Secular Buddhism, Reincarnation and Psychic Phenomena

0:00 So tonight's talk going to be on secular Buddhism, rebirth and psychic phenomena. So this talk has been reborn again, just like many secular Buddhists. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:26 So I think the common belief among secular Buddhists is that there is no rebirth, right? There is no supernatural stuff like psychic phenomena, right? So it's kind of like not very interesting. Report an error in the passage at 0:26 Highlight the passage at 0:26

0:54 Sounds very boring, isn't it? But it's actually not a bad start, right? Usually these people get a lot of flack, right? But at least you're doing something good, right? You believe in like doing good things and you believe in parts of Buddhism like having good intentions but I think what they sort of like missing the point is you've not been utilizing Buddhism to the full extent just like how Buddha was teaching. Report an error in the passage at 0:54 Highlight the passage at 0:54

1:47 And somehow people reject the idea of rebirth, right? And what they say is probably was just like a belief of Indian society at that time, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:47 Highlight the passage at 1:47

2:06 And if you go with that logic, right, why would Buddha would leave his family, right? Report an error in the passage at 2:06 Highlight the passage at 2:06

2:18 He had a pretty good life. He was from a wealthy family. You know, he's young. He probably would have inquired, right? Would have had a lot of understandings or conversations. Report an error in the passage at 2:18 Highlight the passage at 2:18

2:37 That's what my guess would be. I think usually what they say, he saw like four signs. Report an error in the passage at 2:37 Highlight the passage at 2:37

2:48 Saw like an old man and a sick person. person, yeah, and And the dead body, the last one was a renunciant, a samana who kind of like a, you know, given up the normal life, right? And he was, you know, meditating or an alms round, you know, I don't remember the exact details, I'm not sure if they describe it. Report an error in the passage at 2:48 Highlight the passage at 2:48

3:21 Then he asked the chariot, who is he? Report an error in the passage at 3:21 Highlight the passage at 3:21

3:31 Because sometimes all those signs, sometimes they are not enough, right? And even if you look at it from a materialistic perspective, right? Sure, he has chosen that life. Of course, it would be a very hard life, right? You know, 2500 years ago, if you compare the comfort of nowadays, you know, and becoming a monk. Report an error in the passage at 3:31 Highlight the passage at 3:31

4:02 In those days it would be very hard life. And some of our 227 rules, right? And some of them are kind of like to lay people don't make any sense sometimes, you know. So we're not allowed to keep any kind of like sugar, you know, oil, that sort of stuff more than seven days. If we take any sugar, we are only allowed to have for seven days. Then we have to give it up. We cannot store a jar of sugar. Report an error in the passage at 4:02 Highlight the passage at 4:02

4:46 Because these things were considered luxury. Why would he choose that kind of lifestyle? Report an error in the passage at 4:46 Highlight the passage at 4:46

4:58 When you are young, you want to enjoy life more. Or was he just running away? You know, his wife was too nagging. Report an error in the passage at 4:58 Highlight the passage at 4:58

5:13 Or he was a bad father. He Report an error in the passage at 5:13 Highlight the passage at 5:13

5:24 probably had more than that, right? He probably had some like deep spiritual momentum coming from previous life. Report an error in the passage at 5:24 Highlight the passage at 5:24

5:36 Which kind of like leads you in that direction. And Report an error in the passage at 5:36 Highlight the passage at 5:36

5:54 if you look at like the traditions, spiritual traditions at that time, many of them believed in rebirth. And some of them didn't. They were totally, one of them was like a totally materialist. Report an error in the passage at 5:54 Highlight the passage at 5:54

6:18 And what he says, no matter what you do, how you live your life, all ends in death. That's it. Report an error in the passage at 6:18 Highlight the passage at 6:18

6:29 People like many, you can say scientists or people like Richard Dawkins or whatever, right? That's what they believe in. And they have built a career out of that. you know So you can say these are the kind of like a modern day, I don't know, what do you call that? Philosophers? Not very kind of like, you can't say monks. But there are kind of like times like different variations. Report an error in the passage at 6:29 Highlight the passage at 6:29

7:08 But these views have existed before. These are not something new. Report an error in the passage at 7:08 Highlight the passage at 7:08

7:21 And there was this really interesting conversation, if some of you have read the suttas, with this prince called Payasi from Digha Nikaya. Report an error in the passage at 7:21 Highlight the passage at 7:21

7:35 Because he was a prince, on convicts, like people who were going to be killed or hanged, he would do all sorts of experiments on them to see if soul existed. Consisted right, you know after After somebody is dead, he would weigh them, whether they are lighter. He put them in pots and burned them. And later on, the pot would be covered. Then when they try to open it, see if the soul was escaping, any consciousness was escaping. Report an error in the passage at 7:35 Highlight the passage at 7:35

8:23 So he had like all sorts of like a very cruel way of experimenting. And he had these conversations with the monk whether what he was saying was that Report an error in the passage at 8:23 Highlight the passage at 8:23

