Rebirth…? Brief Introduction of Buddhism Teaching.
Everyone who learns about Buddhism at some point will come across terms like kamma, samsara, nibbana.
Kamma-Vipaka
Kamma, is an act, whether it through bodily action, by mouth through spoken language, or through the mind by thinking. The result of those acts is called vipaka. Kamma-vipaka. You reap what you sow.
Sotapana, Sakadagami, Anagami, Arahatta, Nibbana.
Nibbana is the ultimate goal of Buddhism teaching. A state of mind that is enlightened, liberal, finally free from this samsara, free from panca-khanda,called magga-phala citta, with Nibbana, as their object.
There’s four-stage attainment to be passed if one’s want to be free from endless rebirth in this life which is, Sotapanna, first time taste Nibbana, eliminate wrong view (sakkaya-ditthi), doubt (vicikiccha), attachment to mere rites and rituals (silabbata-paramasa), the second is Sakadagami, weaken hatred/ill-will and sensual pleasures, third state, Anagami, totally eliminate hatred/ill will and sensual pleasures beside wrong view, doubt, and attachment to mere rites and rituals. And the last one, Arahatta, eliminates last five chains which is lust for material existence rebirth (rupa-raga), lust for immaterial existence or rebirth in a formless realm (arupa-raga), conceit/comparing oneself to other (mana), restlessness (uddhacca), ignorance (moha/avijja) .
A path has been fulfilled for Arahant. The wick and the oil has run out, no more causes for the flame. No more birth.
Samsara , 31 Realms, Mind Training.
Samsara is an endless journey. No one can trace the beginning or the end of this universe. But one can trace the causes and from where they come before they take birth in human realms, and where they are going after here with what causes by training their own mind. Training of the mind is a necessity for gaining an understanding and verification within oneself. This is what Buddha taught, ehipassiko, come, see and verify it for yourself. When one has the ability to track back and see the future, one needs to keep training their mind and develop the causes for Nibbana realization, which is summarized in seven “factors of awakening” satta sambojjhaṅgā.
How far one can traces? How much of the truth one can see?
Depend on how clear and how sharp is their mind trained.
There are 31 realms in Buddhism teaching. 4 Apaya-bhumi (woeful realms), which is hell, ghost, demon?, and animals realms, 7 Kamasugati-bhumi which include human realm, and other heaven realms with all kinds of their Gods, 16 Rupa-bhumi, 4 Arupa-bhumi. Total, 31 realms.
Rebirth
Buddhism believes in rebirth, each of us experienced being born in 26 out of 31 realms (out of 16 Rupa-bhumi, there’s 5 suddhavasa realms which believe as realms only for Anagami, a non-returner.) and will always encircle to these 26 realms again and again unless one’s attain enlightenment. So, an endless rebirth for all of us means….. (evil laugh).
Sotapanna, rebirth seven times at most.
Sakadagami, rebirth one more time at most.
Anagami, non-returner, will born on 5 suddhavasa realms and attain Arahatta there.
Arahatta, no more birth.
Final Note
Is it possible to choose where to be born?
Yes! It is! According to Abhidhamma.
Through diligent practice, one will have the ability to maintain their mind state before their last breath. Maybe this is one of the causes how Dalai Lama know where they will be born again…? train the mind.
In Abhidhamma book, out of 89–121 kind of consciousness, there are 9 types of consciousness functions as cuti and patisandhi citta. Cuti citta is translated as death consciousness, the final moment of consciousness in this life. The patisandhi citta is resultant-consciousness of the javana cittas just before cuti citta. All of this citta have the same object so when one traceback or tracks to the future, they need to verify their cuti and patisandhi citta, and also the object of the citta.
These 9 types of consciousness will lead one who hasn’t realized Nibbana to be rebirth in 26 realms out of 31 realms. The mind that doesn’t trained well can only relying on their own kamma, if there’s no big force, their mind habit, the thought that occurs habitually, daily, will determine where they’ll be rebirth.
No matter where the realms one go, there’s always a period of time of life in each of these realms, one will be born and born again after their lifetime end at their current realm.
