Hello Guys,
I am new in Buddhism so I have a few questions to those who know more than I do
1)
If our present suffering is the result of bad karma from a prior life, what is the real present remedy for suffering in this life?
2) If achieving “nirvana” means that we will be liberated from the illusion of consciousness, how then will we know (be conscious of) our achieving this “nirvana”? How can we be “conscious” of this, if “consciousness” will no longer exist?
3) If there is no transcendent “self” or “soul”, how do we transcend this life in order for reincarnation to be possible?
Thank you.
1. The Buddha identified delusion (moha) as the root cause of all suffering. From delusion sprouts attachment/greed (lobha) and aversion (dosa), and the three together (moha/lobha/dosa) are identified as the three defilements from which springs all the rest of our sufferings (
Loka Sutta, SN 3.23). Following the
Noble Eightfold Path is the cure; the Eightfold Path can be divided into three divisions: 1. virtuous behavior, 2.
jhanic samadhi/meditation and 3. wisdom. Virtuous behavior settles the mind; a settled mind can easily enter into jhana; in the quiet of jhana, one is able to perceive and attain wisdom for one's self, wisdom which dispels delusion and future bad kamma, and loosens the cycle of suffering. Wisdom is then applied to conduct one's self in higher virtuous behaviors, which allows one to enter into a progressively higher jhana, and thus perceive and attain even deeper insights and wisdom to loosen suffering even more. The cycle thus continues upwards/inwards towards nibbana.
2. Upon attainment of the third ayatana (aka seventh level of jhana), consciousness itself is transcended, among other qualities which are also transcended (Anupada Sutta,
MN111); We reach the fourth ayatana (eighth jhana, the "dimension of neither perception nor non-perception" ) upon successful transcendence of the third ayatana.
3. There is a "self" -
practically speaking. It consists of a combination of the five aggregates/khandas (Khanda Sutta,
SN 22.48). The five khandas - body, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness - come together to form our identity of "self", just like fuel, air, etc. come together to form a fire. (However, since none of the khandas are permanent or eternal, we cannot say we have a "self" since the "self" is understood by most other religions to refer to a permanent or eternal "core" being).
Ultimately speaking, we neither have a "self", and we do not have a "not-self" either (Alagaddupama Sutta
MN 22).
Rebirth is always happening, at every moment of every day in our lives. Our 30-year old "self" is neither the same, nor is it different from our 7-year old "self". How are they both related? The ever-changing khandas connects the two beings together, like the ever-changing flux and flow of a river. The practice of the Eightfold Path progressively reduces the attachments which bind the five khandas together, and their complete release and dissipation is nibbana, just like the abandonment of the factors which sustains a fire (fuel, air, etc.) causes the fire to go out.