8:42 he doesn't believe in there is this kind of like other world. Whether sort of like beings are reborn spontaneously. spontaneously, right, into other worlds. He said he has observed and talked to and asked people, people who were doing sort of like evil things, right? Report an error in the passage at 8:42 Highlight the passage at 8:42

9:12 He said according to the doctrine, those people would go to bad destinations according to some of those spiritual traditions. And I would ask them, please, after you have Sort of like, you know, gone to that world. Come and tell me. And he said, there would be people who are really good. And I would ask them, right? Please come and tell me if there's some sort of heavenly realms. And he would have these conversations with this monk. Report an error in the passage at 9:12 Highlight the passage at 9:12

9:48 It's like nobody has ever come to me. Report an error in the passage at 9:48 Highlight the passage at 9:48

9:54 It's a really interesting sutta, quite long. Check it out. Diga Nikaya, I think 23. Report an error in the passage at 9:54 Highlight the passage at 9:54

10:06 So there were all these curious people. This is 2500 years ago. Report an error in the passage at 10:06 Highlight the passage at 10:06

10:17 And some of these people nowadays, I'm not sure if they are that curious. I don't want people to kind of like, you know, go kill and do all those experiments. Right? But there are better ways to find out. You know? Report an error in the passage at 10:17 Highlight the passage at 10:17

11:00 That's actually quite powerful. Report an error in the passage at 11:00 Highlight the passage at 11:00

11:07 and it changes your perspective that is there is something deep spiritual going on. Report an error in the passage at 11:07 Highlight the passage at 11:07

11:23 kind of like have proof that like there are psychic powers right if somebody kind of like a demonstrate you here like you know they levitate a chair or or read your mind or whatever right that would have a you know quite a powerful impact on you you want to inquire more right and what implications does it have and Report an error in the passage at 11:23 Highlight the passage at 11:23

11:54 sometimes people people Don't go further. They just stop there. They get busy with their everyday life. Of course, Buddhism does help with lots of those things. That's why you attract lots of people who don't even believe in this idea. Report an error in the passage at 11:54 Highlight the passage at 11:54

12:25 And I have come across many people like that. Yeah? Yeah? Report an error in the passage at 12:25 Highlight the passage at 12:25

12:30 People even come to the monastery. Sometimes people say, oh, I'm a westerner, I didn't grow up and this and that, right? Report an error in the passage at 12:30 Highlight the passage at 12:30

12:41 This is not the matter of east and west. Report an error in the passage at 12:41 Highlight the passage at 12:41

12:48 This is sometimes like not having many different views. It's just one view of materialism dominating. Report an error in the passage at 12:48 Highlight the passage at 12:48

13:04 If you look at a modern culture, It's just not in the West, even in Asia, where you have a lot of development and people are sort of like quite happy materialistically. Report an error in the passage at 13:04 Highlight the passage at 13:04

13:18 They're not exposed to different kind of ideas and views. I Report an error in the passage at 13:18 Highlight the passage at 13:18

13:30 want to actually start off by giving experience of like some of my family members and friends. Report an error in the passage at 13:30 Highlight the passage at 13:30

13:42 I grew up in India. Sort of like southern part of Punjab. And my grandfather was a farmer, simple farmer, right? He never went to school. Report an error in the passage at 13:42 Highlight the passage at 13:42

14:02 And he was in his, reaching his 50s, early 50s. Report an error in the passage at 14:02 Highlight the passage at 14:02

14:16 And one Report an error in the passage at 14:16 Highlight the passage at 14:16

14:23 day he kind of like went to these, sort of like, they're kind of like kutis. Yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 14:23 Highlight the passage at 14:23

14:28 Like monks, like a little ashram outside our village. And there were these different sadhus, like wandering sadhus. They would come. And people from the village sometimes go there, feed them, right? And take lunch. They were like, almost like Buddhist monks. They would have like one meal a day, right? They won't touch any money. Which is actually quite rare in India nowadays. Report an error in the passage at 14:28 Highlight the passage at 14:28

15:00 My grandfather, one day he kind of like took the lunch for him, right? And then he had, you know, conversation with him and he's like, oh, he asked my grandfather, oh, how's life? You know, how's, you know, family? He said, it's all good, but I don't have any kids. Report an error in the passage at 15:00 Highlight the passage at 15:00

15:23 So then what he did, he gave him two cloves and one cardamom. And he said, ask your You know, wife to take these. Report an error in the passage at 15:23 Highlight the passage at 15:23

15:39 Then next time my grandfather went there, you know, took a lunch to him. Then he asked him, he's like, oh, did your wife took those? Report an error in the passage at 15:39 Highlight the passage at 15:39

15:51 And my grandfather replied, yeah, she took. She chewed the first clove, right? Then she spit it out, but then she swallowed the other two. Report an error in the passage at 15:51 Highlight the passage at 15:51

