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From: mayne@vsserv.scri.fsu.edu (William (Bill) Mayne)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Re: KE for Q. on Karma and Rebirth
Message-ID: <4DE3B02FA060AE88@jetson.uh.edu>
Date: 5 Feb 91 19:24:17 GMT
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>From: kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov ( Keith Evans), NAS Program, NASA Ames Research C[m
>Date: 1 Feb 91 01:36:29 GMT  					  
   
>In <1991Jan19.010313.12136@nas.nasa.gov> chee1a1@jetson.uh.edu writes:        
   

>>     	Therefore,in other
>>terms,  after becoming fully enlightened a person does not perform Karma to
>> reap results later.  The moment of death of an enlightened person also differs
>> from a worldly person (who has defilements in mind). Because there is no

>Even *** Buddhas are reborn *** endlessly throughtout the universe. In the
>Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni says that he has always been in the world
>(since he attained enlightenment, many, amny aeons ago) to lead the
>people towards enlightenment.   
--   
>   Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. 
>            Respectfully,  
>                Keith Evans		kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov


  When we use the words we have to be careful that we do not distort the
meaning we are going to convey.  The whole purpose of buddhist teachings
are to find the release from this cycle of rebirth and death (which is
sometimes called samsara).  Buddha found the way, followed it and showed
the others the way.  Therefore, saying buddhas are reborn is really
misleading. 

  The above reference to Lotus sutra might be a mis-translation or a 
misinterpretation.  At the first time when he heard from
another buddha that the bodhisatva will definitely become a buddha
he had the capability to become enlightened (which was many aeons
ago).  Definitely he has to attain a certain state of detachment
from there onwards to find out the paramithas by himself or in other
words to discover the buddha nature by himself.  This is not the same as 
the final enlightenment which involves complete permanent detachment from
the mental defilements to attain a mind free from greed,hatred and delusions. 
 
  Therefore (plus due to the reasons I explained under karma and rebirth)
it is misleading to state "the Buddhas who attained final enlightenment are
reborn endlessly".  May be you can find other terms to express this idea of
enlightenement.
 
 
 Bandula