As we enter the month of December, Geshe la continues this season of Dharma talks with a very interesting topic. This Saturday 4 December 2021, Geshe la will introduce the concepts of past, present and future lives and the bardo (which is the intermediate state between any two lives).
Topic: Past, Present & Future Lives and Navigating the Bardo State (Part 1)
Time: Dec 4, 2021 10:00 AM Singapore
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INTRODUCTION
During the last few lessons, Geshe la introduced the impact of past negative karmic acts on what may happen to us in this life. Inherent in these teachings is a recognition that there is a past life (and past lives), a present life, and a future life/ lives as well. In between each life, there is a state known as the bardo state, which is the transitional stage between any two lives.
In Geshe la’s lessons to come during this season of Dharma Talks, Geshe la will aim to introduce these principles in simple terms to everyone. It is important to understand that these topics may appear to be heavy going or even esoteric to some of us, and it is precisely because of this that Geshe la will also introduce us to the Sutras, Commentaries and Compendiums which are the source of these teachings. Geshe la believes that in order for one to have faith in these concepts, or at least accept them as a possible (or probable) working hypothesis, it is necessary for one to be provided some basic information regarding where these teachings came from, so that those of us who study and train within our tradition are able to have a thorough understanding not just of the contents taught, but also develop firm faith in them when one knows the source of these teachings.
KARMA & REBIRTH
Of the 7 billion or so people on this earth, different people have different attitudes towards the concept of reincarnation. Some don’t care two hoots about it. Some don’t believe in it. Some are willing to accept it as a possibility or working hypothesis, whilst others firmly believe in the principle of reincarnation.
There are yet other permutations. Some do not believe in the existence of a previous life or lives, but believe that there is a next life. Such belief systems are premised upon the belief that this life was gifted by an almighty creator, and such belief systems, whilst not believing in the existence of a previous life, do teach a way of living that will assist one towards salvation and life in a heavenly realm after this life.
Buddhism is unique in that there is no concept of an almighty creator of the “us” in this life, but instead teaches that our consciousnesses (“souls” would be a common word but perhaps somewhat inaccurate in the Buddhist context) would have transmigrated from the bodily form of one sentient being to another. It is impossible to find its starting point or origin (nor is such enquiry encouraged by the Buddha). But the Buddha’s teachings are aimed at teaching to put an end to this endless cycle in samsara which brings only suffering as long as we are continually born under the uncontrolled influence of our past karmic imprints, driven by the 3 poisons of Ignorance, Attachment (Desire) and Aversion (Anger/ Hatred).It is therefore important as part of our Buddhist practices for us to understand where we came from, what we will experience when we die, what happens after we die while we are in the bardo state, and how and where we will experience rebirth.
In the lessons to come on Karma & Rebirth, there are a few sections that Geshe la will focus on.
1. The Sutras – The first would be the sources of the Buddha’s teachings on this topic. By this we refer to the various Sutras, and commentaries thereon. As stated in our introduction, knowing the sources of these teachings is extremely important if one is to get a firm grounding in this topic.
2. The second would be Logic – this is where we do not simply study and understand the what has been taught, but we need to develop the ability to test these teachings to see if they accord with logic.
3. The third would be to develop the ability to Make Comparisons and Examine Examples, based on what has been recorded in the spiritual texts
4. Finally, it would involve Developing and Maintaining Faith in the existence of past, present and future lives, through one’s own experience.
– The Sutras
The starting point of these teachings stem from an enlightened and stainless source, that is the various Sutras which recorded the teachings of the historical Buddha. The concept of rebirth is dealt with in a number of different sutras.
For starters, the Tripitaka (Basket of Three, containing teachings of the Vinaya Pitaka, the Sutra Pitaka, and the Abhidharma Pitaka)大藏经 which were compiled shortly after the entry into parinirvana of the historical Buddha by the First Council of the 500 Arhats, talks about the principle of past, present and future lives in the form of the Sutra on Entering the Womb. Other sutras also develop upon this principle in varying levels of detail. They talk about the different types of birth, namely birth from a womb, the journey that a consciousness takes between two lives, and what a person will experience/ feel/see as he or she dies.
The Buddha’s expositions on these issues were summarised and elaborated upon by our lineage founder, Lama Tsongkhapa in The Graduated Path to Enlightenment.
These are the stainless Sutras are the sources of the teachings, which are the starting point for our study.
– Logic
Knowing the source of any teaching is not enough. As the Buddha Himself admonished, it is important for us to check if His teachings accord with logic and reason.
This is why in our tradition, the study of logic and dialectics were an important part of monastic curriculum in the days of Nalanda University in India, and numerous important works were composed in order to provide commentary and analysis of these teachings that were imparted by the Buddha, which demonstrate how these teachings accord with logic. That same tradition survives know Tibetan Buddhism today.
Dignaga (6th Centry AD)(Chi: 陈那论师), who wrote, amongst other things, The Logic Of Invention (Chi:集量论, Skt: Pramāṇavārttika)was foremost in Buddhist logic and epistemology, arguing that there are two sources of valid knowledge, namely logical inference and direct perception. All of the Buddha’s teachings that had to do with logic were compiled and commented upon in this work.