16:04 And at that point the sadhu said to him, You're going to have three children, right? But one of them would die. My Report an error in the passage at 16:04 Highlight the passage at 16:04

16:23 grandfather at that time was in our 40s, almost late 40s. And people used to get married quite young back in those days, you know, earlier 20th century. Report an error in the passage at 16:23 Highlight the passage at 16:23

16:46 And they had three children. Report an error in the passage at 16:46 Highlight the passage at 16:46

16:52 My aunt was born. My father and my uncle, but he died quite young. Whatever that sadhu said came out to be true. I never knew about this actually. I only got to know about this in my 20s, late 20s. This Report an error in the passage at 16:52 Highlight the passage at 16:52

17:30 sort of phenomena does exist. People who have really powerful samādhi, like jhānas. Report an error in the passage at 17:30 Highlight the passage at 17:30

17:42 And some of those monks or nuns can use their power of samādhi to do things like that. Report an error in the passage at 17:42 Highlight the passage at 17:42

17:57 I'm not sure if you remember this monk's name, Ajahn Tate. He came here many years ago in Perth. He's the monk which Ajahn Brahm went to see when he was a young monk, when he was four or five years old. As a monk, and he said like, you know, he want to see, really want to see this monk, but he wasn't ready, right, to have his mind read. Report an error in the passage at 17:57 Highlight the passage at 17:57

18:31 Because he had all these defilements, you know. When he went to in the presence of this monk, he's like, you know, all his questions disappeared. Report an error in the passage at 18:31 Highlight the passage at 18:31

18:46 And he ended up saying some sort of like, you know, wise line and he was just wanted to be still in his present you know just didn't want to say any That's where Ajahn Brahm came up with this simile of these invisible spikes. Report an error in the passage at 18:46 Highlight the passage at 18:46

19:10 That all of us, everyone keeps these invisible spikes that you can't see. Some of them have bigger spikes. And some of them have smaller spikes. And some of them people you can feel from a distance. It's like, oh, you know, I get this bad vibe. And some of those people, you know, you only feel those spikes when you get close to them. Report an error in the passage at 19:10 Highlight the passage at 19:10

19:41 You deal with them. And there are people with no spikes at all. And he was one of those rare monks. spikes Report an error in the passage at 19:41 Highlight the passage at 19:41

· · · silence, 1 minute

19:56 He actually, when he came to Perth, and some of those curious people, they were asking all these questions to him. That's where he said it. He said like, people with like, you know, really strong samādhi, they can do things like that. But many monks actually... Don't do this because this is not encouraged in Buddhism much. Report an error in the passage at 19:56 Highlight the passage at 19:56

20:33 You shouldn't try to show this kind of like stuff, you know, because sometimes people get, you know, sidetracked. But Report an error in the passage at 20:33 Highlight the passage at 20:33

20:49 these sort of things do exist, right? Rebirth exists. Tell you another case from our village. Report an error in the passage at 20:49 Highlight the passage at 20:49

21:05 There was this man. In his early 20s, because most of the Punjab was like an agriculture area, and he came from like a nearby village on his farm tractor, and he came to this house. Report an error in the passage at 21:05 Highlight the passage at 21:05

21:31 And when the person kind of like first opened up the door, and he kind of like you know addressed him by the name and he was like you know surprised like who's this person you know I never met him how does he know my name right and Report an error in the passage at 21:31 Highlight the passage at 21:31

21:52 then he recognized addressed all of the family members by their names and they were very surprised that how does a stranger know everybody's name and he told them things right which Only family members could know. Report an error in the passage at 21:52 Highlight the passage at 21:52

22:18 And what he said to them that he was their kind of like elder person in the house many years back who died. Report an error in the passage at 22:18 Highlight the passage at 22:18

22:36 They were still skeptical. What convinced them? Then he took them to this place in the house. Report an error in the passage at 22:36 Highlight the passage at 22:36

22:48 He asked them to dig. Report an error in the passage at 22:48 Highlight the passage at 22:48

22:52 And this happened about like 30 years ago in the early 90s. So this wasn't like, it didn't have any sort of like bricks and stuff. Report an error in the passage at 22:52 Highlight the passage at 22:52

23:07 So we asked them to dig, dig here. When they dug, and they found all this kind of like jewelry and gold which was hidden, which he like hid in his previous life. Report an error in the passage at 23:07 Highlight the passage at 23:07

23:35 I think these... Stories of rebirth and near-death experience gets talked about, you know, in society, in a culture where people are more open-minded, right? Report an error in the passage at 23:35 Highlight the passage at 23:35

23:51 If you tell this kind of a story at your workplace, many people would sort of like, you know, dismiss it, right? And they go, oh, he's up with the fairies or whatever, right? Report an error in the passage at 23:51 Highlight the passage at 23:51

24:05 But Report an error in the passage at 24:05 Highlight the passage at 24:05

24:13 just because people... You haven't experienced doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Report an error in the passage at 24:13 Highlight the passage at 24:13

