Overview of Rebirth and the Twelve Links

Introduction

The topic for this series is the practical application of the twelve links of dependent arising. These twelve links are basically an explanation for how samsara works. Samsara means uncontrollably recurring rebirth and not just the uncontrollable recurring problems in our own lifetimes. More specifically, it explains how rebirth works. For most of us coming from non-traditional Asian society, we don’t have as part of our culture a belief in rebirth. Maybe we believe in an afterlife, but not a continuing cycle of rebirth, recurring out of our control, over and over filled suffering and problems inherent in having a body and mind generated through the influence of confusion, and of unawareness. All of the problems follow from that unawareness or ignorance of how we exist and so on. We can use our understanding of the twelve links to gain a bit more understanding of how rebirth works and maybe gain some actual confidence about it. 

Traditionally, the dividing line presented for a Buddhist practice is that it is intended for benefiting future lives. If the purpose is just to benefit this life, it’s considered a worldly or mundane type of practice. The different levels of motivation as presented in the Lam-rim, The Graded Stages of the Path, introduced in Tibet by Atisha, all have to do with rebirth. We’re initially motivated to try to improve our future lives; next to gain liberation completely from any further samsaric rebirth; and finally to gain the enlightened state of a Buddha so we can help everyone else overcome rebirth. 

When we practice tantra, specifically the highest class of tantra, we are strongly aiming to stop this process of rebirth by mimicking the process of death, the in between state or bardo, and how we are reborn. We want to transform that process so that instead of our ordinary death, bardo, and rebirth, our mind passes more and more toward the subtle clear-light state, and then we arise with the various Buddha bodies instead. Undoubtedly, this entire path and presentation in Buddhism all revolves around rebirth. 

For most of us, because it is not a part of our culture to understand and believe in rebirth, it’s a bit difficult to really be sincere in our practice of the Dharma. We tend to need to practice on the basis of faith. We give the whole concept of rebirth the benefit of the doubt and we assume that it is true. We withhold a small degree of judgment on it and proceed. But Buddha advised us not to believe anything that was said just out of faith in him; but, to examine it ourselves, test it as if buying gold. Only then should we accept the words of the Buddha and the great masters who followed.

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