Is it totally different from Christianity?
A basic Buddhist belief is that our bodies are made up of the 5 elements (water, fire, earth, air, and space - the Chinese label this one metal). And they also think that the whole universe is impermanent. The Buddhists believe that there are 'subtle elements' as well as the denser elements that we can see and feel. If a spiritual practitioner is compassionate and wise enough, they believe that they can dissolve their body into a "rainbow body" made up of the very subtlest level of the elements. After someone's death the Buddhists practice something called Shi-Tro for the next 49 days.
Also a core Buddhist belief is that of the Bodhisattva or the wise one who can choose whether to come back to Samsara (earth where all life is suffering) or go on to Nirvana (where there is no longer suffering). The Boddhisattva intentionally chooses to return to Samsara "for the benefit of all sentient beings."
Actually, Buddhist beliefs may reinforce what Christians believe. Some believe that Christ "took the rainbow body." Could Christ have been a Boddhisattva?
Researching the Rainbow Body
The Institute of Noetic Sciences, in a joint venture with the Esalen Institute, is researching the phenomenon of the Rainbow Body. If you have never heard of the Rainbow Body it is a phenomenon in which the corpses of highly developed Tibetan masters reputedly vanish within days of death, often accompanied by rainbows in the sky. Some of them leave behind shrunken bodies, others only leave fingernails and hair.A Benedictine monk named David Steindl-Rast intends to corroborate these claims, by accumulating data that would not only help us understand more about the rainbow body and its broader implications. Steindl-Rast stated "We know that Jesus was a very compassionate, selfless person. When he died, according to the gospels, his body was no longer there."
One example is the Tibetan Saint Milarepa, whose body is reported to have completely disappeared shortly after his death. There are also many other similar stories about other monks. They have been studying biographies and any written explanations of these events. It is important to understand the values, spiritual practices, and culture in which this phenomenon is embedded.
"We want to discover if there are ways we can begin to develop spiritual practices that, even though they might not lead us to personally experience the rainbow body, could lead us to some other manifestation of our highest potential," said Marilyn Schlitz of the Institute of Noetic Sciences.
To read more check out
Snow Lion Link
You might want to actually check out Soygal Rinpoche's lens, because he wrote the book The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying.
If you purchase anything from this site, you will automatically be donating to the
Fund for Peace.
DVD on Death
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 07/11/2009)
Working miracles with only a single set and a handful of characters, Korean director Kim Ki-Duk creates a wise little gem of a movie. As the title suggests, the action takes place in five distinct episodes, but sometimes many years separate the seasons. The setting is a floating monastery in a pristine mountain lake, where an elderly monk teaches a boy the lessons of life--although when the boy grows to manhood, he inevitably must learn a few hard lessons for himself. By the time the story reaches its final sections, you realize you have witnessed the arc of existence--not one person's life, but everyone's. It's as enchanting as a Buddhist fable, but it's not precious; Kim (maker of the notorious The Isle) consistently surprises you with a sex scene or an explosion of black comedy; he also vividly acts in the Winter segment, when the lake around the monastery eerily freezes. --Robert Horton
Purchase an Amazon gift card here.
Meditations on CD and Book on Death
Peaceful Death, Joyful Rebirth: A Tibetan Buddhist Guidebook with a CD of Guided Meditations
Amazon Price: $18.21 (as of 07/11/2009)
The book is unique in that Tulku Thondup presents about a dozen stories of "delugs" people who died for several days and returned from the dead to talk about it. These stories are deeply moving and Tulku Thondup does a wonderful job of providing a clear context for better understanding them.
While the book thoroughly reviews the traditional Tibetan Buddhist view of death as well as the Buddhist practices created to help the dying and recently deceased, his view is distinctly non-dogmatic and he clearly outlines these teachings relevance and applicability to people of any faith.
APPROACHING DEATH FREE OF ATTACHMENT
An edited excerpt from oral teachings given by Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
We have the question of how one can help dying people. The teachings at this retreat give part of the answer: Never create a situation that contributes to a dying person's sense of attachment. That is the lesson here. Avoid being someone to whom the dying person feels attached, and avoid creating a situation that reminds the person of things that evoke attachment. Does that make sense?
As the person approaches death, when you engage in conversation with them you can get a sense of where the person is. Of course you don't want to say outright, "Come on, be detached. It is okay for me to be attached, but you are the one who is leaving!" Of course you don't want to go with that. Instead, you can try to loosen up the conversation so it is lighter and more spacious. The mind should not be holding on, not only at the moment of death but also at the time of any departure, such as going on a long journey, or even going to sleep. Your state of mind right before you fall asleep has a strong effect on the quality of your dreams. And your state of mind before death has a strong effect on your experiences in the bardo, or on your experiences in your next life to come.
During any major transition it is important to have a sense of lightness and spaciousness. At those times one should not cultivate heavy and dark experiences. So, lighter and spacious - that explains everything.
Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death
Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth & Death: . . . And Everything in Between, A Buddhist View Life
Amazon Price: (as of 07/11/2009)
By Robert Heiniger (Glen Burnie, MD United States) - See all my reviews
This is an excellent book explaining Buddhism's view of life and death. The subject is deep, but the presentation is down to earth and easy to understand. This book should be essential reading for anyone interested in Buddhism. For those who are not, reading it may expand your horizons and open up new ways of thinking about life.