24:22 And there are actually lots of cases of rebirth by a doctor, you know, investigated by Dr. Ian Stevenson and after him by Jim Tucker. And one of the cases, I remember I used to be actually really curious about these. Subjects when I was a lay person, even before I was a Buddhist, was Report an error in the passage at 24:22 Highlight the passage at 24:22

24:56 a case of this boy, you know, in rural India, you know, his hand, he died in his previous life, you know, his fingers got chopped off in a fodder chopper, right? So there were like no hospitals nearby and he died of... And then he got reborn into a neighboring village in a Muslim family. Report an error in the passage at 24:56 Highlight the passage at 24:56

25:36 And majority of the Muslims don't believe in rebirth. In his previous life, he was born in a Hindu family. Report an error in the passage at 25:36 Highlight the passage at 25:36

25:50 And the very kind of like strong evidence of that was That he was telling the truth about his previous life. He was missing part of his four fingers which came in a fodder chopper because that event had such an impactful experience on his mind. It shaped his physical body. Report an error in the passage at 25:50 Highlight the passage at 25:50

26:36 Many people who are kind of like born with maybe birthmarks, also a sign of that. Report an error in the passage at 26:36 Highlight the passage at 26:36

26:47 Actually one of my cousin's son, you Report an error in the passage at 26:47 Highlight the passage at 26:47

26:54 might be wondering like how can I, all my family members and non-relatives have all these experiences. Report an error in the passage at 26:54 Highlight the passage at 26:54

27:08 But it just happened. So when he was like four or five, he started saying, Venerable Nibbuto said to my cousin that you are not my mother. I have wife and children and this much land. Report an error in the passage at 27:08 Highlight the passage at 27:08

27:29 I got this much kind of like farming equipment. He was telling all these stories. As a four or five year old he was just strange. Report an error in the passage at 27:29 Highlight the passage at 27:29

27:43 Then what he said, This thing was kind of like a remarkable, he said, you know, in previous life he committed suicide by drinking pesticides. Report an error in the passage at 27:43 Highlight the passage at 27:43

28:00 A four or five year old doesn't have any idea of suicide. And Report an error in the passage at 28:00 Highlight the passage at 28:00

28:09 when they kind of like investigated, right, it turned out to be true. But they didn't tell, didn't have that direct sort of like a contact with the family. Report an error in the passage at 28:09 Highlight the passage at 28:09

28:24 Because my cousin's husband, he said like, I know these sort of things exist, but I don't want drama. You know, I'm a busy man. I don't want all this emotional turmoil. Report an error in the passage at 28:24 Highlight the passage at 28:24

28:45 And in this life, his body wasn't that great. Probably the, you know, how he died, it had some impact on him. He was like very sickly child. Report an error in the passage at 28:45 Highlight the passage at 28:45

29:03 And, and with the time, you know, I had conversations with him, like, and with time he's kind of like a memory started to fade. Report an error in the passage at 29:03 Highlight the passage at 29:03

29:14 And actually it tends to happen with many of the kids as they get older. Report an error in the passage at 29:14 Highlight the passage at 29:14

29:36 That's why I don't really sometimes like, you know, understand people. They say, I'm Buddhist. Report an error in the passage at 29:36 Highlight the passage at 29:36

29:52 Just want to sort of like allow them to accept. Report an error in the passage at 29:52 Highlight the passage at 29:52

30:04 We actually are, if you really want to be a sort of like, you know, investigating, inquiring Buddhist, right? We need to let our views go. Whatever is the truth, that's what we try to accept. Report an error in the passage at 30:04 Highlight the passage at 30:04

30:27 Even if it's sort of like contradicts, you know, our learning. Report an error in the passage at 30:27 Highlight the passage at 30:27

30:43 What it does, it makes us practice dharma better. Report an error in the passage at 30:43 Highlight the passage at 30:43

31:00 It also helps to spread. When you share these experiences with families and your friends. I used to have views like this. You tell your story, that what has changed you, rather than just keep on denying. Report an error in the passage at 31:00 Highlight the passage at 31:00

31:39 I think these sort of like views, you know, sometimes people don't let go because our world is so materialistic nowadays. If Report an error in the passage at 31:39 Highlight the passage at 31:39

32:00 you say you're going to have, you know, whatever you are doing, right, in the end it all comes down to zero, right? All your career, you know, all your wealth you have accumulated, you know. In the end, it's going to be useless. Whatever is going to go with your good or bad karma, then Report an error in the passage at 32:00 Highlight the passage at 32:00

32:30 our priorities change, don't they? Report an error in the passage at 32:30 Highlight the passage at 32:30

32:38 And actually, my priority changed as well. Report an error in the passage at 32:38 Highlight the passage at 32:38

32:45 I came to Australia for a good life. It's like, oh, I come here as a student, then work, live sort of comfortably afterwards. Report an error in the passage at 32:45 Highlight the passage at 32:45

