions and spiritual movements say that at death we reincarnate, or are reborn. In Buddhist teaching, there is a reference to re-becoming ( punar-bhava).

We also discussed in Post # 6 that Buddha-Dhamma is the reality. Examining the meaning of Buddha-Dhamma in its etymological composition we see the following make up. The word ‘Dhamma’ here means the phenomena existing in the Cosmos or the abiding laws and principles that govern the dynamics of the Cosmos. This means that Dhamma exists today; it existed yesterday and did exist well into the past. It also means Dhamma will exist tomorrow, also well into the future and for eons of time beyond. Therefore it is the unchanging universal truth.

The other word ‘Buddha’, means a title given to a person with an extremely   developed mind. Therefore the one who is a Buddha, using this enlightened state of mind, sees the Dhamma. It is a discovery of what is already there.  It is not a new invention or a creation. Buddha-Dhamma, as a doctrine therefore includes the universal truths, how they apply and influence human beings, the impacts or consequences of such influences and the way of life to cope or mitigate these adverse influences.

Then one has to ask, what is then the reality that Buddha discovered? He explained the fundamental nature of all conditional formations characterized by impermanence (annicca), un-satisfactory-ness  (dukka), no-self (anantha)  and about the entrapment of all living beings in an eternal cycle of Samsara (the eternal cycle of rebirth) due to ignorance (not knowing) of the fundamental four noble truths. They are respectively dukka (un-satisfactory-ness or suffering), its cause, its cessation and the path to its cessation.  He described the pattica smuppada or the process of cause and effect and the unique discovery about the true nature of the two domains of- mundane and supra mundane. The mundane domain is where all worldly beings are entrapped in an unending cycle of Samsara and the supra-mundane domain is, as Buddha has taught, the escape from Samsara. These teachings came from what he himself experienced.

That is why Buddha-Dhamma which is unchanging with time is called the reality.

The challenge before us now is to decide what of these ideas or teachings would be the one to choose? At death would everything come to a final end? In which case there is nothing we need to do but await our destiny? Or at death do we go to either everlasting paradise or damnation? In which case how can we be sure that we are doing the right things to please those divine powers that make the determination? Or at death do we reincarnate? If so is our destiny already sealed from our past inheritances, therefore there is nothing more to be done? Or do we become subject to the rebirth process? If so what must we be doing to escape from it? These choices are very personal and very individually specific. It is a very critical poker game we have to play where the choices we make are final with chance of turning back and restarting once the choice is made is very cumbersome.

My suggestion therefore is that if you have to make a choice and decide to do something, it is better to err on the safe side than not do anything and regret later for making a wrong choice. As Buddha’s teaching for the reasons stated above can be accepted as the reality we may choose this as the safe option to begin with.   Dhamma assures that realization as an experience will dawn as you advance in the practice, whereupon you have the comfort that you made the right choice.

The Saṃsāra doctrine of Buddhism asserts that while beings undergo endless cycles of rebirth, there is no changeless soul that transmigrates from one lifetime to another - a view that distinguishes its  doctrine from that in Hinduism and Jainism. This no-soul (no-self) doctrine is called the Anatta in Buddhist texts. A sentient being (this includes animals), according to Buddha, is an ever changing, interdependent process of mind and body (nama-rupa). Therefore a permanent soul cannot exist in this ever-changing mind-matter continuum.

An extract from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia on this subject states that: Saṃsāra is a religious concept of reincarnation in Hinduism and other Indian religions. Saṃsāra in Buddhism is a different distinct concept. Saṃsāra in Jainism is also a cycle of births and deaths.

In Buddhism, saṃsāra is the "suffering-laden, continuous cycle of life, death, and rebirth, without a beginning.  In several suttas of the Samyutta Nikaya it’s said - "From an in-construable beginning comes transmigration. A beginning point is not evident, though beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving are transmigrating & wandering on.  It is the never ending repetitive cycle of birth and death, in six realms of reality wandering from one life to another life with no particular direction. Samsara is characterized by dukkha (unsatisfactory or painful nature). Every rebirth is temporary and impermanent. In each rebirth one is born and then dies, to be re-born elsewhere in accordance with one's own karma. It is perpetuated by one's avidya ("ignorance"), particularly about anicca and anatta, and from craving. Samsara continues until nirvana is attained by means of insight - the "blowing out" of the desires and the gaining of true insight into impermanence and non-self reality”.

Please also see Post # 7, Post # 8, Post # 9, Post # 10 & Post # 11 in this blog on Kamma and Rebirth

Rebirth across different realms – such as heavenly, human, animal, and hellish and others – occurs in the same way that a flame is transferred from one candle to another. The explanation of rebirth mechanism is with a "rebirth-linking consciousness" (patisandhi chitta).

I hope with this outline I have created enough interest in you to keep an open mind on this subject. I hope I have also aroused your curiosity to further look at what Samsara is, and then to have the motivation to seek an escape from it.

Due to the need to limit the contents of each post to facilitate easy reading, I will end these descriptions here.

Please see the continuation of descriptions on this subject in Post # 61, where more details are given on the Samsaric Cycle and the realms of rebirth and their unsatisfactory nature.