Hi Robert,
I don't' see any problem with lay people revealing their dhammic
attainments when it's clear the reason for doing so is not self-serving. The
crux of the matter is that when the stakes are high, are you going to
completely trust a 2500 year old sacred text if it contradicts your
meditative experience? Everything in the tipitaka ought to be regarded as
hypotheses that are unconfirmed truths until we verify it through genuine
cultivated insights. Until we know and own those truths for ourselves, it's
not really meaningful to insist that any particular sacred text is truth.
Until we own those truths, they're just views, and even correct views if
misused can be a big obstacle in our path.
I find it refreshing for someone with meditative attainment to add their
perspective to this discussion on instant rebirth, rather than just have a
discussion based on authority of interpreting sacred text. Why not just sit
back and appreciate these alternative perspectives instead of behaving like
an insecure faith follower who feels threatened and takes cheap shots as a
result?

-fk

-----Original Message-----
From: Pali@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Pali@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of rjkjp1
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 7:49 PM
To: Pali@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Pali] Re: Rebirth - Theravada & Tibetan beliefs [Yuttadhammo]

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, "Stephen Hodge" <s.hodge@...> wrote:
> Dear Robert,
>
> > It is perhaps worth pointing out that someone can imagine an
unusual
> > state of mind to be genuine jhana.
> Of course, I am well aware of that. It depends whether you have a
bona fide
> teacher who can guide you and verify the experience.
>
> > Your descriptions sound unlikely to me.
> Nicely ambiguous ! Unlikely to be imagined or unlikely to be
genuine ?
> > ===========
Dear Stephen,
For instance you wrote that:
>>>"Autopsies are also very bad news. Actually, in that respect
> it is fortunate that most people get reborn quite soon after
> death, but some remain in the antaraabhava state for several
>>> weeks"

These are descriptions I find unlikely and sounds like animistic
ideas about death. Sri Lanka- where Theravada is dominant- is the
country that donates the most corneas for eye surgey . Taken from
immediately dead. Because no imaginations about antaabhavas (sp?)
floating around, hoping in and out of dead bodies.
=========

Stephen: "Either way, your opinion does not carry much weight but,
out of curiosity,
> please tell me what your personal qualifications are for
determining
> either ""
=========
My only qualification is respect for the sasana of the Buddha. I
hope I won't become so deluded as to claim special powers and
attainments.
Dutthatthaka (Corrupted)Sutta
"Whoever boasts to others, unasked,
of his practices, precepts,
is, say the skilled,
ignoble by nature""
Robertk







- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[Homepage] http://www.tipitaka.net
[Files] http://www.geocities.com/paligroup/
[Send Message] pali@yahoogroups.com
Paaliga.na - a community for Pali students
Yahoo! Groups members can set their delivery options to daily digest or web
only.
Yahoo! Groups Links