32:59 Then I came across meditation and one day I, you Report an error in the passage at 32:59 Highlight the passage at 32:59

33:09 know, when I was doing the Aveshan Goenka meditation, you know, they explained dependent origination, you know. The core Buddhist philosophy, you know, sometimes secular Buddhists say, is about being here and now. You can live your life happy now. No, that's not what it is. It's talking about rebirth, ending rebirth. Report an error in the passage at 33:09 Highlight the passage at 33:09

33:34 You know, that is the root of the problem, you know, the defilements. Report an error in the passage at 33:34 Highlight the passage at 33:34

33:47 Because I kind of like never really sort of like learned or came across a doctrine which kind of like explain rebirth. It used to be very spiritual till the age of 13, 14, you know. Then you go into your teenage years, then you forget everything. everything then Report an error in the passage at 33:47 Highlight the passage at 33:47

34:13 Then after many years it came back. And it was dependent origination. It was like, wow, somebody explained it, you know, so thoroughly, precisely. Report an error in the passage at 34:13 Highlight the passage at 34:13

34:31 I never really kind of like heard the teachings of Buddha in India, you know. I heard about, you know, the simplistic sort of like, you know, view of, you know, Buddha's life in school. That's it. Report an error in the passage at 34:31 Highlight the passage at 34:31

34:49 And it made me rethink life. Report an error in the passage at 34:49 Highlight the passage at 34:49

35:04 I think sometimes people, they kind of like afraid what impact would it have if you accept. Report an error in the passage at 35:04 Highlight the passage at 35:04

35:14 Sometimes it doesn't. Because the momentum, you know, you have from previous life, you know, sometimes you're not going to become a monastic. Most people are not going to become a monastic. But believing in rebirth would do, you know. You'll be more careful where your time, energy, right, and your resources go. Report an error in the passage at 35:14 Highlight the passage at 35:14

35:50 You're going to utilize them, you know, in a much better way. Report an error in the passage at 35:50 Highlight the passage at 35:50

36:01 I remember, you know, there was this, I'm not going to name those people, but like two Australians with different times, right? They liked meditation, you know, and the whole philosophy, right? But they didn't kind of believe in psychic powers or rebirth. So I recommended them to going to Thailand to, you know, see some people. Report an error in the passage at 36:01 Highlight the passage at 36:01

36:28 And they did because Report an error in the passage at 36:28 Highlight the passage at 36:28

36:35 they were known to show some psychic powers. They're not kind of like following those rules traditionally. And this monk read his mind and he told them and he just couldn't believe. Report an error in the passage at 36:35 Highlight the passage at 36:35

36:58 And he was like, oh, this is happening. I haven't told this to anyone. This monk doesn't even have like an email or a mobile. Report an error in the passage at 36:58 Highlight the passage at 36:58

37:12 He just doesn't use technology or anything. And guess what? What did that guy end up doing? He ended up becoming a monk. And Report an error in the passage at 37:12 Highlight the passage at 37:12

37:34 there are actually also kind of like a really well-known case. During the hippie movement of Ramdas, he was, I think they were experimenting, you know, a lot, you know, in the 60s with, you know, LSD, you know, meditation. So he went to India and I think a fellow American took him to see this sadhu named Karoli Baba. Report an error in the passage at 37:34 Highlight the passage at 37:34

38:16 And so he was kind of like, Ramdas was kind of like, you know, hesitant. And he has a big ego as well, you know, because he was a professor at Harvard, you know, professor of psychology. Report an error in the passage at 38:16 Highlight the passage at 38:16

38:33 So the other American guy kind of like bowed, you know, touched the sadhu's feet. He's like, I'm not going to bow down to the sadhu. Report an error in the passage at 38:33 Highlight the passage at 38:33

38:43 So we just like stood there. there and And the Neem Crowley Baba said to him, he's like, come, come, come, sit. Because those sadhus didn't follow kind of like monastic rules. Report an error in the passage at 38:43 Highlight the passage at 38:43

38:59 And so the Baba goes, right, two days ago, you were looking at the stars at night, you were thinking about your mother, you know, who passed away six months ago, you know, she died of some spleen disease. Report an error in the passage at 38:59 Highlight the passage at 38:59

39:24 And he was just absolutely stunned. It's like my brain couldn't work out. How could this Baba know? Report an error in the passage at 39:24 Highlight the passage at 39:24

39:37 It's like no theory of psychology could explain that. Report an error in the passage at 39:37 Highlight the passage at 39:37

39:53 So there are kind of like incidents like that. And I know numerous cases like that in India. There are many stories. And people have told me, Our family friends have told me more stories since I became spiritual. Because the environment is like that. Otherwise, you don't have conversations like that. If you sit in a pub, what kind of conversations are you going to have? You're not going to have deep philosophical conversations. Report an error in the passage at 39:53 Highlight the passage at 39:53

