Forum: The Dharma Battleground

More philosophical questions of probably no value to practice...

Since the Buddha taught rebirth and the traditional definition of stream entry guarantees no more than seven more lives to Nibbana, is it possible that some of us are already through 1st path? What about 2nd and 3rd path as well? Or does one have to regain path entry in every life?

Row, row, row your boat, gently 'cross the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

im curious myself, i think these questions are common in e-sangha on www.lioncity.net/buddhism (many will answer if you post there)
the western child who became a lama and then renounced his buddhism seems to indicate that we all get back to 0 and have to realize it again
if that is so, that is why I can only still half-heartedly make the bodhichita bodhisattva aspiration in my local zendo "I vow to save all beings"

How am I sure I am reborn in a fortunate situation

Hi Jamie,

That's an interesting question. I don't know the answer for sure, but I think the evidence points toward the conclusion that with each new birth one has to start from square one (as far as Paths go). I haven't read anything in the suttas that suggests that anyone is ever born a stream-enterer. The abhidhamma and its commentaries (as far as I know) also suggest that each person must cross the Arising and Passing Away and make their way progressively through the Paths before they can finish the thing.

Though, that's just one perspective from the Theravada tradition. I know that some Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions teach that fully enlightened Bodhisattvas may choose to take rebirth even when they don't have to, for the sake of liberating all sentient beings. I'm not sure if they would consider the new incarnation to be of one who is already enlightened, or if the Bodhisattva has some insight work to do when they arrive back on the scene. Perhaps someone in the forum could help shed light on this for us.

~Jackson

A stream-enterer has at most seven more lifetimes until liberation, so during the seventh are they not a non-returner? :-)

Author: kevin_stanley

I tend to be skeptical of statements like "a stream enterer has at most seven lifetimes until liberation." How could anyone count that?

I am, or at least try to be, open to the possibility that people can access memories from previous incarnations…but it just seems so unlikely to me, you know? I mean, what is it, exactly, that links one lifetime to the next? And is personal memory carried by that, whatever it is? Where do the memories reside between bodily incarnations? Is there really such a thing as the Akashic Records or similar, where all information exists and can be accessed by beings in the phenomenal world?