Geshe la also relayed a story that the compilation of this work was met with a lot of obstacles back in the day. The Buddha in His day had a lot of adversaries and the same continued into the day so Nalanda University, and it was important for the scholars of Buddhism to have a comprehensive understanding of His teachings. That was why the sources of the Buddha’s teachings on given topics were separately compiled based on the relevant subject. Back in the days of Dignaga, the teachings were written on stone slabs and tested until agreed between the great scholars of the tradition, before these could be written on paper. It was also very common for scholastic debates to take place between the pandits (scholars) of different religions. Dignaga’s work was actually surreptitiously destroyed several times by such adversaries which made him want to give up on his efforts, and it was only after he had a direction vision of Lord Manjushri that he persevered thereby successfully completing these written works against all odds.
The next foremost scholar of Nalanda on logic was Dharmakirti (600-660 CE) (Chi: 法称菩萨). His subsequent work Compendium of Valid Cognition, developed upon Dignaga’s earlier work. It analyses and praises the stainless and perfect nature of the Buddha’s teachings, so as to allow all sentient beings to have faith in the teachings of the Buddha.
Geshe la went on to explain that the Buddha’s teachings have survived for over 2,500 years after the Buddha’s entry into parinirvana not by coincidence. That has been possible only because of how His teachings have been preserved, with the veracity of His teachings having been tested by logic over the thousands of years. Such preservation is also made possible by the special manner in which Buddhism spread over the years.
Buddhism has never been spread through wars where believers of a certain religion conquer a neighbouring (non-believing) region. Much less it is spread by encouraging blind faith. Instead, it seeks to introduce the Truth behind all phenomena. The emphasis on logic is seen in the practices in our Tibetan Buddhist tradition, in the Gelugpa (yellow hat) school. Each year, during the 11th and 12th months of the Tibetan calendar, foremost scholars from the 3 main Gelugpa monasteries will gather to take part in the scriptural debates – similar to a Moot Court competition that one sees in the modern day law schools. Each monastery will field a representative who will take part in the debate on the wide ranging topics from the Sutras, in order to test their levels of understanding and develop upon their teaching and learning. The top debaters are recognised for their erudition and scholarship.
The system is geared towards ensuring that the students of the Dharma have a clear and firm understanding of the Buddha’s understanding, thus protecting the integrity of the Buddha’s teachings as well as honing their ability to propagate the teachings of the Buddha by developing their ability to understand, articulate, defend attacks to the Buddha’s teachings. This enabled the spreading of the Dharma to those who have both the wisdom and karmic composition to be able to not only understand but also accept these teachings, such that it becomes their way of life. This is why the Gelugpa Geshe degree requires over 20 years of study, with all Geshes graduating with an extremely firm grounding in the sutras.
It is now easy to see why the teachings of past present and future lives are things we become firmly committed to not by reason of some superstitious mumbo jumbo, but because these principles are also grounded in and tested by logic – even if these principles are not irrefutably proven, the principles are a possible (perhaps even probable) working hypothesis.
The sutra teachings are therefore rather different to the tantric aspects of our tradition such as believing in an oral transmission etc. The sutra teachings require intellect, wisdom and a sense of logic. And that is a unique aspect of Buddhism which makes it attractive to those who have a logical mind, and makes it one of the few religions that accord with the principles of modern science.
Many people have misunderstandings about Tibetan Buddhism, and some suggest that our practices as not pure, are adulterated and/or unauthentic. But there is really nothing Tibetan about Tibetan Buddhism. The traditions of Nalanda University in India from the 8th to 9th Century AD were preserved nowhere else but in the Tibetan tradition. The tradition which emphasised debate, logic and dialectics, a unique feature of the then Nalanda University, was fully preserved in Tibet, which speaks volumes of its nexus to the unbroken lineage of teachings from the Indian masters. It is easy to misunderstand the essence of our practice by merely looking at some of the ritualistic aspects of our practices, ignoring our tradition’s emphasis on thorough study and knowledge of the sutras.
Je Rinpoche’s work on The Graduated Path to Enlightenment, whilst written in the form of a codified text to guide one’s practice towards enlightenment, speaks not of his own thoughts or realisations, but consolidates all the teachings of the Buddha already contained in a plethora of sutras. It provides supporting authority (sources) for each and every proposition he makes in his magnum opus. Therefore, we are immensely fortunate that the Nalanda tradition is fully preserved in the Tibetan tradition, and in particular within our Gelugpa tradition, as illustrated in the rigours of study and debate in the 3 Great Gelugpa Monasteries of Sera, Ganden and Drepung.
– Comparisons & Examples
There are also many other scriptural works that illustrate the truth of the phenomena of rebirth.
The learned Buddhist philosopher and Mahayana Patriarch, Asvaghosa (Chi: 马鸣菩萨) wrote the Buddhacharita (Chi: 本生传三十四品 ) in 2nd Century CE which speaks of the past 500 lives that the Buddha lived, in both higher states of rebirth, and lower states of rebirth. Other works where past, present and future lives are spoken about by many other scholars of the Nalanda tradition, including: -* The Madhyamaka Buddhist Philosopher, Bhaviveka (Chi: 清辩论师) who commented upon many other works on the Middle Way and Emptiness,*(Chi:法护阿闍黎)* Kamalasila (Chi: 莲花戒论师)* Santaraksita (Chi: 寂护论师)It is hoped that these provide everyone with a snapshot of the sources of the Buddha’s teachings on past, present and future lives.
– Developing & Maintaining Faith
It is within the above framework that one can examine and test these principles against one’s own experiences in this life.
NEXT LESSON
In the next lesson, Geshe la will start off with explaining the concept of one’s past life, before explaining the bardo state which then takes one into the present life.
We thank everyone for their patience and interest, and may any and all benefit from these teachings bring benefit to you, your families and loved ones, and indeed all sentient beings.