when i was younger (still young now haha) i used to be fascinated about time travel. i used to be very confused about this, read up alot about time travel. however what i couldn't resolve then was this: if it is really possible, surely someone from the future would have come back. this brought me to all the reading about parallel universes etc.
and now practicing the dharma there's no longer any need or interest to explore this anymore.
looking at the diversity of materials and opinions of the different 'schools' of teachings, a familiar feeling arises.
if really enlightenment or reborn in pureland or buddhahood is supposed to be the way we Think it should be, then is it really so?
or is it just an idea to be seen through? much like the idea of time travel.
i have some doubt on going back physically. i think one can go back spiritually into the past in the sense that they can watch, but not touch the history. like the master who meditated on Lotus sutra and return spiritually to see Buddha expounding the Dharma.
going forward into future is in a form like let say u go to outer space/heaven, faster than speed of light and return, then people on earth had pass a few (hundred) years. but u are still about the same age. it's this kind of "travelling" into future.
ya, if the idea of time travel is true, then why we never see future people coming back to help.
/\
My views on time travel is same as sinweiy's.
As for enlightenment and rebirth in pureland: I don't think it can be compared to time travel. Why? Because nobody 'returned from the future'.
But there are indeed, people who are enlightened today. Of course whether they resemble our ideas of enlightenment, that very much depends on what kind of ideas that person has... I do think that a lot of ideas about enlightenment are unrealistic and false. However, the description of enlightenment by Buddha is very clear and states it just as it is.
In my experience, enlightenment is not about 'I become enlightened' (there is no 'self' to become enlightened) or entering an altered state of consciousness... it is the simple, direct seeing of reality... and there is great clarity when the truth is seen, but also in another sense it is completely ordinary. 'Ordinary Mind is Tao', as they say. You don't feel like you become someone special or that you become an 'enlightened being', etc... in a way things continue just as before - before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.
Awakening means in experiencing there is just experiences, just sensations, just scenery, just sounds, just action, there is no self behind those experiences. There is just this ongoing experiencing without an experiencer... actions, but no doer.. there is no 'enlightened being' or even an 'enlightened experience' - mundane experiences continue to arise just the same as before, but now there is just ongoing seeing/experiencing without the delusion of 'self'...
I however cannot claim to be fully enlightened... defilements are still present and I have a long journey ahead. I cannot claim 'I have ended suffering', 'I have removed all defilements', but at least some basic facts about reality that are taught by Buddha is clearly glimpsed, and there is no more doubts about this... I also do not doubt that ending of suffering is possible as I'm sure there are others who have gone all the way.
I forgot to add the part about pure land: there are in fact quite a few people who return from pure land (I've heard of a Vietnamese monk whose account is very similar to my Master's). I don't have the source now... but here's my Master's account:
Disciple: Master, how do we
witness Sukhavathi?
Master Shen Kai: That's easy. But Sukhavathi is very far away. How
far? It's passing through hundreds of thousands of millions of
Buddhalands. In between this hundreds of thousands of millions of
Buddhalands are not Buddhalands but Hui Tu. Buddhalands are pure
where Buddhas dwell. Sukhavathi is hence very very far away. Far
does not mean we don't believe.
In the sutras, Buddha used to explain that it's very very near. So
near that nobody believe it's true. There's no choice as sentient
beings are too greedy, hence say it's very very far away and not
easy to go or reach. So He expound the Amitabha Sutra, where Buddha
spoke without people asking. If a person is not greedy, then
Dharmakaya is very near as it encompass everything.
Since it's entire existence, it's so near to reach like space
everywhere exist Dharmakaya. Without Dharmakaya, Earth cannot be in
the space. Cars cannot works. Every thing is benefited by
Dharmakaya.
When people do business, they need an initial funding, now Buddha
say you don't need that initial funding, you believe in Amitabha
and recite His name.
When one see people wearing a gold necklace, but it's just a piece
of metal chain like the one you see in jail to chain prisioners.
Then Buddha told sentient beings not to be obsess with gold, you
just need to recite Amitabha and don't need any initial funding and
you can reborn in a place where gold is use for building
constructions.
So does Sukhavathi really exist? Yes. Don't think Buddha is lying.
You can GO NOW and witness yourself and come back to tell people.
Master tell you I been there before, you all might disbelieve. So I
will describe it to you.
Sentient beings on Earth are very small, Bodhisattvas of Sukhavathi
are really Big and tall. A person standing next to Amitabha only
reach the height of Amitabha's toe! When I reached Sukhavathi, only
wish to pay homage to Amitabha, and adore Amitabha.