Liberation Upon Hearing the In Between: Exploring The Tibetan Book of The Dead
April 24th-26th at Tibet House in NYC
In this weekend retreat, Robert Thurman will demystify this esoteric teaching and reveal the Tibetan view of dying through readings of the text, meditations and dialog. This treasured teaching is for much more than just changing our understanding of death. Whether we have lost a dear relationship, awoken from a dream, or face the loss of our bodied life, simply hearing these teachings steadies our minds and hearts so that the journey from one state to the next changes from a tragic voyage into a clear adventure through the brilliant sky of great liberation.
Yoga & Massage Sessions will be offered.
Intended for all Levels of Interest. Click the link above to get more information.
For Buddhist Kids
Samsara Dog
Amazon Price: $13.46 (as of 07/11/2009)
By Liz Manugian (Memphis, TN USA) - See all my reviews
This book is a must for your book shelf, whether you are a dog-lover or not, whether you have children or not, whether you are young or old. In our relentless pursuit of material pleasures and of more, more, more, we are becoming
increasingly alienated from the power and beauty of the natural world. This book illustrates the Buddhist concepts of samsara, the cycle of birth, and nirvana, fulfillment through total selflessness. Let your tired and flagging spirits be warmed by the evocative and heart-warming story, complemented by beautiful illustrations in soft hues.
Purchase an Amazon gift card here.
Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly Invites Your Submissions
New Buddhist Obituary Column
Buddhadharma's new obituary column features short, personal essays remembering the life and death of individuals who had a strong connection to the dharma. We invite you to send an essay about a friend, family member, sangha member, teacher or student who recently passed away (2008 or 2009). Tell us about the person's life and connection to the dharma, and perhaps how he or she worked with the dying process in light of their Buddhist training.
The essays can range from 350 to 700 words.
Do you know an "Everyday Bodhisattva"?
Buddhadharma is also introducing a new column called "Everyday Bodhisattvas" that focuses on the unsung heroes in our Buddhist communities. The point of this column is to highlight people you don't normally hear about who are making a real difference, whether it's close to home or half way around the world. We invite you to tell us about an everyday bodhisattva that you know. Or, if you're doing valuable work in the service of others, tell us in your own words. These essays are approximately 700 words.
Email your submissions to Tynette Deveaux at editor@thebuddhadharma.com. Please include a photograph of the everyday bodhisattva or the person who passed away.
My Last Gift to My Mother
My mother was 88 years old and she had been on dialysis for a few years. She decided that she no longer had any quality of life. After several infections and experiencing illness after each session of dialysis, she decided to stop dialysis.There was a period of five days after she went off dialysis before she passed. During that time I used the essential oil blend called Peace and Calming.
Peace & Calming is a gentle, fragrant blend. When diffused, it helps calm tensions and uplift the spirit, promoting relaxation and a deep sense of peace. When massaged on the bottoms of the feet, it can be a wonderful prelude to a peaceful night's rest. She found this comforting and assisted her not to struggle with her final transition.
Mothers have also found that Peace & Calming may be especially calming and comforting to young children after an overactive and stressful day.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM YOUNG LIVING - Note:
You will need to have this sponsor/enroller number to place an order: 322979
Note: Take advantage of the opportunity to distribute these oils, Contact marshasoils@yahoo.com or call 303 755-2669 for details.
Check out these Beautiful Diffusers
Death and Rebirth
Death, Intermediate State and Rebirth in Tibetan Buddhism
Amazon Price: $8.76 (as of 07/11/2009)
Death Doo Dads
Vote for your favorite basic Buddhist beliefs
Some Other Related Lenses to Check Out
-
Coral Fashion Jewelry Decor
-
Most people think of coral as either red or orange or some shade in between the two, but it also comes in other colors as well. My favorite coral is a deep red but some people prefer the orange shade. I recently purchased a lovely coral necklace whe...
-
Lama Khemsar Rinpoche
-
Lama Khemsar Rinpoche is the founder of the Tibetan Yungdrung Bön Study Centre, in the UK. Rinpoche is a respected teacher of the Yungdrung Bön, a Tibetan Buddhist lineage holder. He is well known for his lively teaching style and sparkling wit. One...
-
Marsha Camblin Natural Health Lensography
-
I am a Sound healer, using Tibetan Bowls. And I offer people Raindrop Therapy. More on that soon. I have a strong interest in Natural Medicine or Holistic Medicine. You will find out some of what I'm interested in here as you read on. I also have a B...
-
Namkhai Norbu Tibetan Scholar
-
Norbu was born in 1938 in eastern Tibet. He was recognized as the incarnation of a great Dzogchen Master when he was 3 years old. He received the traditional education of a reincarnate lama or tulku and studied and practiced with several great master...
Love This Lens?
- Rate this lens:
- Email it
- Favorite it
- Lensroll it
Please Share - Did You Learn Something?
shevans wrote...
This is interesting. I hadn't heard of the "rainbow body." So much to learn. Thank you for sharing.
Posted May 13, 2009
kizerkid wrote...
I think this is one of the Tibet-style Buddhist Belief, which is quite famous in western world. Anyway, this is not the core of Buddhist in the way of looking death. Good Lens.
Posted March 02, 2009
AndyPo wrote...
Excellent lens. Very interesting. Thanks very much for voting for my Namibia lens on Squidom too.
Posted February 25, 2009
Stinky wrote...
Hi, this is a very interesting lens. I knew something about Buddhism but your lens gave me much more information. Thanks for the good information. 5 stars.
Posted January 18, 2009
Tweet Tweet
Thanks for the follow, feel free to Re-Tweet.
by RinchenChodron
I'm Marsha Camblin. My Buddhist name is Rinchen Chodron. I publish the following websites http://www.geocities.com/rdtibet and http://... (more)
