Is it Really Unfair?

 

Question: I have deep faith in Buddhism as a logical and systematic approach, almost philosophical, to life. But the other bits of it, the rebirth bits (where do we find proof? I know many people are said to be able to remember their past lives but perhaps they're just over imaginative? coincidental recounting of incidents that are taken as one's past life, or even schizophrenic people?), as well as the parts of being reborn in the Pure Land if one were to harbour pure thoughts while reciting Namo Amitabha - but how can it be fair to the poor man who spends his entire life reciting it well but nearing his death, loses concentration for a split second because of something beyond his control, e.g loud noise outside his hospital ward which is something beyond his control, thus, losing a wonderful chance to be reborn in the Pure Land, as opposed to someone who has never chanted Namo Amitabha and suddenly, converts to a Pure Land follower and goes to the Pure Land just before he dies? It's so unfair.

Response: First, those who can truly remember their past lives are extremely rare and have much good fortune. Others may be "over imaginative" as you said or perhaps unable to really tell what the "memories" are.

Second, those who are reborn in the Pure Land exhibit certain signs such as saying in advance when they will pass from this life, passing away without any sign of illness, passing away at will, remaining standing or sitting after passing. Or the body may remain flexible and maintain a good color many hours after death. The signs indicating rebirth are to be carefully checked and validated before being made public. 

As for the conditions surrounding our death, we need to conserve our good fortune to create the right condition as we are dying. No other time is as important as this as our last moments lead us to our future rebirths. The person who suddenly encounters bad conditions, like that loud noise, did not have enough good fortune to ensure a peaceful, quiet environment. 

And that person who hears of the Pure Land at the last moments and dies while chanting is unbelievably rare! We cannot count on that happening to us. This exceptional occurrence happens because the person was a practitioner in past lifetimes and conserved his good fortune in this lifetime. So he had the wonderful conditions to be conscious, to encounter a good spiritual advisor, to immediately and completely believe in the Pure Land, and to be able to practice, all while facing death. The coming together of all these conditions is unbelievably rare and the direct result of profound previous practice.    

Neither Judge, Jury, nor Executioner

Question: You mentioned in an earlier posting about the Buddha saying that we are not to go teach other people or point out their mistakes. Yet, when I meet a bad encounter (e.g someone being racially discriminating to me, or seeing someone do something bad to another person, which makes me want to raise the issue to the someone/the authorities so that this may stop in future, etc), I am so tempted, in my anger, to do something to that person. I tell myself that this thing I am doing to them, is the effect of the bad 'deed' they have just committed. What is your take on this?

Response: When we react out of anger, we are not benefiting anyone because we are merely planting more seeds for anger. Anger—righteous or otherwise—always makes a situation worse. It might seem to help for the moment, but we will have merely postponed the acrimony through our failure to act wisely. Acting wisely occurs when we are calm and thinking logically and intuitively.

While our reaction may be the effect of their cause of getting angry, if we choose to "deliver" the cause, especially out of anger, we will become further tangled in the karmic situation. It is not our place to dispense justice. The wrongdoer will receive the retribution for what he or she has done as cause and effect is a natural, universal law. So the question in casualty is not "if" but "when."

Also, your compulsion to become involved likely comes about because you are already involved in the karmic situation from a past lifetime. So if you do consciously choose to intervene now, you need to do so out of right intentions and wisdom or you yourself will suffer more in the future. If you are able to act wisely and calmly, you have the possibility to settle this karma link. 

What Can One Person Do?

"In the face of war, social injustice, religious conflict, corporate greed, what difference can one person make? Why should one person even try to make a difference? The odds are so overwhelming. It's pointless."

Frankly, that doesn't matter. We do what is right simply because that is what it is—right.

I don't refrain from striking another person because I expect that action will lead to the end of violence, but because not hitting another person is the right thing to do. I don't refrain from lying to my spouse because I think my actions will convince everyone to be honest, but because being truthful in any relationship is the right way to behave. I don't refrain from cheating a customer because I know he'll never find out and I don't like the color of his skin, but because treating all people equally and with respect is the right way to interact with others.

I refrain from wrongdoing because even if no one would have known of the wrong I did and even if my right actions have absolutely no effect on others, doing what I might have done would have simply been wrong.

Everything is Perfect?

 

Before I left Indiana for this trip to Australia, I was asked about a phrase the person had read in Buddhist books, "Everything is perfect." Considering the state of the world, she was wondering how it could be possibly called "perfect."

The explanation was as she thought it might be.

Everything is perfect doesn't mean that everything is wonderful and could not be improved upon. It means that everything is exactly the way it is supposed to be. The rain is perfect because it is supposed to be raining. The sunshine is perfect because it is supposed to be cloudless day. So when it rains, I can relax and enjoy the rain; be it a soothing, gentle rain or a welcome downpour that will fill our water tanks. On sunny days, I can revel in the glorious, clear sunlight that almost glitters on the leaves of the tree outside my window.

Those two examples are fairly straightforward. But what about war? What about global warming? What about people who are starving? How can anyone possibly say these are "perfect"?

Again, perfect does not mean something is good, it means it was destined to be that way due to former thoughts, speech, and actions. As horrible as war, global warming, and starvation are, they are the appropriate consequence for the cause.

But saying the consequence fits the cause in no way means we can simply shrug our shoulders and say, "Oh well, it's their own fault." The first vow of bodhisattvas is to help all beings. Remember, the "perfect" consequence is not good, it is "appropriate." The phrase everything is perfect is said to help us understand why things have happened. As compassionate human beings, we need to try to help others. We need to find the way to end our anger, to help remove the cause of future wars. We need to live as modestly as possible to have a minimum impact on our environment. We who have more than enough need to share what we have with those who have little to help alleviate their hunger.

"Everything is perfect" can also serve to remind us that our consequences will likewise be "perfect." So if we want these consequences to be good, we need to choose our thoughts, speech, and actions wisely.  

The Paradox of Our Age

We have bigger houses, but smaller families;
More conveniences, but less time;
We have more degrees, but less sense;
More knowledge, but less judgment;
More experts, but more problems;
More medicines, but less healthiness;
We've been all the way to the moon and back,

but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever,

but have less communication.
We have become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are times of fast foods but slow digestion;
Tall men but short character;
Steep profits but shallow relationships.
It's a time when there is much in the window, but nothing in the room.

 

 ~ Dalai Lama