40:33 conversations, right? Report an error in the passage at 40:33 Highlight the passage at 40:33

40:40 You disagree. Report an error in the passage at 40:40 Highlight the passage at 40:40

40:48 It's fine, it's fine. And Report an error in the passage at 40:48 Highlight the passage at 40:48

41:12 actually, I remember I was in Agarika, I was driving Ajahn Brahm. Ajahn Brahm probably has told this story quite a few times. You know, he used to do blessing for this building company. And so we were after the blessing. Disagree. Report an error in the passage at 41:12 Highlight the passage at 41:12

· · · silence, 1 minute

41:34 you know at the side we were sitting on the table so they had like the CEO of the company and like a guy who's in charge of the accounts and after kind of like a you know few minutes so the guy in charge of the finances said to Ajahn Brahm he's like I Report an error in the passage at 41:34 Highlight the passage at 41:34

42:03 It's like I'm from a Catholic background, right? But I can't understand. It's like all our sides that you have blessed, all the sails go smoothly, but the sides you haven't blessed, there's always a trouble with that. Report an error in the passage at 42:03 Highlight the passage at 42:03

42:27 This is when I was like, you know, we were sitting at the table, you know, having tea. Report an error in the passage at 42:27 Highlight the passage at 42:27

42:41 And actually these sort of things are not uncommon. Report an error in the passage at 42:41 Highlight the passage at 42:41

42:54 There are people like that with like, you know, amazing meditation capabilities. There are people who could sort of like, you know, go into samādhi, be still for hours and they can time it whenever they want to come out. Report an error in the passage at 42:54 Highlight the passage at 42:54

43:15 There are people who kind of like, you know, have told, hey, you know, This is my time. I'm going to die. Report an error in the passage at 43:15 Highlight the passage at 43:15

43:28 I'm going to die within six months. Report an error in the passage at 43:28 Highlight the passage at 43:28

43:37 One of our family friends, they used to see this sadhu from Sikh tradition. Most of them, most of them like Sikhs, they don't know meditation. They just kind of like, you know, chant the scriptures. They have forgotten about meditation. Only few of them do. And there are few sadhus. Report an error in the passage at 43:37 Highlight the passage at 43:37

44:04 And this sadhu had really great meditation. And he, there was a, you know, like this, there were like many thousands of people, you know, listening to his talk. And it was a sort of like a death anniversary of his guru. And then the sadhu said, he's like, okay, you know, I want to make it easy for you guys, right? Report an error in the passage at 44:04 Highlight the passage at 44:04

44:38 So you don't have to come next time on different days. He said, this is my last day and so my death anniversary going to be on the same day as my guru. Report an error in the passage at 44:38 Highlight the passage at 44:38

44:57 And in front of people he went into meditation and he left his body on a stage. This happened like many years back. Report an error in the passage at 44:57 Highlight the passage at 44:57

45:19 And also there is like evidence. In the suttas as well, you can become skilled in these sort of things. In Vishuddhimagga as well. Report an error in the passage at 45:19 Highlight the passage at 45:19

45:36 In mostly Buddhism, people kind of like, you know, monks don't like to show off. Report an error in the passage at 45:36 Highlight the passage at 45:36

45:46 It's a little bit in Tibetan Buddhism because they had a lot of Hindu influence. Report an error in the passage at 45:46 Highlight the passage at 45:46

45:54 But if you are skeptical, you know, the purpose of this talk is, if you are skeptical, please explore. Report an error in the passage at 45:54 Highlight the passage at 45:54

46:06 There are lots of people with near-death experiences who have seen things, miraculous things have happened, independent of the body. Report an error in the passage at 46:06 Highlight the passage at 46:06

46:22 And that proves a lot. That kind of disapproves the view of materialism. Not everything ends at death. Report an error in the passage at 46:22 Highlight the passage at 46:22

46:43 I'm not sure if Dr. Brian Walker has ever talked about this near-death experience of Anita Murjani here. He's the cannabis doctor, known as the cannabis doctor. I remember watching this documentary many, many years back. Report an error in the passage at 46:43 Highlight the passage at 46:43

47:09 I think she lived in Hong Kong and she had cancer, lymphoma. And Dr. Brian Walker was her GP when they found out cancer. Report an error in the passage at 47:09 Highlight the passage at 47:09

47:29 And so what ended up happening is kind of like she gave up chemo, so she decided, okay, I'm going to go. Her body was like totally emaciated, right? And she went into coma, and then afterwards, you know, cancer, right? Report an error in the passage at 47:29 Highlight the passage at 47:29

47:52 You know, the doctors told her husband like, okay, you know, you can say goodbye to her, she's going to die soon. And she did. Report an error in the passage at 47:52 Highlight the passage at 47:52

48:03 And in her near-death experience, you know, many things happened. I think she wrote a book called Dying to Be Me. Report an error in the passage at 48:03 Highlight the passage at 48:03

