Question about Death and Nirvana!

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mile83
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2012 5:41 pm

Question about Death and Nirvana!

Post by mile83 »

Hello everybody, I'm new on this forum, been very interested in the Theravada branch of buddhism for the past couple of months, before I was mainly studying Advaita Vedanta.

Anyways I have a question, since I'm a complete beginner when it comes to Buddhism, but I've always wondered what happens to me when I die? I mean, I understand that there is no soul or self according to Buddhism! Let's assume I won't reach Nirvana in this lifetime but in the next! The next rebirth would not be me, since self is not persisting or existing, my next rebirth reaches Nirvana, but what happens in my current lifetime after I die??? In my next lifetime I won't be the same person, which means when I die it's game over for 'me', no?I don't quite understand, in Advaita for example, it is assumed that I have a soul which transmigrates but you all know that probably lol .

Sorry for my bad English btw :). I hope you can help me finding an answer to my question(s). Thanks alot !
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cooran
Posts: 8503
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2009 11:32 pm
Location: Queensland, Australia

Re: Question about Death and Nirvana!

Post by cooran »

Hello mile83,

These threads may be a start in the journey to understand Anatta -

Understanding Anatta
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=12762" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Pali explanation of Anatta
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=12361" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

with metta
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
mile83
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2012 5:41 pm

Re: Question about Death and Nirvana!

Post by mile83 »

Thank you very much :)
mile83
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2012 5:41 pm

Re: Question about Death and Nirvana!

Post by mile83 »

I mean what I've understood so far is that only my karmic tendencies 'survive' is that correct? But my next rebirth will not be the same person!
santa100
Posts: 6799
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 10:55 pm

Re: Question about Death and Nirvana!

Post by santa100 »

"I am the owner of my kamma, heir to my kamma, born of my kamma, related through my kamma, and have my kamma as my arbitrator. Whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that will I fall heir." ~~ AN 5.57 ~~

There're roughly 300 millions cells on our body that die and being replaced every single minute. So, technically speaking, the "you" now is not the same "you" a minute later! It's just an illusion that our mind is being tricked, sort of like a Hawaiian fire dancers twisting a stick with fire at the two ends really fast to create the illusion of a fixed and constant circle of fire..just like that, the ultimate truth is that there's no "I", "mine", or "myself" to be found in this body..
mile83
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2012 5:41 pm

Re: Question about Death and Nirvana!

Post by mile83 »

Thank you very much @ all :).

But it doesn't go like this, I die, I close my eyes, take my last breath and suddenly I open up my eyes again as a new person, a new-born?? Sorry for the stupid question, I'm kinda slow sometimes :D. I mean what I understood from the links posted here is that only karmic tendencies go on and not a person or soul or consciousness, is that right??

Thank you all again
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cooran
Posts: 8503
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2009 11:32 pm
Location: Queensland, Australia

Re: Question about Death and Nirvana!

Post by cooran »

Hello mile83,

Hope this is of some use:

Rebirth without a transmigrating soul
http://www.beyondthenet.net/dhamma/rebirthTrans.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
and the rest of this teaching is worth studying, at Rebirth by Bhikkhu Bodhi:
http://www.beyondthenet.net/dhamma/rebirth.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Transmigration of aggregates through rebirth?
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=12235" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Becoming Human: It’s is easier than you think
http://dharmafarer.org/wordpress/wp-con ... 090812.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

with metta
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
mile83
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2012 5:41 pm

Re: Question about Death and Nirvana!

Post by mile83 »

Thank you Cooran :)
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