Hypothetical question

[Flolfolil]

If you died and were to be reincarnated, but could pick your next life, what life would you pick to further your chance of liberation? You cannot directly put yourself on the spiritual path again i.e. no "I would be a monk from birth". You also have to be born as a human, so no "I would be a tree" or single celled organisms.

 

What if the life you are living right now is something you chose for yourself?

 

 

Lets keep in mind this is a hypothetical question and not a debate about the nature of reincarnation. So yes, lets do some fanciful thinking.

Edited July 10, 2013 by Flolfolil

[Marblehead]

That last question caused me to want to speak to this thread but I will hold my tongue for now.

[ChiForce]

From what I read (like I have first hand experience in this?), you can't choose when or how you are reborn unless you have achieved certain degree of arhatship and be able to rest your mind in the heavens of either of the 3 realms, realm of desire, realm of form, and realm of formless. I am afraid the process is random for most of us. We can only influence the process a bit with good karmas we have accumulated throughout our lives.

 

If you want to have some choices in your rebirth as to when and how, maybe one should strive for some degree of liberation in this life. If I understand correctly based on what I read, you can delay your next rebirth for few hundred years (or is it aeons?) depending on the degree of jhanas and samadhi level you have achieved.

Edited July 9, 2013 by ChiForce

[Flolfolil]

.

Edited July 9, 2013 by Flolfolil

[ChiForce]

There is no need for the unprovable knowledge of how the reincarnation process works. Debating this issue is not the purpose of this thread.

If not, what is purpose of this thread then? Just more of fanciful thinking? There are the accepted knowledge and theories as to how rebirth should work. If we don't start from there, how do one even begin the discussion. So, every question and inquiry should go something like this "if only this happens, I could be this and do that...."

Edited July 10, 2013 by ChiForce

[BaguaKicksAss]

If you are going to start a thread, at least have the decency to keep the original post and title intact. OK so people disagree with you, so what.

[Flolfolil]

...

Edited July 10, 2013 by Flolfolil

[BaguaKicksAss]

Yes, welcome to the internet.

 

Well next time you do, just stick it out, and don't take anything personally. I know it can be frustrating posting in forums, but just remember who you are and what you want to say. As long as you are fair and decent, all else is irrelevant really.

[ChiForce]

it will no longer be an issue with me, as i will refrain from posting any more threads. every time i create a thread people just pick it apart and refuse to answer any of my questions.

Nice, you ask a question and expecting a predictable answer....

[Flolfolil]

PB & J SUCKS BOLOGNA IS THE ONLY TRUE SANDWICH

Edited July 10, 2013 by Flolfolil

[BaguaKicksAss]

If it happens in your threads only, you may want to look at your delivery style in the original pots.

 

If it happens in many different people's threads, you may want to meditate on not being emotionally involved in people's responses and not taking things personally .

[ChiForce]

i just don't even get it. it is like i want to have a discussion on the best way to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and people just post "PB & J SUCKS BOLOGNA IS THE ONLY TRUE SANDWICH"

The problem is that you aren't asking questions in how to make the best PB sandwich. You are asking if you can have full control in your rebirth. If so, would one decide to follow or not follow a spiritual path. The question is that do you have free will to choose your next rebirth. If so, in what forms you want to take. The answer is so obvious because the free will dies along at your death unless you have been an accomplished dharma cultivator. Well, you may not even have a free will when the body was alive. Look at all the people suffering in this world, rebirth is random for most of us and somewhat correlated to your karmas.

[Flolfolil]

...

Edited July 10, 2013 by Flolfolil

[rene]

NO i was not. i was supposing a HYPOTHETICAL situation where we ALREADY have full control.

 

Yes, that's right. I read the original post - and Floflolil proposed a hypothetical situation, and then asked what we thought our choices might be in that hypothetical situation... and they were some pretty good questions. ChiForce didn't understand the post at all, not realizing what it was. Sweep up the broken egg shells, move along.