48:19 And in that experience, you know, what she felt that like, you know, if... She decided to come back to her body. Her body would heal. At first she didn't want to come back to her body. Who wants a body with cancer? And after she came back, within days her cancer went away. Report an error in the passage at 48:19 Highlight the passage at 48:19

48:55 And when she came back, I think the first time she told her husband, is like, oh, you know, I'm going to be fine. And the husband was like, yes, yes dear, yes, yes dear. He was relieved that she was alive, right? But it was something miraculous. Report an error in the passage at 48:55 Highlight the passage at 48:55

49:13 The power of that experience, you know, the power of that mind came back and her body healed. And she sort of like, you know, went around the world speaking at different events. Report an error in the passage at 49:13 Highlight the passage at 49:13

49:30 And then she wrote that book, Dying to be Me. I remember Dr. Walker telling me that like, you know, she gave him, sent him a copy of that book, you know, and he said he couldn't read that book for a few years because it challenged him, you know, it challenged him his medical learning. I Report an error in the passage at 49:30 Highlight the passage at 49:30

50:03 think afterwards when he started to explore different ideas, only then he could like read the book. And accept. Report an error in the passage at 50:03 Highlight the passage at 50:03

50:19 So there is actually a lot of evidence out there. And actually she never had a remission. Many people with cancer have remission. The remission rate is quite high. I Report an error in the passage at 50:19 Highlight the passage at 50:19

50:43 think there is another researcher called, let me remember their names, Dr. Bruce Grayson from University of Virginia. They did a lot of research in near-death experiences. Dr. Pim Bamlommel in Holland, they said about 10 % of the people who have cardiac arrest, you know, have these near-death experiences. Report an error in the passage at 50:43 Highlight the passage at 50:43

51:20 So Report an error in the passage at 51:20 Highlight the passage at 51:20

51:33 there is actually lots of, you know, this supernatural phenomena, or I would just say natural. Just because you don't see it, everything is natural. Just because some people don't understand, everything has to be super, like superfoods, just a food. It's Report an error in the passage at 51:33 Highlight the passage at 51:33

52:05 just all natural. Report an error in the passage at 52:05 Highlight the passage at 52:05

52:10 It's a very serious topic, isn't it? It's a little bit intense. Report an error in the passage at 52:10 Highlight the passage at 52:10

52:18 Are jokes mandatory? So Report an error in the passage at 52:18 Highlight the passage at 52:18

52:25 tell you a joke. Report an error in the passage at 52:25 Highlight the passage at 52:25

52:29 So there was this guy. Report an error in the passage at 52:29 Highlight the passage at 52:29

52:34 He was kind of like sitting in a train. And he was like a little bit of a shy personality. And this really kind of like an attractive girl, she came and sat in front of him. He didn't say much. She kind of like, you know, smiled. And so then the girl started the conversation. She said to him, he's like, you know, Every time you smile, you know, I feel like inviting you to my place. Report an error in the passage at 52:34 Highlight the passage at 52:34

53:12 He said, are you single? He said, no, I'm a dentist. Report an error in the passage at 53:12 Highlight the passage at 53:12

53:28 Do you know how Ajahn Brahm says that like, you know, he had, he had sort of like, you know, nothing cosmetic done to his face, you know, people do all those, you know, cosmetic things and stuff, you know, it's all real. You know, you want to know a secret? Report an error in the passage at 53:28 Highlight the passage at 53:28

53:46 He has cosmetic thing done to his front tooth. He had this kind of like a broken black tooth. Report an error in the passage at 53:46 Highlight the passage at 53:46

53:58 You know, if he smiled, you know, without the cosmetic, he would look like a pirate or something. If you don't believe me, you should check out this documentary called Blue Eyes Saffron Robes. It was done by, I think, some Irish guy. Report an error in the passage at 53:58 Highlight the passage at 53:58

54:19 He went around Thailand and he kind of like interviewed all these foreign monks in Thailand. I think in the 1976 or 9. So this is where you see like skinny Ajahn Brahm sitting there, right? Check it out. Report an error in the passage at 54:19 Highlight the passage at 54:19

54:44 Then you can, next time you can tease him. He's like, yeah, you had a cosmetic thing done. But don't tell my name, okay? I'll be in trouble. Report an error in the passage at 54:44 Highlight the passage at 54:44

55:18 Actually, I'm just curious, how many people don't believe in kind of like a rebirth? Everybody believes in rebirth? Yeah, agnostic, agnostic, yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah, good, yeah? Check it out, explore. Report an error in the passage at 55:18 Highlight the passage at 55:18

55:41 Because if we are just kind of like, you know, just biological machines, Explore. Report an error in the passage at 55:41 Highlight the passage at 55:41

55:48 Our mind wouldn't have this capability where our mind would be able to kind of influence other things. Many physicists back in the day, they did all these experiments. If you remember Dr. Mary and Pyre Curie, they did all these kind of like experiments. Report an error in the passage at 55:48 Highlight the passage at 55:48