Amitabha Buddha reply: What do you seek here in Sukhavathi?
Shen Kai: Honored One, i came to seek Dharma.
Amitabha Buddha ask: What kind of Dharma?
Shen Kai: i'm not sure. Seeing Amitabha's forehead is adorned with
a curled hair. i wisk to seek that Dharma, Honorable One.
(Back to reality.) That's how I cultivate and got my curled hair,
but this Dharma method cannot anyhow expound to people. It's is
because you people have doubt in Sukhavathi. Thinking it doesn't
exist. Hence I tell you my experience. Due to the busy schedule,
the white hair is curled. When it grew longer to 3 inch, it will
extend when i'm washing the face. That's the proof.
How did Ocean of suffering (ku hai wu bian) come about? Because
beings of samsara cannot sever emotion, love and greed. Sentinet
beings cry a lot. Separation from friend, family, love ones, people
cry. Son is leaving, mother crys, so does the son. Mother is dying,
sons also crys. When people want's to eat, the mouth starts to
water. This is greed. People need to work, they swear. In a life
them, people generate so many water. One person, say one bucket of
water, 100 pax, 100 bucket form a pool of water. If millions of
millions of people cannot sever emotion, love and greed, form an
Ocean of water.
In our world there's male and female. Those who goes to jail, 99%
are involve with female. But in Sukhavathi, there's not male nor
female form.
(translated by Sinweiy)
going into the future in form of suspended animation is also possible.
one Buddhist example is Mahakasyapa using deep mediation. as He is still doing it now.
/\
Just my opinion, the Buddha mind can transverse the past, present and the future, as knowledge is contained herein, the mind, the present.
thank you to all who has shared :)
i agree with AEN pointer on alot of ideas about enlightenment being unrealistic and false, only thing is some of these ideas may be arised because of misinterpretations of another's account.
im only writing this thread as a reminder that we must be vigilant in practice, and avoid holding on to any beliefs. just let the experience speak for itself.
Good point, geis.. :)
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http://bbs.fjnet.com/viewthread.php?tid=181753&page=1
Originally posted by geis:when i was younger (still young now haha) i used to be fascinated about time travel. i used to be very confused about this, read up alot about time travel. however what i couldn't resolve then was this: if it is really possible, surely someone from the future would have come back. this brought me to all the reading about parallel universes etc.
and now practicing the dharma there's no longer any need or interest to explore this anymore.
looking at the diversity of materials and opinions of the different 'schools' of teachings, a familiar feeling arises.
if really enlightenment or reborn in pureland or buddhahood is supposed to be the way we Think it should be, then is it really so?
or is it just an idea to be seen through? much like the idea of time travel.
Time travel physically is possible, but will not be allowed in this 3rd dimension, as people's Consciousness are not high enough to use the ability/technology wisely. That is also the reason why Earth's space program is still so backward, as people on Earth are not allowed to venture beyond, and cause problems for the other worlds. Humans are causing more than enough problems here.
In reality, time is not linear, and there are many parallel timelines existing at any one time. That's why it's possible for some people to know/see/feel the future and past.
As for the part of "people from the future coming back to help", how many people on Earth now can open their minds enough to believe it is possible and accept help? The real leaders of this world will do whatever is necessary (by pulling invisible strings) to influence their followers to ridicule and reject (in extreme cases, even kill) well-meaning souls, to protect their power-base and influence. To acknowledge there are beings in this world who are very clear about the existing problems and know the future, and accept these beings' help is to admit their teachings and instructions now are flawed. And so, people fall deeper and deeper into the illusion, by their own choosing.
Because of long term negative conditioning since Earth's ancient history, the mass collective Consciousness of Earth has become a very tough and hardened shield that is preventing most people from raising their Consciousness enough to see through the Illusion of Life on Earth. Hence, most people on Earth have to learn through actual experience how to choose their own life options that will help them, not cause them harm, in the longer term. Law of Cause and Effect is governing this aspect of people's learning and life journeys.
Rainbow Jigsaw of Life (spiritual free-thinker)
Originally posted by Rainbow Jigsaw:Time travel physically is possible, but will not be allowed in this 3rd dimension, as people's Consciousness are not high enough to use the ability/technology wisely.
hmm, is it those u see in movie where they change something from the history, the future will change along with it, when they return? or they know the future lottery number and go back into past and buy lottery to win big money?