 

***

 

BauguaKicksAss -

 

congrats on becoming a new Moderator!

 

First day on the job and you already have 'suggestions' for someone?

 

BestOfLuckToYou!

 

(-:

[ChiForce]

Yes, that's right. I read the original post - and Floflolil proposed a hypothetical situation, and then asked what we thought our choices might be in that hypothetical situation... and they were some pretty good questions. ChiForce didn't understand the post at all, not realizing what it was. Sweep up the broken egg shells, move along.

 

***

 

BauguaKicksAss -

 

congrats on becoming a new Moderator!

 

First day on the job and you already have 'suggestions' for someone?

 

BestOfLuckToYou!

 

(-:

Actually I did answer him by telling him under what conditions rebirth is possible. The idea of choice is only possible for those who have achieved certain degree of jhanas and samadhis. For most of us, there is no free will. Of course, we can indulge in fanciful thinking. Again, what for? Isn't it like asking what you would do if you are rich? Or you won the lottery?

[rene]

Again, ChiForce, you've missed the entire point and purpose of the OP.

It wasn't to discuss what you want to discuss.

I guess you can't hear me from there.

Oh well. (-:

 

warm regards

[narveen]

That last question caused me to want to speak to this thread but I will hold my tongue for now.

 

while you are holding your tongue, have you batten down the hatches or gotten ready to evacuate?

hurricane chantal is coming.

[Flolfolil]

thread restored. apologies.

[BaguaKicksAss]

Awesome, thank you, I found it to be an interesting topic .

[BaguaKicksAss]

Yes, that's right. I read the original post - and Floflolil proposed a hypothetical situation, and then asked what we thought our choices might be in that hypothetical situation... and they were some pretty good questions. ChiForce didn't understand the post at all, not realizing what it was. Sweep up the broken egg shells, move along.

 

***

 

BauguaKicksAss -

 

congrats on becoming a new Moderator!

 

First day on the job and you already have 'suggestions' for someone?

 

BestOfLuckToYou!

 

(-:

 

Thank you Rene . Deleted 3 spambots, heh!

 

Btw, my suggestions in this topic were with my mod hat off. Any official mod posts are all highlighted with colour changes and very obvious all caps saying it's from the mod team.

[rene]

Thank you Rene . Deleted 3 spambots, heh!

 

Btw, my suggestions in this topic were with my mod hat off. Any official mod posts are all highlighted with colour changes and very obvious all caps saying it's from the mod team.

 

Thanks for clarifying!

 

I don't follow your posts so I didn't know that 'making suggestions' was something you liked to do. No wonder they felt you would be so good at the job! Good call on their part - and good job you on those bots!

 

warm regards

 

p.s... hi from the koots

Edited July 10, 2013 by rene

[rene]

If you died and were to be reincarnated, but could pick your next life, what life would you pick to further your chance of liberation? You cannot directly put yourself on the spiritual path again i.e. no "I would be a monk from birth". What if the life you are living right now is something you chose for yourself?

 

Lets keep in mind this is a hypothetical question and not a debate about the nature of reincarnation. So yes, lets do some fanciful thinking.

 

Well... I don't subscribe to the theory of reincarnation, but if I did - I'd want to come back as a microbe, that way there'd be no burden of concepts or fanciful ideas about not already being part of the natural system of 'you live, you die' - which sounds like a pretty good deal to me. (-:

 

warm regards

[Flolfolil]

I'd want to come back as a microbe

Awww, now EVERYONE is going to say something like that and then there goes my underlying unspoken questions....

 

 

i didn't think i would have to say "you have to still be a human" but it was implied

[rene]

oh okay. hmmm... I'm already on my last dance here as a human so maybe I'll need to sit this one out.

 

(-:

Edited July 10, 2013 by rene

[Flolfolil]

...

Edited July 10, 2013 by Flolfolil