56:14 Check it out. So be curious. So that's I would say. Okay. I got the time. Time's up. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 56:14 Highlight the passage at 56:14

56:34 Okay. That's the end of the rebirth talk. Report an error in the passage at 56:34 Highlight the passage at 56:34

56:47 Any questions? Report an error in the passage at 56:47 Highlight the passage at 56:47

56:54 No. I think there's a... Are there any online questions? Yep. You can bring it up. We'll do the online first. Report an error in the passage at 56:54 Highlight the passage at 56:54

57:20 Okay. Dear Rajan, please advise how one can stop comparing life Or progress with others. Simple. Believe in rebirth. Right? If you believe like, you know, there's a rebirth, then there are many lives, you know, where you are rich. Report an error in the passage at 57:20 Highlight the passage at 57:20

57:43 You know, that's what Buddha says. You know, we have experienced life in different realms. You don't need to compare with others. Report an error in the passage at 57:43 Highlight the passage at 57:43

57:59 We are all, everybody here is different. You have experienced, you know, different things. Is anybody here have the same personality? No. Report an error in the passage at 57:59 Highlight the passage at 57:59

58:20 Because it's our previous life experiences have shaped us. Report an error in the passage at 58:20 Highlight the passage at 58:20

58:31 There is this really good documentary was done by Australian. Right? It's from the 80s. You know, he did these hypnotic regressions. It's called Reincarnation 1981, where he regressed to these four Australian women. Report an error in the passage at 58:31 Highlight the passage at 58:31

58:58 And he recorded their experience, like, you know, what they were saying. And he took them to France, UK, wherever they were telling, right? And he kind of like closed their eyes and he asked them to kind of like tell things. And they were You are you. Report an error in the passage at 58:58 Highlight the passage at 58:58

59:34 That's the simplest answer. Be content with what you have. If you start comparing with others, you are only going to be unhappy in life. Report an error in the passage at 59:34 Highlight the passage at 59:34

59:47 You are unique. Everybody here is unique. need to, you know, compare your life with others. Report an error in the passage at 59:47 Highlight the passage at 59:47

59:53 Richard from Bolivia, When I meditate, I usually feel the impulse to measure how much remaining time is left for my meditation to end, which is very uncomfortable to have. What can I do? Do not measure. Just like you don't compare yourself, you don't measure. You're happy, you're content with what you have. Report an error in the passage at 59:53 Highlight the passage at 59:53

1:00:25 That's the best way. have. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:25 Highlight the passage at 1:00:25

1:00:27 Life happens in present. Craving is of future. And when you don't want to end, you are happy in the present, you have better meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:27 Highlight the passage at 1:00:27

1:00:42 Then opposite will happen. You don't want to end. So contentment, patience, these are the best qualities. Wolfram Gabi from Germany. future. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:42 Highlight the passage at 1:00:42

1:00:58 What makes you so sure that mind can exist without the body, that there is a reincarnation for sure, is just faith? How can I know? Well, one of the ways to know is deep meditation. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:58 Highlight the passage at 1:00:58

1:01:20 And this actually has happened to many people. If they have experienced some deep meditation, you can ask your mind to trace back your previous memories. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:20 Highlight the passage at 1:01:20

1:01:37 And your mind will take you to it. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:37 Highlight the passage at 1:01:37

1:01:42 Or you can try hypnotic regression. If you can be hypnotized, explore that. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:42 Highlight the passage at 1:01:42

1:01:54 Explore the literature or the evidence done by psychologist or other kind of like, you know, scientist. Because the problem with the scientist, they just look at the body. And they try to explain consciousness, you know. Through the body. They always try to find the cause in the body. That is the problem with many scientists. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:54 Highlight the passage at 1:01:54

1:02:27 I saw an email the other day, some guy commenting about, it's the phosphenes, you know, the nimittas and the lights you see, you know, which are related to our eyes and mind. No, it's not the phosphenes. This is mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:27 Highlight the passage at 1:02:27

1:02:47 Explore. And many traditions around the world. Even Muslims, people in Muslim countries, these Imams, they have told that sometimes people come to us telling us about their previous life memory. It can be very dangerous in Muslim countries sometimes to say things like that. And they say people who tell us, Are people who have experienced trauma or they died in accidents? Report an error in the passage at 1:02:47 Highlight the passage at 1:02:47

1:03:31 All you need to do is explore. And that makes life more interesting. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:31 Highlight the passage at 1:03:31

1:03:45 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:45 Highlight the passage at 1:03:45

1:03:49 Hopefully that satisfied your curiosity, your question. Any more questions from the floor? Report an error in the passage at 1:03:49 Highlight the passage at 1:03:49

1:04:00 You can tell me later on. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:00 Highlight the passage at 1:04:00

1:04:05 Okay, all right, let's pay respects to Buddha Dhamma Saṅgha. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:05 Highlight the passage at 1:04:05